| Holman Christian Standard Bible | International Standard Version |
| 1After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra-- Seraiah's son, Azariah's son, Hilkiah's son, | 1After all of this, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Seraiah's son Ezra (who was the grandson of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, |
| 2Shallum's son, Zadok's son, Ahitub's son, | 2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, |
| 3Amariah's son, Azariah's son, Meraioth's son, | 3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, |
| 4Zerahiah's son, Uzzi's son, Bukki's son, | 4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, |
| 5Abishua's son, Phinehas's son, Eleazar's son, Aaron the chief priest's son | 5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest) |
| 6#NAME? | 6left Babylon. He was a skillful scribe of the Law of Moses that the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king granted him everything he had requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him. |
| 7Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants accompanied him to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. | 7Some of the descendants of Israel also left for Jerusalem, including the priests, the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Temple Servants, during the seventh year of king Artaxerxes. |
| 8Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king. | 8He arrived in Jerusalem during the fifth month of the seventh year of the king's reign. |
| 9He began the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month since the gracious hand of his God was on him. | 9On the first day of the first month he left Babylon and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, since the beneficent hand of his God was upon him. |
| 10Now Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the LORD, obey it, and teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel. | 10For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, to obey it, and to teach God's statutes and judgments in Israel. |
| 11This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the LORD's commands and statutes for Israel: | 11Here is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest-scribe, a scholar in matters concerning the commandments of the LORD and concerning his statutes pertaining to Israel: |
| 12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven: Greetings. | 12From: Artaxerxes, King of Kings To: Ezra, the Priest, a scholar in matters concerning the laws of the God of Heaven Greetings! |
| 13I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. | 13I hereby decree that all of the people of Israel— along with their priests and descendants of Levi in my kingdom—who are determined to return to Jerusalem with you may do so. |
| 14You 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 possession. | 14You have authority to act for the king and for his Council of Seven to conduct an inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God, which is in your possession. |
| 15You are also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, | 15You are carrying silver and gold that the King and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem, |
| 16and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. | 16together with all of the silver and gold that you can raise in the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests, contributed for the Temple of their God, which is in Jerusalem. |
| 17Then you are to buy with this money as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. | 17Accordingly, you are to exercise due diligence to utilize this money to purchase bulls, rams, lambs, grain offerings, and drink offerings, and to offer them upon the altar of the Temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem. |
| 18You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. | 18Furthermore, the balance remaining of the silver and gold may be used for whatever other purpose you and your people desire, as long as such use is consistent with the will of your God. |
| 19You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. | 19Furthermore, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels for the service of the Temple of your God that have been given to you. |
| 20You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else needed for the house of your God. | 20Furthermore, provide from the royal treasury whatever else may be needed for the Temple of your God. |
| 21I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven, asks of you must be provided promptly, | 21I, Artaxerxes, in my capacity as king, hereby decree to all royal treasuries beyond the Euphrates River that whatever Ezra the priest-scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, may require of you are to be performed with all due diligence, |
| 22up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit. | 22up to 100 silver talents, 100 measures of wheat, 100 measures of wine, 100 measures of oil, and salt without limitation. |
| 23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven, so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons. | 23Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven is to be done with all due diligence for the Temple of the God of Heaven, or wrath will come against the king's realm and his sons. |
| 24Be advised that tribute, duty, and land tax must not be imposed on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God. | 24Furthermore, we decree that with respect to any of the priests, descendants of Levi, singers, gatekeepers, Temple Servants, or other servants of this Temple of God, it is not to be lawful to impose any tribute, tax, or toll on them. |
| 25And you, Ezra, according to God's wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know them. | 25And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom given to you by your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people beyond the Euphrates River. All of them are to know the laws of your God, and you are to instruct those who do not know them. |
| 26Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a fair judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment. | 26Whoever refuses to practice the law of your God and the law of the king is to see judgment executed quickly, whether to death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment. |
| 27Praise Yahweh the God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's mind to glorify the house of the LORD in Jerusalem, | 27Blessed be the LORD God of our ancestors, who placed this decree into the king's heart to beautify the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem |
| 28and who has shown favor to me before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officers. So I took courage because I was strengthened by Yahweh my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me. | 28and who showed gracious love to me before the king, before his advisors, and before all of the king's mighty officials. And I was strengthened because the hand of the LORD my God was upon me. So I gathered together the leaders of Israel to go with me. |
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