12 “1Artaxerxes, aking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace. And now

13 aI have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.

14 “Forasmuch as you are sent 1by the king and his aseven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,

15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, awhose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

16 with aall the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along bwith the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who coffered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

17 with this money, therefore, you shall diligently buy bulls, rams and lambs, awith their grain offerings and their drink offerings and boffer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

18 “Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.

19 “Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20 “The rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, aprovide for it from the royal treasury.

21 “I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the provinces beyond the 1River, that whatever Ezra the priest, athe scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently,