¹² Artaxerxes, king of kings,^(A) to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens:

Greetings.

¹³ I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.^{(B) 14} You are sent by the king and his seven counselors^(C) to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession.