Ezra 7:6–12

6 this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was ea skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, faccording to the hand of the Lord his God upon him. 7 gSome of the children of Israel, the priests, hthe Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and ithe Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 8 And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, jaccording to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to kseek 1the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to lteach statutes and ordinances in Israel.

The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:

12 2Artaxerxes, mking of kings,

To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

Perfect peace, nand 3so forth.