8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month which was in the seventh year of the king 9 For upon the first day of the first month began 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 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD and to do it and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments
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 12 Artaxerxes king of kings unto Ezra the priest a scribe of the law of the God of heaven perfect peace and at such a time 13 I make a decree that all 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 14 Forasmuch __ as thou art sent of __ the king and of his seven counsellors to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand 15 And to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel whose habitation is in Jerusalem 16 And all 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 17 That __ thou 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 18 And whatsoever __ 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 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem 20 And 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
21 And I even I Artaxerxes the king do make a decree to all 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 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver and to an hundred measures of wheat and to an hundred baths of wine and to an hundred baths of oil and salt without prescribing how much 23 Whatsoever is commanded by __ the God of heaven let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons 24 Also we certify you that touching any of the priests and Levites singers porters Nethinims or ministers of this house of God it shall not be lawful to impose toll tribute or custom upon them
25 And thou Ezra after the wisdom of thy God that is in thine hand set magistrates and judges which may judge __ all the people that are beyond the river all such as know the laws of thy God and teach ye them that know them not 26 And whosoever 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 banishment or to confiscation of goods or to imprisonment
27 Blessed 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 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king and his counsellors and before all the king's mighty princes And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me
