Study Desk

I, even I Artachshasta the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the Kohen, the Sofer of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,

Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

Also we inform you, that touching any of the Kohanim and Levites, the singers, porters, temple servants, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on them.

You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your God who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach you him who doesn't know them.

Whoever will not do the law of your God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Yerushalayim;

and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God on me, and I gathered together out of Yisra'el chief men to go up with me.

I sent them forth to `Iddo the chief at the place Kasifyah; and I told them what they should tell `Iddo, [and] his brothers the temple servants, at the place Kasifyah, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.

According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Machli, the son of Levi, the son of Yisra'el; and Sherevyah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;

Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.

For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.

So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he was entreated of us.

and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his princes, and all Yisra'el there present, had offered:

I said to them, You are holy to the LORD, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering to the LORD, the God of your fathers.

So the Kohanim and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Yerushalayim to the house of our God.

Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth [day] of the first month, to go to Yerushalayim: and the hand of our God was on us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the bandit by the way.

On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremot the son of Uriyah the Kohen; and with him was El`azar the son of Pinechas; and with them was Yozavad the son of Yeshua, and No`adyah the son of Binnui, the Levite;

The children of the captivity, who had come out of exile, offered burnt offerings to the God of Yisra'el, twelve bulls for all Yisra'el, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve male goats for a sin-offering: all this was a burnt offering to the LORD.

They delivered the king's commissions to the king's satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of God.

Then were assembled to me everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Yisra'el, because of the trespass of them of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening offering.