1 After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, 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 came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him everything he requested, because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
7 Some of the children of Israel, along with priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the king's seventh year.
9 He had set the first day of the first month for the journey up from Babylon, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, because the good hand of his God was upon him.
10 For Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and judgments in Israel.
11 Here is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, a man learned in matters of the LORD's commandments and statutes for Israel:
12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so on.
13 I decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel, including their priests and Levites, who wishes to go to Jerusalem may go with you.
14 You are being sent by the king and his seven advisers to look into conditions in Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the law of your God, which is in your hand,
15 and to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 along with all the silver and gold you may obtain throughout the province of Babylon, and the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the house of their God in Jerusalem.
17 With this money, then, be sure to buy bulls, rams, and lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.
18 You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the remaining silver and gold, in keeping with the will of your God.
19 Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the vessels entrusted to you for the service of the house of your God.
20 Anything else needed for the house of your God that you may have to supply, you may supply from the royal treasury.
21 I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers of the province Beyond the River: whatever Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks of you must be provided promptly,
22 up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of oil, and salt without any limit.
23 Whatever the God of heaven has commanded must be done carefully for the house of the God of heaven. Why should wrath fall on the king's realm and his sons?
24 We also notify you that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or other workers of this house of God.
25 And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your God that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people of the province Beyond the River, all who know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.
26 Anyone who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must be punished promptly, whether by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment."
27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who put it into the king's heart to bring honor to the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,
28 and who has shown me steadfast love before the king, his advisers, and all the king's powerful officials. Because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.