Ezra 7

New King James Version

^12 [b]Artaxerxes,^(M)king of kings,

To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven:

Perfectpeace,^(N)and^[c]so forth.

¹³ I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.¹⁴ And whereas you are being sent^[d]by the king and his^(O)seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God whichisin your hand;¹⁵ andwhereas you areto carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel,^(P)whose dwellingisin Jerusalem;^16 (Q)andwhereasall the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests,are to be^(R)freely offered for the^[e]house of their God in Jerusalem—¹⁷ now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their^(S)grain offerings and their drink offerings, and^(T)offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

¹⁸ And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.¹⁹ Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.²⁰ And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, payfor itfrom the king’s treasury.

²¹ And I,evenI, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers whoare in the regionbeyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,²² up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.²³ Whatever^[f]is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the^[g]house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

²⁴ Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.²⁵ And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom,^(U)set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people whoare in the regionbeyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and^(V)teach those who do not knowthem.²⁶ Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whetherit bedeath, or^[h]banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.