7 And there went up some of the echildren of Israel, and of the priests, and fthe Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and gthe Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 *And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month †began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, haccording to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra ihad prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to kteach in Israel statutes and judgments. 11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to Israel.

12 *Artaxerxes, lking of kings, ||unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, mand at such a time. 13 nI make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent †of the king, and of his oseven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his ocounsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, pwhose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 qAnd all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, roffering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: 17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their smeat offerings and their tdrink offerings, and uoffer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do nmake a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred †measures of wheat, and to an hundred xbaths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 †Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of ythe king and his sons? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose ztoll, tribute, or custom, upon them. 25 And thou, Ezra, after athe wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set bmagistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and cteach ye them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or †to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.