Now after³¹⁰ these things,¹⁶⁹⁷ in the reign⁴⁴³⁸ of Artaxerxes⁷⁸³ king⁴⁴²⁸ of Persia,⁶⁵³⁹ Ezra⁵⁸³⁰ the son¹¹²¹ of Seraiah,⁸³⁰⁴ the son¹¹²¹ of Azariah,⁵⁸³⁸ the son¹¹²¹ of Hilkiah,²⁵¹⁸

The son¹¹²¹ of Shallum,⁷⁹⁶⁷ the son¹¹²¹ of Zadok,⁶⁶⁵⁹ the son¹¹²¹ of Ahitub,²⁸⁵

The son¹¹²¹ of Amariah,⁵⁶⁸ the son¹¹²¹ of Azariah,⁵⁸³⁸ the son¹¹²¹ of Meraioth,⁴⁸¹²

The son¹¹²¹ of Zerahiah,²²²⁸ the son¹¹²¹ of Uzzi,⁵⁸¹³ the son¹¹²¹ of Bukki,¹²³¹

The son¹¹²¹ of Abishua,⁵⁰ the son¹¹²¹ of Phinehas,⁶³⁷² the son¹¹²¹ of Eleazar,⁴⁹⁹ the son¹¹²¹ of Aaron¹⁷⁵ the chief⁷²¹⁸ priest:³⁵⁴⁸

This Ezra⁵⁸³⁰ went up⁵⁹²⁷ from Babylon;⁸⁹⁴ and he was a ready⁴¹⁰⁶ scribe⁵⁶⁰⁸ in the law⁸⁴⁵¹ of Moses,⁴⁸⁷² which Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ Elohim⁴³⁰ of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ had given:⁵⁴¹⁴ and the king⁴⁴²⁸ granted⁵⁴¹⁴ him all his request,¹²⁴⁶ according to the hand³⁰²⁷ of Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ his Elohim⁴³⁰ upon him.

And there went up⁵⁹²⁷ some of the children¹¹²¹ of Israel,³⁴⁷⁸ and of the priests,³⁵⁴⁸ and the Levites,³⁸⁸¹ and the singers,⁷⁸⁹¹ and the porters,⁷⁷⁷⁸ and the Nethinims,⁵⁴¹¹ unto Jerusalem,³³⁸⁹ in the seventh⁷⁶⁵¹ year⁸¹⁴¹ of Artaxerxes⁷⁸³ the king.⁴⁴²⁸

And he came⁹³⁵ to Jerusalem³³⁸⁹ in the fifth²⁵⁴⁹ month,²³²⁰ which was in the seventh⁷⁶³⁷ year⁸¹⁴¹ of the king.⁴⁴²⁸

For upon the first²⁵⁹ day of the first⁷²²³ month²³²⁰ began³²⁴⁶ he to go up⁴⁶⁰⁹ from Babylon,⁸⁹⁴ and on the first²⁵⁹ day of the fifth²⁵⁴⁹ month²³²⁰ came⁹³⁵ he to Jerusalem,³³⁸⁹ according to the good²⁸⁹⁶ hand³⁰²⁷ of his Elohim⁴³⁰ upon him.

For Ezra⁵⁸³⁰ had prepared³⁵⁵⁹ his heart³⁸²⁴ to seek¹⁸⁷⁵ the law⁸⁴⁵¹ of Yahweh,³⁰⁶⁸ and to do⁶²¹³ it, and to teach³⁹²⁵ in Israel³⁴⁷⁸ statutes²⁷⁰⁶ and judgments.⁴⁹⁴¹

Now this is the copy⁶⁵⁷² of the letter⁵⁴⁰⁶ that the king⁴⁴²⁸ Artaxerxes⁷⁸³ gave⁵⁴¹⁴ unto Ezra⁵⁸³⁰ the priest,³⁵⁴⁸ the scribe,⁵⁶⁰⁸ even a scribe⁵⁶⁰⁸ of the words¹⁶⁹⁷ of the commandments⁴⁶⁸⁷ of Yahweh,³⁰⁶⁸ and of his statutes²⁷⁰⁶ to Israel.³⁴⁷⁸

Artaxerxes,⁷⁸³ king⁴⁴³⁰ of kings,⁴⁴³⁰ unto Ezra⁵⁸³¹ the priest,³⁵⁴⁹ a scribe⁵⁶¹³ of the law¹⁸⁸² of the Elah⁴²⁶ of heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁵ perfect¹⁵⁸⁵ peace, and at such a time.³⁷⁰⁶

I⁴⁴⁸¹ make⁷⁷⁶¹ a decree,²⁹⁴² that all³⁶⁰⁶ they of⁴⁴⁸¹ the people⁵⁹⁷² of Israel,³⁴⁷⁹ and of his priests³⁵⁴⁹ and Levites,³⁸⁷⁹ in my realm,⁴⁴³⁷ which are minded of their own freewill⁵⁰⁶⁹ to go up¹⁹⁴⁶ to Jerusalem,³³⁹⁰ go¹⁹⁴⁶ with thee.⁵⁹⁷⁴

Forasmuch as³⁶⁰⁶ thou art sent⁷⁹⁷² of⁴⁴⁸¹ the king,⁴⁴³⁰ and of his seven⁷⁶⁵⁵ counsellors,³²⁷² to enquire¹²⁴⁰ concerning⁵⁹²² Judah³⁰⁶¹ and Jerusalem,³³⁹⁰ according to the law¹⁸⁸² of thy Elah⁴²⁶ which is in thine hand;³⁰²⁸

And to carry²⁹⁸⁷ the silver³⁷⁰² and gold,¹⁷²² which the king⁴⁴³⁰ and his counsellors³²⁷² have freely offered⁵⁰⁶⁹ unto the Elah⁴²⁶ of Israel,³⁴⁷⁹ whose¹⁷⁶⁸ habitation⁴⁹⁰⁷ is in Jerusalem,³³⁹⁰

And all³⁶⁰⁶ the silver³⁷⁰² and gold¹⁷²² that thou canst find⁷⁹¹² in all³⁶⁰⁶ the province⁴⁰⁸³ of Babylon,⁸⁹⁵ with⁵⁹⁷⁴ the freewill offering⁵⁰⁶⁹ of the people,⁵⁹⁷² and of the priests,³⁵⁴⁹ offering willingly⁵⁰⁶⁹ for the house¹⁰⁰⁵ of their Elah⁴²⁶ which is in Jerusalem:³³⁹⁰

That³⁶⁰⁶ thou mayest buy⁷⁰⁶⁶ speedily⁶²⁹ with this¹⁸³⁶ money³⁷⁰² bullocks,⁸⁴⁵⁰ rams,¹⁷⁹⁸ lambs,⁵⁶³ with their meat offerings⁴⁵⁰⁴ and their drink offerings,⁵²⁶¹ and offer⁷¹²⁷ them¹⁹⁹⁴ upon⁵⁹²² the altar⁴⁰⁵⁶ of the house¹⁰⁰⁵ of your Elah⁴²⁶ which is in Jerusalem.³³⁹⁰

And whatsoever⁴¹⁰¹ shall seem good³¹⁹¹ to⁵⁹²² thee, and to⁵⁹²² thy brethren,²⁵² to do⁵⁶⁴⁸ with the rest⁷⁶⁰⁶ of the silver³⁷⁰² and the gold,¹⁷²² that do⁵⁶⁴⁸ after the will⁷⁴⁷⁰ of your Elah.⁴²⁶

The vessels³⁹⁸⁴ also that are given³⁰⁵² thee for the service⁶⁴⁰² of the house¹⁰⁰⁵ of thy Elah,⁴²⁶ those deliver⁸⁰⁰⁰ thou before⁶⁹²⁵ the Elah⁴²⁶ of Jerusalem.³³⁹⁰

And whatsoever more⁷⁶⁰⁶ shall be needful²⁸¹⁹ for the house¹⁰⁰⁵ of thy Elah,⁴²⁶ which thou shalt have occasion⁵³⁰⁸ to bestow,⁵⁴¹⁵ bestow⁵⁴¹⁵ it out of⁴⁴⁸¹ the king's⁴⁴³⁰ treasure¹⁵⁹⁶ house.¹⁰⁰⁵

And I,⁴⁴⁸¹ even I⁵⁷⁶ Artaxerxes⁷⁸³ the king,⁴⁴³⁰ do make⁷⁷⁶¹ a decree²⁹⁴² to all³⁶⁰⁶ the treasurers¹⁴⁹⁰ which are beyond⁵⁶⁷⁵ the river,⁵¹⁰³ that whatsoever³⁶⁰⁶ Ezra⁵⁸³¹ the priest,³⁵⁴⁹ the scribe⁵⁶¹³ of the law¹⁸⁸² of the Elah⁴²⁶ of heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁵ shall require⁷⁵⁹³ of you, it be done⁵⁶⁴⁸ speedily,⁶²⁹

Unto⁵⁷⁰⁵ an hundred³⁹⁶⁹ talents³⁶⁰⁴ of silver,³⁷⁰² and to⁵⁷⁰⁵ an hundred³⁹⁶⁹ measures³⁷³⁴ of wheat,²⁵⁹¹ and to⁵⁷⁰⁵ an hundred³⁹⁶⁹ baths¹³²⁵ of wine,²⁵⁶² and to⁵⁷⁰⁵ an hundred³⁹⁶⁹ baths¹³²⁵ of oil,⁴⁸⁸⁷ and salt⁴⁴¹⁶ without³⁸⁰⁹ prescribing³⁷⁹² how much.

Whatsoever³⁶⁰⁶ is commanded²⁹⁴¹ by⁴⁴⁸¹ the Elah⁴²⁶ of heaven,⁸⁰⁶⁵ let it be diligently¹⁴⁹ done⁵⁶⁴⁸ for the house¹⁰⁰⁵ of the Elah⁴²⁶ of heaven:⁸⁰⁶⁵ for¹⁷⁶⁸ why⁴¹⁰¹ should there be¹⁹³⁴ wrath⁷¹⁰⁹ against⁵⁹²² the realm⁴⁴³⁷ of the king⁴⁴³⁰ and his sons?¹¹²³

Also we certify³⁰⁴⁶ you, that touching any³⁶⁰⁶ of the priests³⁵⁴⁹ and Levites,³⁸⁷⁹ singers,²¹⁷¹ porters,⁸⁶⁵² Nethinims,⁵⁴¹² or ministers⁶³⁹⁹ of this¹⁸³⁶ house¹⁰⁰⁵ of Elah,⁴²⁶ it shall not³⁸⁰⁹ be lawful⁷⁹⁹⁰ to impose⁷⁴¹² toll,⁴⁰⁶¹ tribute,¹⁰⁹³ or custom,¹⁹⁸³ upon⁵⁹²² them.

And thou,⁶⁰⁷ Ezra,⁵⁸³¹ after the wisdom²⁴⁵² of thy Elah,⁴²⁶ that is in thine hand,³⁰²⁸ set⁴⁴⁸³ magistrates⁸²⁰⁰ and judges,¹⁷⁸² which may judge¹⁹³⁴ all³⁶⁰⁶ the people⁵⁹⁷² that are beyond⁵⁶⁷⁵ the river,⁵¹⁰³ all³⁶⁰⁶ such as know³⁰⁴⁶ the laws¹⁸⁸² of thy Elah;⁴²⁶ and teach³⁰⁴⁶ ye them that know³⁰⁴⁶ them not.³⁸⁰⁹

And whosoever³⁶⁰⁶ will not³⁸⁰⁹ do¹⁹³⁴ the law¹⁸⁸² of thy Elah,⁴²⁶ and the law¹⁸⁸² of the king,⁴⁴³⁰ let judgment¹⁷⁸⁰ be¹⁹³⁴ executed⁵⁶⁴⁸ speedily⁶²⁹ upon him,⁴⁴⁸¹ whether²⁰⁰⁶ it be unto death,⁴¹⁹³ or²⁰⁰⁶ to banishment,⁸³³² or²⁰⁰⁶ to confiscation⁶⁰⁶⁵ of goods,⁵²³² or to imprisonment.⁶¹³

Blessed¹²⁸⁸ be Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ Elohim⁴³⁰ of our fathers,¹ which hath put⁵⁴¹⁴ such a thing as this in the king's⁴⁴²⁸ heart,³⁸²⁰ to beautify⁶²⁸⁶ the house¹⁰⁰⁴ of Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ which is in Jerusalem:³³⁸⁹

And hath extended⁵¹⁸⁶ mercy²⁶¹⁷ unto me before⁶⁴⁴⁰ the king,⁴⁴²⁸ and his counsellors,³²⁸⁹ and before all the king's⁴⁴²⁸ mighty¹³⁶⁸ princes.⁸²⁶⁹ And I was strengthened²³⁸⁸ as the hand³⁰²⁷ of Yahweh³⁰⁶⁸ my Elohim⁴³⁰ was upon me, and I gathered together⁶⁹⁰⁸ out of Israel³⁴⁷⁸ chief⁷²¹⁸ men to go up⁵⁹²⁷ with me.