this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was (A)a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, (B)according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

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(A)Some of the children of Israel, the priests, (B)the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and (C)the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

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The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:

12 [a]Artaxerxes, (A)king of kings,

To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

Perfect peace, (B)and[b] so forth.

13 I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 And whereas you are being sent [c]by the king and his (C)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand; 15 and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, (D)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem; 16 (E)and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be (F)freely offered for the [d]house of their God in Jerusalem— 17 now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their (G)grain offerings and their drink offerings, and (H)offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. Ezra 7:12 The original language of Ezra 7:12–26 is Aramaic.
  2. Ezra 7:12 Lit. and now
  3. Ezra 7:14 from before
  4. Ezra 7:16 Temple

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