Ezra 7:1–15

EZRA’S ARRIVAL

7After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes^s of Persia, Ezra—

Seraiah’s^t son, Azariah’s son,

Hilkiah’s^u son, ²Shallum’s son,

Zadok’s^v son, Ahitub’s son,

³Amariah’s son, Azariah’s son,

Meraioth’s son, ⁴Zerahiah’s son,

Uzzi’s son, Bukki’s son,

⁵Abishua’s son, Phinehas’s son,

Eleazar’s son, the chief priest Aaron’s son^w

⁶—came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses,^x which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested^y because the hand of the Lord his God was on him.^{z 7}Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants^aa accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

⁸Ezra^B came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king. ⁹He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month^ab and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month^ac since the gracious hand of his God was on him.^{ad 10}Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey it, and teach^ae its statutes and ordinances in Israel.

LETTER FROM ARTAXERXES

¹¹This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord’s commands and statutes for Israel:

¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings,^af to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of the heavens:

Greetings.

¹³I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.^{ag 14}You are sent by the king and his seven counselors^a to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. ¹⁵You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel,^b whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,^c