Study Desk

This Ezra came vp from Babel, and was a Scribe prompt in the Lawe of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had giuen, and the King gaue him all his request according to the hande of the Lord his God which was vpon him.

For vpon the first day of the first moneth began he to goe vp from Babel, and on the first day of the fift moneth came he to Ierusalem, according to the good hande of his God that was vpon him.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seeke the Lawe of the Lord, and to doe it, and to teach the precepts and iudgements in Israel.

And this is the copie of the letter that King Artahshashte gaue vnto Ezra the Priest & scribe, euen a writer of the words of the commadements of ye Lord, & of his statutes ouer Israel.

Therefore art thou sent of the King and his seuen counsellers, to enquire in Iudah and Ierusalem, according to the lawe of thy God, which is in thine hand,

And to carry the siluer and the gold, which the King & his cousellers willingly offer vnto the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Ierusalem)

Whatsoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen, let it be done speedily for the house of the God of heauen: for why should he be wroth against the realme of the King, and his children?

And hath enclined mercy toward me, before the King and his counsellers, and before all the Kings mightie Princes: and I was comforted by the hand of the Lord my God which was vpon me, and I gathered the chiefe of Israel to goe vp with me.

And I gaue them commandement, to Iddo the chiefest at the place of Casiphia, & I told them the words that they should speake to Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims at the place of Casiphia, that they should cause the ministers of the house of our God to come vnto vs.

So by the good hande of our God which was vpon vs, they brought vs a man of vnderstanding of the sonnes of Mahali the sonne of Leui the sonne of Israel, and Sherebiah with his sonnes and his brethren, euen eighteene.

Also Hashabiah, and with him Ieshaiah of the sonnes of Merari, with his brethren, and their sonnes twentie.

For I was ashamed to require of the King an armie and horsemen, to helpe vs against the enemie in the way, because we had spoken to the King, saying, The hande of our God is vpon all them that seeke him in goodnesse, but his power & his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

And weighed them the siluer and the gold, and the vessels, euen the offring of ye house of our God, which the King and his counselers, and his Princes, & all Israel that were present had offred.

And now for a litle space grace hath bene shewed from the Lord our God, in causing a remnant to escape, & in giuing vs a nayle in his holy place, that our God may light our eyes, & giue vs a litle reuiuing in our seruitude.

And whosoeuer woulde not come within three dayes according to the counsel of the Princes & Elders, all his substance should be forfait, & he should be separate from the Congregation of them of the captiuitie.

Now therefore giue praise vnto the Lord God of your fathers, and do his will, and separate your selues from the people of the land, and from the strange wiues.

And of the sonnes of the Priests there were men founde, that had taken strange wiues, to wit, of the sonnes of Ieshua, the sonne of Iozadak, & of his brethren, Maaseiah, Aeliezer, and Iarib and Gedaliah.

And sayde, O Lorde God of heauen, the great and terrible God, that keepeth couenant and mercy for them that loue him, and obserue his commandements,

Nowe in the moneth Nisan in the twentieth yere of king Artahshashte, the wine stoode before him, and I tooke vp the wine, and gaue it vnto the King. nowe I was not before time sad in his presence.

Then answered I them, and sayd to them, The God of heauen, he will prosper vs, and we his seruants will rise vp and buylde: but as for you, ye haue no portion nor right, nor memoriall in Ierusalem.