¶ Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes¹ king of Persia, Ezra² the son of Seraiah³, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah⁴,

The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok⁵, the son of Ahitub,

The son of Amariah⁶, the son of Azariah⁷, the son of Meraioth⁸,

The son of Zerahiah⁹, the son of Uzzi¹⁰, the son of Bukki¹¹,

The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas¹², the son of Eleazar¹³, the son of Aaron the chief priest¹⁴:

This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready¹⁵ scribe¹⁶ in the law¹⁷ of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him¹⁸ all his request, according to¹⁹ the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

And there went up some of the children²⁰ of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites²¹, and the singers²², and the porters²³, and the Nethinims²⁴, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes²⁵ the king.

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

For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up²⁶ 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.

¶ For Ezra had prepared²⁷ his heart to seek the law²⁸ of the LORD, and to do it,²⁹ and to teach³⁰ in Israel statutes and judgments.

¶ Now this is the copy³¹ of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe³² of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.

Artaxerxes³³, king of kings, unto Ezra³⁴ the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.

I make³⁵ a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded³⁶ of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king³⁷, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according³⁸ to the law of thy God³⁹ which is in thine hand;

And to carry the silver⁴⁰ and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation⁴¹ is in Jerusalem,

And all the silver⁴² and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering⁴³ of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:

That thou mayest buy speedily⁴⁴ with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings⁴⁵ and their drink offerings, and offer them⁴⁶ upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

And whatsoever⁴⁷ shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do⁴⁸ after the will⁴⁹ of your God.

The vessels⁵⁰ also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem⁵¹.

¶ And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it⁵² out of the king's treasure house.

And I, even I Artaxerxes⁵³ the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river⁵⁴, that whatsoever Ezra the priest⁵⁵, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,

Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures⁵⁶ of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine⁵⁷, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt⁵⁸ without prescribing how much.

Whatsoever is commanded⁵⁹ by the God of heaven, let it be⁶⁰ diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath⁶¹ against the realm of the king and his sons?

Also we certify you, that touching any⁶² of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom⁶³ of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates⁶⁴ and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river⁶⁵, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye⁶⁶ them that know them not.

And whosoever⁶⁷ will not do the law of thy God⁶⁸, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be⁶⁹ unto death, or to banishment⁷⁰, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

¶ Blessed⁷¹ be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such⁷² a thing as this in the king's heart⁷³, to beautify⁷⁴ the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

And hath extended⁷⁵ mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors⁷⁶, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened⁷⁷ as the hand⁷⁸ of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.