1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, [there went up] Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest.6 This Ezra went up from Babylon, and he was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given; and the king granted him all he requested because the hand of the Lord his God [was] upon him.7 And some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.9 For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God [was] upon him.10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice [it,] and to teach [His] statutes and ordinances in Israel.11 Now this is the copy of the decree which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the Lord and His statutes to Israel:
  12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect [peace.] And now13 I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.14 "Forasmuch as you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God which is in your hand,15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,16 with all the silver and gold which you shall find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;17 with this money, therefore , you shall diligently buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their libations and offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.18 "And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.19 "Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.20 "And the rest of the needs for the house of your God, for which you may have occasion to provide, provide [for it] from the royal treasury.
  21 "And I, even I King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are [in the provinces] beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it shall be done diligently,22 [even] up to talents of silver, 100 kors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt as needed.23 "Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with zeal for the house of the God of heaven, lest there be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.24 "We also inform you that it is not allowed to impose tax, tribute or toll [on] any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.
  25 "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God which is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges that they may judge all the people who are in [the province] beyond the River, [even] all those who know the laws of your God; and you may teach anyone who is ignorant [of them.]26 "And whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment. "
  27 Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to adorn the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem,28 and has extended lovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king's mighty princes. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the Lord my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.