Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem 1 UDB Many years later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, Ezra went from Babylon to Jerusalem. He was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah. BSB BSB: Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 UDB Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub, BSB BSB: the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 UDB who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth, BSB BSB: the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 UDB who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, BSB BSB: the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 UDB who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the first high priest. BSB BSB: the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—
6 UDB Ezra was a man who knew the laws that Moses wrote very well. Those were the laws that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given to the Israelite people. He left Babylon after the king had told people to give him anything he requested. Indeed, Yahweh helped Ezra very much in all these matters. BSB BSB: this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted Ezra all his requests, for the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
7 UDB Some of the priests, some descendants of Levi, some singers, some gatekeepers, and some men who worked in the temple, and some other Israelite people went up with Ezra to Jerusalem. That was during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was the king of Persia. BSB BSB: So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Jerusalem with some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.
8 UDB Ezra and the group with him arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king. BSB BSB: Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.
9 UDB They had left Babylon on the first day of the first month, which was the first day of the Jewish year. Because God acted very kindly toward them, they arrived safely in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month of that year. BSB BSB: He had begun the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.
10 UDB During Ezra's entire life, he devoted himself to studying the laws of Yahweh and how to obey those laws. He had also taught those laws and all the decrees to the Israelite people for many years. BSB BSB: For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.
Artaxerxes’ Letter for Ezra 12 UDB "This letter is from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. I am giving it to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God who is in heaven gave to the Israelite people. BSB BSB: Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13 UDB Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israelite people in my kingdom who want to be allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and descendants of Levi who will work in the temple who want to go. BSB BSB: I hereby decree that any volunteers among the Israelites in my kingdom, including the priests and Levites, may go up with you to Jerusalem.
14 UDB I, along with my seven counselors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in other towns in Judah. You are taking with you a copy of God's laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws. BSB BSB: You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
15 UDB We are also telling you to take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it as an offering to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,
16 UDB You should also take any silver and gold that the people in the entire Babylonia province give to you, and the money that the priests and other Israelite people have happily said that they would give to you to be offerings for building the temple of their God in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.
17 UDB With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar outside the temple of your God in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.
18 UDB If there is any silver or gold that remains after you have bought all those things, you and your companions are permitted to use it to buy whatever you desire, but buy only things that you know that God wants you to buy. BSB BSB: You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.
19 UDB We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem. BSB BSB: You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.
20 UDB If you need any other things for the temple, you are permitted to get the money for those things from the royal treasury here. BSB BSB: And if anything else is needed for the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury.
21 UDB And I, King Artaxerxes, command this to all the treasurers in the province west of the Euphrates River: Give to Ezra the priest who has studied very well the laws of the God who is in heaven, everything that he requests, and give it to him quickly. BSB BSB: I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly,
22 UDB Give him up to 3,300 kilograms of silver, 22,000 liters of wheat, and 2,200 liters of wine, the 2,200 liters of olive oil, and all the salt that they need. BSB BSB: up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.
23 UDB Be sure that you provide whatever their God requires for his temple, because we certainly do not want him to be angry with me or with my descendants who will later be kings. BSB BSB: Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?
24 UDB We are also commanding that none of the priests, descendants of Levi who work in the temple, musicians, temple guards, or other men who work in the temple, will be required to pay any taxes. BSB BSB: And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25 UDB Ezra, your God has enabled you to become very wise. Using that wisdom, appoint men in the province west of the Euphrates River who will judge cases involving the people, and men who will judge cases involving the government. You must appoint men who know the laws of your God. All of you must teach God's laws to others who do not know them. BSB BSB: And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God, which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them.
26 UDB Everyone who does not obey God's laws or the laws of my government must be punished severely. Some of them will be executed, some will be put in prison, some will be sent out of the country or have all their property taken away from them." BSB BSB: If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
Ezra Blesses God 27 UDB Ezra said, "Praise Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors worshiped! He has caused the king to want to honor his temple in Jerusalem. BSB BSB: Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of the LORD in Jerusalem,
28 UDB Because God acted kindly and faithfully toward me, the king and all his advisors and all his powerful officials have also acted kindly toward me. Because God has helped me, I have been encouraged, and I have been able to persuade some of the Israelite leaders to go up to Jerusalem with me." BSB BSB: and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Israel to return with me.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.