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          DASV: Ezra 7    

1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of
Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son
of Hilkiah,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the chief priest;
6 this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in
the law of Moses, that the LORD, the God of Israel, had given.
The king granted him everything he requested, for the hand
of the LORD his God was on him.
7 Some of the Israelites, and some of the priests, Levites,
singers, gatekeepers and temple servants also went up to
Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.

8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year
of the king.
9 On the first day of the first month he began to go up
from Babylon. On the first day of the fifth month he arrived
at Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was on him.
10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the LORD,
to do it and to teach its statutes and regulations in Israel.

11 This is the copy of the letter that king Artaxerxes gave to
Ezra the priest and scribe. He was a man trained in matters
concerning the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes for
Israel:
12 "Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of
the perfect law of the God of heaven.
13 I now make a decree, that any of the people of Israel in my
kingdom, along with their priests and Levites, who wants to go
to Jerusalem may go with you.
14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers, to inquire
concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your
God which is in your hand.
15 Also you are to take the silver and gold the king and his
advisers have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling
is in Jerusalem,
16 and all the silver and gold that you may find in all the
province of Babylon along with the freewill offerings of the
people and the priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams, lambs, along with
their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and sacrifice
them on the altar at the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the
rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of
your God.
19 The vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple
of your God, deliver to the God of Jerusalem.
20 Whatever else you need for the temple of your God, which you
have to supply, you may take it from the royal treasury.
21 I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers
in the province west of the Euphrates River, that whatever Ezra
the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requests
of you, let it be done with all diligence,
22 up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, and to 550
gallons of wine, and 550 gallons of olive oil, and an unlimited
amount of salt.
23 Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done
exactly for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there
be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also we are notifying you, that it is not lawful to impose a
tax, custom or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers,
gatekeepers, temple servants, or attendants of this temple of God.
25 Now you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God that
is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge
all the people that are in the province west of the Euphrates
River, all who know the laws of your God, and instruct anyone
who does not know them.
26 Anyone who does not obey the law of your God and the law of
the king, let punishment be executed on him, whether it be death,
banishment, confiscation of goods or 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 beautify the temple of
the LORD in Jerusalem,
28 and has extended steadfast love to me before the king, his
advisers and all the king's mighty nobles. I was strengthened
because the hand of the LORD my God was on me, and I gathered
together the chief leaders of Israel to go up with me.

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