Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem 1 UEB Now after this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra's ancestors were Seraiah, Azariah, 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 UEB Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub, BSB BSB: the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 UEB Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth, BSB BSB: the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 UEB Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki, BSB BSB: the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 UEB Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, who was son of Aaron the high priest. BSB BSB: the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—
6 UEB Ezra came up from Babylon and he was a skilled scribe in the law of Moses that Yahweh, the God of Israel, had given. The king gave him anything he asked since the hand of Yahweh was with him. 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 UEB Some of the descendants of Israel and the priests, Levites, temple singers, gatekeepers, and those assigned to serve in the temple also went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. 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 UEB He arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the same year. BSB BSB: Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.
9 UEB He left Babylon on the first day of the first month. It was on the first day of the fifth month that he arrived in Jerusalem, since the good hand of God was with him. 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 UEB Ezra had established his heart to study, carry out, and teach the statutes and decrees of the law of Yahweh. 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 UEB "The King of kings Artaxerxes, to the priest Ezra, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven: BSB BSB: Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13 UEB I am ordering that anyone from Israel in my kingdom along with their priests and Levites who desires to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 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 UEB I, the king, and my seven counselors, send you all out to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to God's law, which is in your hand. 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 UEB You are to bring the silver and gold that they have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is 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 UEB Freely give all the silver and gold that all of Babylon has given along with what is freely offered by the people and the priests for the house of 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 UEB So buy in full the oxen, rams and lambs, and grain and drink offerings. Offer them on the altar that is in the house 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 UEB Do with the rest of the silver and gold whatever seems good to you and your brothers, to please your God. 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 UEB Place the objects that were freely given to you before him for the service of the house of your God in 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 UEB Anything else that is needed for the house of your God that you require, take its cost from my treasury. 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 UEB I, King Artaxerxes, make a decree to all the treasurers in the Province Beyond the River, that anything that Ezra asks from you should be given in full, 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 UEB up to one hundred silver talents, one hundred cors of grain, one hundred baths of wine, and one hundred baths of oil, also salt without limit. 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 UEB Anything that comes from the decree of the God of Heaven, do it with devotion for his house. For why should his wrath come upon the kingdom of me and my sons? 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 UEB We are informing them about you not to impose any tribute or taxes on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, or on the people assigned to the service of the temple and servants of the house of this God. 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 UEB Ezra, with the wisdom that God has given you, you must appoint judges and magistrates to judge all the people in the Province Beyond the River, and to serve all who know the laws of your God. You must also teach those who do not know the law. 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 UEB Punish anyone who does not fully obey God's law or the king's law, whether by death, banishment, confiscation of their goods, or imprisonment. 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 UEB Praise Yahweh, our ancestors' God, who placed all this into the king's heart to glorify Yahweh's house 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 UEB and who extended covenant faithfulness to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. I have been strengthened by the hand of Yahweh my God, and I gathered leaders from Israel to go 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.