Ezra 7

Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem

1 Many years later, ¹ during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, ‡ Neh 2:11Ch 6:4-142Ki 22:4Ezr 6:14Ezr 7:12Ezr 7:211Ch 9:112Ch 34:15 +82 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, ‡ 1Ki 2:352Sa 8:17 3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— ‡ 1Ch 24:1-61Ch 6:41Ch 6:50-522Ch 19:112Ch 26:20Exo 6:25Heb 5:4Jdg 20:28 +156 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. ‡ Ezr 8:22Ezr 7:28Ezr 8:31Neh 2:18Ezr 7:21Mat 28:20Neh 2:8Ezr 7:11-12 +24

The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. 7 So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants. ² ‡ Ezr 8:1-201Ch 25:1-81Ch 6:31-481Ch 9:17-27Ezr 2:40-70Ezr 6:14Ezr 7:11-12Ezr 7:24 +3

8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9 He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him. ‡ Ezr 7:6Neh 2:8Neh 2:18 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel. ‡ 2Ti 4:2Mal 2:7Mat 7:24Jhn 13:17Psa 1:2Ezr 7:25Psa 19:71Ch 29:18 +20

Artaxerxes’ Letter for Ezra

11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of the LORD to Israel: ³ ‡ Ezr 4:11Ezr 5:6Ezr 7:6Mat 23:13Mat 23:2Mrk 7:1-13

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings. ‡ Dan 2:37Ezk 26:7Ezr 4:171Ki 20:11Ki 4:241Ti 6:15Dan 2:47Ezr 4:10-11 +3

To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings. ⁴

13 I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem. ‡ Ezr 6:12Ch 30:5Est 3:15Est 9:14Ezr 1:3Ezr 5:13Php 2:13Psa 110:3 +214 You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ‡ Est 1:14Dan 2:47Dan 6:20Dan 6:26Deu 17:18-19Ezr 1:3Ezr 5:8Ezr 6:12 +5

15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ‡ 2Ch 6:2Psa 135:21Ezr 6:121Ch 29:62Ch 2:62Ch 6:6Ezr 6:4Ezr 6:8-10 +816 together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. ‡ 1Ch 29:61Ch 29:9Ezr 1:4Ezr 1:61Ch 29:172Co 8:122Co 9:7Ezr 8:25-28 17 With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. ‡ Deu 12:5-11Ezr 6:9-10Num 15:4-13Deu 14:24-26Jhn 2:14Mat 21:12-13 18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. ‡ 2Ki 12:152Ki 22:7Eph 5:17Ezr 7:26

19 You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. ‡ 2Ch 32:19Ezr 8:27-30Ezr 8:33-34Jer 3:17 20 And if anything else is needed for the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury. ‡ Ezr 6:4Ezr 6:8-18

21 I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: ⁵ Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly, ‡ Ezr 4:16Ezr 7:6Ezr 4:20Ezr 6:6Ezr 7:10-13 22 up to a hundred talents of silver, ⁶ a hundred cors of wheat, ⁷ a hundred baths of wine, ⁸ a hundred baths of olive oil, ⁹ and salt without limit. ‡ Ezk 45:14Lev 2:13Luk 16:6-7 23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons? ‡ Psa 119:4Ezr 6:10-12Ezr 7:13Ezr 7:18Zec 12:3 24 And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. ‡ Ezr 4:13Ezr 7:7Ezr 2:36-55Ezr 4:20

25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them. ‡ Deu 16:18Ezr 7:10Jas 1:5Jas 3:17-18Mal 2:7Psa 19:71Ch 22:121Ch 23:4 +1726 If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. ‡ Ezr 6:11Deu 13:1-18Lev 20:1-27Exo 21:1-22Dan 6:262Ch 30:12Dan 3:28-29Psa 52:5

Ezra Blesses God

27 Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, ‡ Ezr 6:22Rev 17:17Isa 60:132Co 8:16Heb 10:16Jas 1:17Neh 2:12Neh 2:8 +528 and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. ‡ 2Ti 4:17-18Ezr 5:5Ezr 8:18Ezr 9:9Gen 32:28Neh 2:8Ezr 7:9Gen 43:14 +4

And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.