Ezra 7
Ezra and His Company
Come to Jerusalem |
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Now after these things, in the reign of
Artaxerx'es king of Persia, Ezra the son of Serai'ah, the son of
Azari'ah, the son of Hilki'ah,
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2 |
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the
son of Ahi'tub,
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3 |
the son of Amari'ah, the son of Azari'ah,
the son of Merai'oth,
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4 |
the son of Zerahi'ah, the son of Uzzi,
the son of Bukki,
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the son of Abishu'a, the son of
Phin'ehas, the son of Ele-a'zar, the son of Aaron the chief
priest:
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this Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him
all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
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7 |
And there went up some of the
children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the
singers, and the porters, and the Neth'inim, unto Jerusalem, in the
seventh year of Artaxerx'es the king.
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8 |
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth
month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
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9 |
For upon the first day of the
first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the
good hand of his God upon him.
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10 |
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek
the law of the LORD, and to do it, and
to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
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11 |
Now this is the copy of the
letter that the king Artaxerx'es gave unto Ezra the priest, the
scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the
LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
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Artaxerx'es, king of kings, unto Ezra the
priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
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13 |
I make a decree, that all they of the
people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my
realm, which are minded of their own free will to go up to
Jerusalem, go with thee.
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14 |
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king,
and of his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Judah and
Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine
hand;
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and to carry the silver and gold, which
the king and his counselors have freely offered unto the God of
Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
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and all the silver and gold that thou
canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill
offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for
the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
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that thou mayest buy speedily with this
money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their
drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your
God which is in Jerusalem.
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And whatsoever shall seem good to thee,
and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold,
that do after the will of your God.
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The vessels also that are given thee for
the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou
before the God of Jerusalem.
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20 |
And whatsoever more shall be needful for
the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow,
bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
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And I, even I Artaxerx'es the
king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond
the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of
the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done
speedily,
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unto a hundred talents of silver, and to
a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to
a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how
much.
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Whatsoever is commanded by the God of
heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of
heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king
and his sons?
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24 |
Also we certify you, that, touching any
of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Neth'inim, or
ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose
toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
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And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy
God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which
may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such
as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
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26 |
And whosoever will not do the law of thy
God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon
him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to
confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
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27 |
Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a
thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the
LORD which is in Jerusalem:
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and hath extended mercy unto me before
the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty
princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered
together out of Israel chief men to go up with
me.
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