Esra 7

1Now after these things in the reign of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helcias,

2The son of Sellum, the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,

3The son of Amarias, the son of Azarias, the son of Maraioth,

4The son of Zarahias, the son of Ozi, the son of Bocci,

5The son of Abisue, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest from the beginning.

6This Esdras went up from Babylon, and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God had given to Israel: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

7And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the children of the priests, and of the children of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and of the Nathinites to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king.

9For upon the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem according to the good hand of his God upon him.

10For Esdras had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do and to teach in Israel the commandments and judgment.

11And this is the copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Esdras the priest, the scribe instructed in the words and commandments of the Lord, and his ceremonies in Israel.

12Artaxerxes king of kings to Esdras the priest, the most learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven, greeting.

13It is decreed by me, that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priests and of the Levites in my realm, that are minded to go into Jerusalem, should go with thee.

14For thou art sent from before the king, and his seven counsellors, to visit Judea and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God, which is in thy hand.

15And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.

16And all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, and that the people is willing to offer, and that the priests shall offer of their own accord to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,

17Take freely, and buy diligently with this money, calves, rams, lambs, with the sacrifices and libations of them, and offer them upon the altar of the temple of your God, that is in Jerusalem.

18And if it seem good to thee, and to thy brethren to do any thing with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

19The vessels also, that are given thee for the sacrifice of the house of thy God, deliver thou in the sight of God in Jerusalem.

20And whatsoever more there shall be need of for the house of thy God, how much soever thou shalt have occasion to spend, it shall be given out of the treasury, and the king’s exchequer, and by me.

21I Artaxerxes the king have ordered and decreed to all the keepers of the public chest, that are beyond the river, that whatsoever Esdras the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, you give it without delay,

22Unto a hundred talents of silver, and unto a hundred cores of wheat, and unto a hundred bates of wine, and unto a hundred bates of oil, and salt without measure.

23All that belongeth to the rites of the God of heaven, let it be given diligently in the house of the God of heaven: lest his wrath should be enkindled against the realm of the king, and of his sons.

24We give you also to understand concerning all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nathinites, and ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose toll or tribute, or custom upon them.

25And thou Esdras according to the wisdom of thy God, which is in thy hand, appoint judges and magistrates, that may judge all the people, that is beyond the river, that is, for them who know the law of thy God, yea and the ignorant teach ye freely.

26And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king diligently, judgment shall be executed upon him, either unto death, or unto banishment, or to the confiscation of goods, or at least to prison.

27Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers, who hath put this in the king’s heart, to glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem,

28And hath inclined his mercy toward me before the king and his counsellors, and all the mighty princes of the king: and I being strengthened by the hand of the Lord my God, which was upon me, gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

1Post hæc autem verba in regno Artaxerxis regis Persarum, Esdras filius Saraiæ, filii Azariæ, filii Helciæ,

2filii Sellum, filii Sadoc, filii Achitob,

3filii Amariæ, filii Azariæ, filii Maraioth,

4filii Zarahiæ, filii Ozi, filii Bocci,

5filii Abisue, filii Phinees, filii Eleazar, filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio.

6Ipse Esdras ascendit de Babylone, et ipse scriba velox in lege Moysi, quam Dominus Deus dedit Israël: et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei ejus super eum, omnem petitionem ejus.

7Et ascenderunt de filiis Israël, et de filiis sacerdotum, et de filiis Levitarum, et de cantoribus, et de janitoribus, et de Nathinæis, in Jerusalem, anno septimo Artaxerxis regis.

8Et venerunt in Jerusalem mense quinto, ipse est annus septimus regis.

9Quia in primo die mensis primi cœpit ascendere de Babylone, et in primo die mensis quinti venit in Jerusalem, juxta manum Dei sui bonam super se.

10Esdras enim paravit cor suum, ut investigaret legem Domini, et faceret et doceret in Israël præceptum et judicium.

11Hoc est autem exemplar epistolæ edicti, quod dedit rex Artaxerxes Esdræ sacerdoti, scribæ erudito in sermonibus et præceptis Domini, et cæremoniis ejus in Israël.

12Artaxerxes rex regum Esdræ sacerdoti scribæ legis Dei cæli doctissimo, salutem.

13A me decretum est, ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Israël, et de sacerdotibus ejus, et de Levitis, ire in Jerusalem, tecum vadat.

14A facie enim regis, et septem consiliatorum ejus, missus es, ut visites Judæam et Jerusalem in lege Dei tui, quæ est in manu tua:

15et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex, et consiliatores ejus, sponte obtulerunt Deo Israël, cujus in Jerusalem tabernaculum est.

16Et omne argentum et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis, et populus offerre voluerit, et de sacerdotibus quæ sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui, quæ est in Jerusalem,

17libere accipe, et studiose eme de hac pecunia vitulos, arietes, agnos, et sacrificia, et libamina eorum, et offer ea super altare templi Dei vestri, quod est in Jerusalem.

18Sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis, juxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite.

19Vasa quoque, quæ dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui, trade in conspectu Dei in Jerusalem.

20Sed et cetera, quibus opus fuerit in domum Dei tui, quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas, dabitur de thesauro, et de fisco regis,

21et a me. Ego Artaxerxes rex, statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arcæ publicæ, qui sunt trans flumen, ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Esdras sacerdos, scriba legis Dei cæli, absque mora detis,

22usque ad argenti talenta centum, et usque ad frumenti coros centum, et usque ad vini batos centum, et usque ad batos olei centum, sal vero absque mensura.

23Omne quod ad ritum Dei cæli pertinet, tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei cæli: ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis, et filiorum ejus.

24Vobis quoque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus, et Levitis, et cantoribus, et janitoribus, Nathinæis, et ministris domus Dei hujus, ut vectigal, et tributum, et annonas non habeatis potestatem imponendi super eos.

25Tu autem Esdra, secundum sapientiam Dei tui, quæ est in manu tua, constitue judices et præsides, ut judicent omni populo qui est trans flumen, his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui: sed et imperitos docete libere.

26Et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui, et legem regis, diligenter, judicium erit de eo sive in mortem, sive in exilium, sive in condemnationem substantiæ ejus, vel certe in carcerem.

27Benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum, qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini quæ est in Jerusalem,

28et in me inclinavit misericordiam suam coram rege et consiliatoribus ejus, et universis principibus regis potentibus: et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei, quæ erat in me, congregavi de Israël principes qui ascenderent mecum.

1Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

2the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

3the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, priest from the beginning,

6this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon; and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God gave to Israel. And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord, his God, was over him.

7And some from the sons of Israel, and from the sons of the priests, and from the sons of the Levites, and from the singing men, and from the gatekeepers, and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.

8And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the same seventh year of the king.

9For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem. For the good hand of his God was over him.

10For Ezra prepared his heart, so that he might search the law of the Lord, and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.

11Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest, a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:

12“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.

13It has been decreed by me, that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom, to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

14For you have been sent from the face of the king and his seven counselors, so that you may visit Judea and Jerusalem by the law of your God, which is in your hand,

15and so that you may carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.

16And all the silver and gold, as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon, and which the people will wish to offer, and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,

17accept it freely. And with this money, carefully purchase calves, rams, lambs, and their sacrifices and libations, and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.

18But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold, do so in accord with the will of your God.

19Likewise, the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God, deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.

20Then, whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, as much as is necessary for you to spend, it shall be given from the treasury, and from the king’s finances,

21and by me. I, king Artaxerxes, have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury, those who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,

22even up to one hundred talents of silver, and up to one hundred cors of wheat, and up to one hundred baths of wine, and up to one hundred baths of oil, and truly salt without measure.

23All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven, let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven, lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the king and his sons.

24Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, and the ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.

25But as for you, Ezra, in accord with the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates, so that they may judge the entire people, which is beyond the river, especially so that they may know the law of your God, but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.

26And anyone who will not diligently keep the law of your God, and the law of the king, judgment shall be upon him, either to death, or to exile, or to the confiscation of his goods, or certainly to prison.”

27Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.

28For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so, having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God, which was upon me, I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.