Ezra 7

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 After these events, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son ofHilkiah,	1 Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,	2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,	3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,	4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron-	5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, priest from the beginning,
6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe versed in the Law of Moses, which Yahweh, God ofIsrael, had given. The king gave him everything that he asked for, since the hand of Yahweh his God was overhim.	6 this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon; and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God gave to Israel. And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord, his God, was over him.
7 A number of Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers and temple slaves went up to Jerusalem inthe seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes.	7 And some from the sons of Israel, and from the sons of the priests, and from the sons of the Levites, and from the singing men, and from the gatekeepers, and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's reign;	8 And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the same seventh year of the king.
9 for he had ordered the departure from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived inJerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, since the kindly hand of his God was over him.	9 For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem. For the good hand of his God was over him.
10 For Ezra had devoted himself to studying the Law of Yahweh so as to put into practice and teach itsstatutes and rulings.	10 For Ezra prepared his heart, so that he might search the law of the Lord, and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.
11 This is the text of the document which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest-scribe, a student ofmatters pertaining to Yahweh's commandments and statutes relating to Israel:	11 Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest, a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:
12 'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, Secretary of the Law of the God of heaven: greetings!	12 “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.
13 'Now here are my orders. Al members of the people of Israel in my kingdom, including their priests andLevites, who freely choose to go to Jerusalem, may go with you,	13 It has been decreed by me, that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom, to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 for you are being sent by the king and his seven counsel ors to investigate how the Law of your God, inwhich you are expert, is being applied in Judah and Jerusalem,	14 For you have been sent from the face of the king and his seven counselors, so that you may visit Judea and Jerusalem by the law of your God, which is in your hand,
15 and to transport the silver and gold which the king and his counsel ors have voluntarily offered to theGod of Israel who resides in Jerusalem,	15 and so that you may carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16 as wel as all the silver and gold which you receive throughout the province of Babylon and thevoluntary offerings freely contributed by the people and the priests for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.	16 And all the silver and gold, as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon, and which the people will wish to offer, and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,
17 'This money you wil punctiliously use for the purchase of bul s, rams, lambs and the materials for theoblations and libations which go with them, offering these on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem,	17 accept it freely. And with this money, carefully purchase calves, rams, lambs, and their sacrifices and libations, and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 and using the remainder of the silver and gold in accordance with the wil of your God as you and yourbrothers may think fit.	18 But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold, do so in accord with the will of your God.
19 'You wil deliver the articles which have been given you for the ministry of the Temple of your God, tothe God of Jerusalem,	19 Likewise, the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God, deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.
20 and whatever else is needed and you are obliged to supply for the Temple of your God, you will supplyfrom the royal treasury.	20 Then, whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, as much as is necessary for you to spend, it shall be given from the treasury, and from the king’s finances,
21 'I, King Artaxerxes, have issued the fol owing instruction to all the treasurers of Transeuphrates:Whatever the priest Ezra, Secretary of the Law of the God of heaven, may request of you is to be punctiliouslycomplied with:	21 and by me. I, king Artaxerxes, have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury, those who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,
22 up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kor of wheat, one hundred bat of wine, one hundred bat of oil, and unlimited salt.	22 even up to one hundred talents of silver, and up to one hundred cors of wheat, and up to one hundred baths of wine, and up to one hundred baths of oil, and truly salt without measure.
23 Whatever the God of heaven demands for the Temple of the God of heaven must be diligentlyprovided; why should retribution come on the realm of the king and of his sons?	23 All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven, let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven, lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 You are further informed that it is against the law to impose tribute, tax or tol on any of the priests,Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple slaves or other servants of this temple of God.	24 Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, and the ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.
25 'And you, Ezra, by virtue of the wisdom of your God, which you possess, are to appoint magistratesand scribes to administer justice for the whole people of Transeuphrates, that is, for all who know the Law ofyour God; and you are to teach it to those who do not know it.	25 But as for you, Ezra, in accord with the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates, so that they may judge the entire people, which is beyond the river, especially so that they may know the law of your God, but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.
26 And on anyone who wil not comply with the Law of your God and the Law of the king let sentence beswiftly executed, whether it be death, banishment, fine or imprisonment.'	26 And any one who will not diligently keep the law of your God, and the law of the king, judgment shall be upon him, either to death, or to exile, or to the confiscation of his goods, or certainly to prison.”
27 Blessed be Yahweh, God of our ancestors, who moved the king's heart in this way to restore thebeauty of the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem,	27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.
28 won for me the faithful love of the king, his counsel ors and al the most powerful of the king's officials!Taking heart since the hand of Yahweh my God was over me, I assembled those Israelite heads of families whowere to go with me.	28 For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so, having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God, which was upon me, I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.