Ezra 7

Revised Geneva Translation

7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, was Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

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

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 High Priest.

⁶ This Ezra came up from Babel and was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses which the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king gave him all his request according to the Hand of the LORD his God which was upon him.

⁷ And in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, some of the children of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, went up to Jerusalem.

⁸ And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

⁹ For upon the first day of the first month, he began to go up from Babel. And on the first day of the fifth month, he came to Jerusalem, according to the good Hand of his God that was upon him.

¹⁰ For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach the Precepts and Judgments in Israel.

¹¹ And this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the Priest and scribe, a writer of the Words of the Commandments of the LORD, and of His Statutes, over Israel:

¹² “ARTAXERXES, king of kings, to Ezra the Priest and perfect scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, and to Cheeneth,

¹³ “I have given commandment that every one of the people in my kingdom— of Israel and of the priests and Levites—who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, shall go.

¹⁴ “Therefore, you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire in Judah and Jerusalem, according to the Law of your God which is in your hand,

¹⁵ “and to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counselors willingly offer to the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Jerusalem)

¹⁶ “and all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babel, with the free offering of the people, and that which the priests offer willingly to the House of their God which is in Jerusalem,

¹⁷ “so that you may speedily buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their Meat Offerings and their Drink Offerings, with this silver. And you shall offer them upon the Altar of the House of your God, which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁸ “And whatever it pleases you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

¹⁹ “And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the House of your God, deliver those before God in Jerusalem.

²⁰ “And the rest that shall be needed for the House of your God, which shall be right for you to bestow, you shall bestow it out of the king’s treasure house.

²¹ “And I, King Artaxerxes, have given commandment to all the treasurers which are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the Priest and scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven shall require of you, that it be done immediately,

²² “to a hundred talents of silver, to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without writing.

²³ “Whatever is by the Commandment of the God of Heaven, let it be done speedily for the House of the God of Heaven. For why should He be angry against the realm of the king and his children?

²⁴ “And we inform you that upon any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or ministers in this House of God, no governor shall lay toll, tribute or custom.

²⁵ “And you, Ezra (after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand), set judges and arbiters which may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all that know the Law of your God. And teach those who do not know it.

²⁶ “And whoever will not do the Law of your God, and the king’s law, let him have judgment without delay, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.”

²⁷ Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, Who has put such in the king’s heart, to beautify the House of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,

²⁸ and has inclined mercy toward me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes! And I was comforted by the Hand of the LORD my God upon me. And I gathered the chief of Israel to go up with me.