1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, 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 chief priest: 6 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. 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 Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 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 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. 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.
11 ¶ Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes 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. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace , and at such a time. 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 freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 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: 17 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. 18 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. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 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. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes 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, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much . 23 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? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any 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. 25 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. 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.
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: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, 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.
1 post haec autem verba in regno Artarxersis regis Persarum
Ezras filius Saraiae filii Azariae filii Helciae
2 filii Sellum
filii Sadoc filii Achitob
3 filii Amariae
filii Azariae filii Maraioth
4 filii Zaraiae
filii Ozi filii Bocci
5 filii Abisue filii Finees filii Eleazar
filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio
6 ipse Ezras ascendit de Babylone et ipse scriba velox in lege Mosi
quam dedit Dominus Deus Israhel
et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei eius super eum
omnem petitionem eius
7 et ascenderunt de filiis Israhel
et de filiis sacerdotum et de filiis Levitarum
et de cantoribus et de ianitoribus et de Nathinneis in Hierusalem
anno septimo Artarxersis regis
8 et venerunt in Hierusalem mense quinto
ipse est annus septimus regis
9 quia in primo die mensis primi coepit ascendere de Babylone
et in primo mensis quinti venit in
Hierusalem
iuxta manum Dei sui bonam super se
10 Ezras enim paravit cor suum ut investigaret legem Domini
et faceret et doceret in Israhel praeceptum et iudicium
11 hoc est autem exemplar epistulae edicti
quod dedit rex Artarxersis Ezrae sacerdoti
scribae erudito in sermonibus et praeceptis Domini
et caerimoniis eius in Israhel
12 Artarxersis rex regum
Ezrae sacerdoti scribae legis Dei caeli doctissimo salutem
13 a me decretum est ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo
de populo Israhel et de sacerdotibus eius et de Levitis
ire in Hierusalem tecum vadat
14 a facie enim regis et septem consiliatorum eius missus es
ut visites Iudaeam et Hierusalem in lege Dei tui quae est in manu tua
15 et ut feras argentum et aurum
quod rex et consiliatores eius sponte obtulerunt Deo Israhel
cuius in Hierusalem tabernaculum est
16 et omne argentum et aurum
quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis
et populus offerre voluerit
et de sacerdotibus qui sponte obtulerint
domui Dei sui
quae est in Hierusalem
17 libere 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 Hierusalem
18 sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit
de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis
iuxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite
19 vasa quoque quae dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui
trade in conspectu Dei Hierusalem
20 sed et cetera quibus opus fuerit in domo Dei tui
quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas
dabis de thesauro et de fisco regis
21 et a me
ego Artarxersis rex statui atque decrevi
omnibus custodibus arcae publicae qui sunt trans Flumen
ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Ezras sacerdos scriba legis Dei caeli
absque mora detis
22 usque ad argenti talenta centum
et usque ad frumenti choros centum
et usque ad vini batos centum et usque ad batos olei centum
sal vero absque mensura
23 omne quod ad ritum Dei caeli pertinet
tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei caeli
ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis et filiorum eius
24 vobisque notum facimus
de universis sacerdotibus et Levitis
cantoribus ianitoribus Nathinneis et ministris
domus Dei huius
ut vectigal et tributum et annonas non habeatis potestatem inponendi
super eos
25 tu autem Ezras secundum sapientiam Dei tui
quae est in manu tua
constitue iudices et praesides
ut iudicent omni populo qui est trans Flumen
his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui
sed et inperitos docete libere
26 et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui et legem regis diligenter
iudicium erit de eo sive in mortem sive in exilium
sive in condemnationem substantiae eius vel certe in carcerem
27 benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum
qui dedit hoc in corde regis
ut glorificaret domum Domini quae est in Hierusalem
28 et in me inclinavit misericordiam
coram rege et consiliatoribus eius
et universis principibus regis potentibus
et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei quae erat in me
congregavi de Israhel principes qui ascenderent mecum