¹²“Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens. Peace. And now ¹³I issue forth a decree that any of the people of Israel, their priests, or their Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem may go with you. ¹⁴For you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem concerning the law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵Also, bring the silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶and all of the silver and gold that you will find in the whole province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests giving willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷With this money, then, with diligence you must buy young bulls, young rams, lambs, and their offerings and libations. You must offer them on the altar that is in the house of your God in Jerusalem. ¹⁸You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold according to the desire of your God. ¹⁹And the vessels that were given to you for the service of the house of your God you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. ²⁰And the remainder of the needs for the house of your God that falls to you to provide, you may provide from the house of the king’s treasury.”

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