Study Desk

Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, ^[d]learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel:

"^[e]Artaxerxes, ^(h)king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now

⁽ⁱ⁾I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

Forasmuch as you are sent ^[f]by the king and his ^(j)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,

and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, ^(k)whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

with ^(l)all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along ^(m)with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who ⁽ⁿ⁾offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, ^(o)with their grain offerings and their drink offerings and ^(p)offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.

Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, ^(q)provide for it from the royal treasury.

"I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the ^[g]River, that whatever Ezra the priest, ^(r)the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently,

even up to 100 talents of silver, 100 ^[h]kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt ^[i]as needed.

Whatever is ^[j]commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, ^(s)so that there will not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.

We also inform you that ^(t)it is not allowed to ^[k]impose tax, tribute or toll ^(u)on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of this house of God.

"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, ^(v)appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in the province beyond the River, even all those who know the laws of your God; and you may ^(w)teach anyone who is ignorant of them.

^(x)Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for ^[l]banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment."

Blessed be the Lord , the God of our fathers, ^(y)who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem,

and ^(z)has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to ^(aa)the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered ^[m]leading men from Israel to go up with me.