Ezra

Ezra 7

1Ezra's pedigree from Aaron; he goeth up to Jerusalem. 11The gracious commission of Artaxerxes to him. 27Ezra blesseth God for this favour.

1NOW after these things, in the reign of ^aArtaxerxes king of Persia, ^bEzra the son of ^cSeraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of ^dHilkiah,

a Ne. 2.1. b v.2-6,10. ch. 8-10. c 2Ki. 25.18. 1Ch. 6.4-14,50-53. d 2Ch. 34.9,15.

2The son of Shallum, the son of ^eZadok, the son of Ahitub,

e 1Ch. 6.8-12.

3The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5The son of Abishua, the son of ^fPhinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:

f 1Ch. 6.4,50. Nu. 25.6-13. Ps. 106.30. Jos. 22.13. Ju. 20.28.

6This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ^gready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king ^hgranted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.

g v.11,21. ch. 8.1,9,11. Ps. 45.1. Ne. 8.1,4,5,13; 12.26,36. h v.9,11-26,28. ch. 8.22,31. Ne. 2.4-8.

7And there ⁱwent up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and ^jthe Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

i ch. 8.1-28. Zec. 2.6,7. j ch. 2.43.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9For ^kupon the first day of the first month ¹began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

k Pr. 3.6. Is. 43.1,2; 41.10; 46.3,4. Ps. 68.22. He. 13.5,6. Ro. 8.31.

10For Ezra had ^lprepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it , and ^mto teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

l 1Sa. 7.3. 2Ch. 19.3; 27.6. Pr. 4.23. Mat. 7.24. m Mal. 2.7. 1Ti. 3.2. 2Ti. 4.2. 1Ki. 2.3. Ne. 8.1-8.

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.

12Artaxerxes, ⁿking of kings, ²unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace , and at such a time.

n Eze. 26.7. Da. 2.37,38. 2Ki. 18.19. Is. 10.8.

13I make a decree, that ^oall 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.

o ch. 1.3. Is. 27.13; 45.13. Ps. 110.3. Ju. 5.2-9.

14^*Forasmuch as thou art sent ³of the king, and of his ^pseven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of ^qthy God which is in thine hand;

p Es. 1.14. q Da. 2.47; 6.20,26; 3.29.

15And to carry ^rthe silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation ^sis in Jerusalem,

r ch. 6.4,8-10. Ps. 68.29. Is. 60.6,9. Re. 21.24,26. s 2Ch. 6.2,6; 29.6. ch. 6.12.

16And ^tall 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, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:

t ch. 8.25; 2.68,69. Ex. 25.2; 35.5,21.

17That ^uthou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

u ch. 6.9. De. 14.24-26. Le. 1-6. Nu. 15; 28; 29. 1Ch. 9.29; 12.40.

18And ^vwhatsoever 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.

v 2Ki. 12.15; 22.7. 1Co. 4.1,2.

19The ^wvessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

w 2Ch. 32.19. Je. 3.17. ch. 8.27,30,33,34.

20And 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.

21And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to ^xall 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,

x ch. 5.3,6. Ne. 2.7,8.

22Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred ⁴measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

23Whatsoever is ⁵commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for ^ywhy should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

y ch. 6.10. Ps. 68.29.

24Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, ^zit shall not be lawful to impose ^atoll, tribute, or ^*custom, upon them.

z Ge. 47.22. a ch. 4.13.

25And thou, Ezra, after the 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.

b De. 16.18. Ps. 18.43. Is. 14.1. Zec. 2.11. c Mal. 2.7. Mat. 13.52; 28.20. Col. 1.28,29. 2Ti. 4.2. Tit. 1.9. 2Ch. 17.7.

26And ^dwhosoever 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 ⁶banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

d ch. 6.11. Da. 3.28,29; 6.26. Ro. 13.1-6. 1Pe. 2.13,14.

27¶^eBlessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:

e 1Ch. 29.10. Ja. 1.17. Pr. 21.1.

28And ^fhath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened ^gas the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

f ch. 9.9. Ge. 43.14. Ne. 1.11. g Ps. 138.3. 2Ti. 4.17. Ne. 2.8. v.6.