Ezra 7

NEW JERUSALEM	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 After these events, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son ofHilkiah,	1 Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,	2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,	3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,	4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron-	5 son of Abishu-a, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest--
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 Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses which the LORD the God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon 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 there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple servants.
8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's reign;	8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the 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 go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was upon 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 had set his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach his statutes and ordinances 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 This is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in matters of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes for 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, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven. And now
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 I make a decree that any one of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers 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 are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to 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 also to convey the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling 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 with all the silver and gold which you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for 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 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their cereal offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them upon the altar of the house 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 Whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to 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 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of 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 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which you have occasion to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.
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 I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, be it done with all diligence,
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 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 prescribing how much.
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 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm 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 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll upon any one of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
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 "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and those who do not know them, you shall teach.
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 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed upon him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment."
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 put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify 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 and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.