1 Esdras 8:8–27

⁸Now the copy of the commission, which was written from Artaxerxes the king, and came to Esdras the priest and ^ereader of the law of the Lord, is this that followeth:

⁹King Artaxerxes unto Esdras the priest and ^ereader of the law of the Lord sendeth greeting: ¹⁰having determined to deal graciously, I have given order, that such of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests and Levites, being within our realm, as are willing and desirous should go with thee unto Jerusalem. ¹¹As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart with thee, as it hath seemed good both to me and my seven friends the counsellers; ¹²that they may look unto the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, agreeably to that which is in the law of the Lord; ¹³and carry the gifts unto the Lord of Israel to Jerusalem, which I and my friends have vowed, and all the gold and silver that in the country of Babylon can be found, to the Lord in Jerusalem, ¹⁴with that also which is given of the people for the temple of the Lord their God at Jerusalem: and that silver and gold may be collected for bullocks, rams, and lambs, and things thereunto appertaining; ¹⁵to the end that they may offer sacrifices unto the Lord upon the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem. ¹⁶And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the silver and gold, that do, according to the will of thy God. ¹⁷And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given thee for the use of the temple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou shalt set before thy God in Jerusalem. ¹⁸And whatsoever thing else thou shalt remember for the use of the temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the king’s treasury. ¹⁹And I king Artaxerxes have also commanded the keepers of the treasures in Syria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras the priest and the reader of the law of ^fthe most high God shall send for, they should give it him with speed, ²⁰to the sum of an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even to an hundred cors, and an hundred ^gpieces of wine, and other things in abundance. ²¹Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently unto ^fthe most high God, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. ²²I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other imposition, of any of the priests, or Levites, or holy singers, or porters, or ministers of the temple, or of any that have doings in this temple, and that no man have authority to impose any thing upon them. ²³And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God ordain judges and justices, that they may judge in all Syria and Phenice all those that know the law of thy God; and those that know it not thou shalt teach. ²⁴And whosoever shall transgress the law of thy God, and of the king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment.

²⁵Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem: ²⁶and hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his counsellers, and all his friends and nobles. ²⁷Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gathered together men of Israel to go up with me.