3 John 1; Ezra 7; Ezra 8; Psalms 94

3 John 1

1 To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in truth.

2 Dear friend, I pray that you may prosper in every way and be in good health, just as your soul prospers.

3 For I was very glad when some brothers came and testified to your [faithfulness] to the truth-how you are walking in the truth.

4 I have no greater joy than this: to hear that my children are walking in the truth.

5 Dear friend, you are showing your faith by whatever you do for the brothers, and this [you are doing] for strangers;

6 they have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their journey in a manner worthy of God,

7 since they set out for the sake of the name, accepting nothing from pagans.

8 Therefore, we ought to support such men, so that we can be co-workers with the truth.

9 I wrote something to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to have first place among them, does not receive us.

10 This is why, if I come, I will remind him of the works he is doing, slandering us with malicious words. And he is not satisfied with that! He not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but he even stops those who want to do so and expels them from the church.

11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. The one who does good is of God; the one who does evil has not seen God.

12 Demetrius has a [good] testimony from everyone, and from the truth itself. And we also testify for him, and you know that our testimony is true.

13 I have many things to write you, but I don't want to write to you with pen and ink.

14 I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face. Peace be with you. The friends send you greetings. Greet the friends by name.

Ezra 7

1 After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra- Seraiah's son, Azariah's son, Hilkiah's son,

2 Shallum's son, Zadok's son, Ahitub's son,

3 Amariah's son, Azariah's son, Meraioth's son,

4 Zerahiah's son, Uzzi's son, Bukki's son,

5 Abishua's son, Phinehas's son, Eleazar's son, Aaron the chief priest's son

6 -came up from Babylon. He was a scribe skilled in the law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he requested because the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

7 Some of the Israelites, priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants accompanied [him] to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8 Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, during the seventh year of the king.

9 He 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. The gracious hand of his God was on him,

10 because Ezra had determined in his heart to study the law of the Lord, obey [it], and teach [its] statutes and ordinances in Israel.

11 This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, an expert in matters of the Lord's commandments and statutes for Israel:

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven: Greetings [to you].

13 I 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.

14 You 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.

15 [You 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,

16 and 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.

17 Then, 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.

18 You 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.

19 You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.

20 You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else you have to supply [to meet] the needs of the house of your God.

21 I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest and expert in the law of the God of heaven asks of you must be provided promptly,

22 up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit.

23 Whatever 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.

24 Be 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.

25 And 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].

26 Anyone 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.

27 Praise the Lord God of our fathers, who has put it into the king's mind to glorify the house of the Lord in Jerusalem,

28 and 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 the Lord my God, and I gathered Israelite leaders to return with me.

Ezra 8

1 These are the family leaders and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes:

2 Gershom, from Phinehas's descendants; Daniel, from Ithamar's descendants; Hattush, from David's descendants,

3 who was of Shecaniah's descendants; Zechariah, from Parosh's descendants, and 150 men with him who were registered by genealogy;

4 Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab's descendants, and 200 men with him;

5 Shecaniah son of Jahaziel from Zattu's descendants, and 300 men with him;

6 Ebed son of Jonathan from Adin's descendants, and 50 men with him;

7 Jeshaiah son of Athaliah from Elam's descendants, and 70 men with him;

8 Zebadiah son of Michael from Shephatiah's descendants, and 80 men with him;

9 Obadiah son of Jehiel from Joab's descendants, and 218 men with him;

10 Shelomith son of Josiphiah from Bani's descendants, and 160 men with him;

11 Zechariah son of Bebai from Bebai's descendants, and 28 men with him;

12 Johanan son of Hakkatan from Azgad's descendants, and 110 men with him;

13 these are the last ones, from Adonikam's descendants, and their names are: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and 60 men with them;

14 Uthai and Zaccur from Bigvai's descendants, and 70 men with them.

15 I gathered them at the river that flows to Ahava, and we camped there for three days. I searched among the people and priests, but found no Levites there.

16 Then I summoned the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, as well as the teachers Joiarib and Elnathan.

17 I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, with a message for him and his brothers, the temple servants at Casiphia, that they should bring us ministers for the house of our God.

18 Since the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah-a man of insight from the descendants of Mahli, a descendant of Levi son of Israel-along with his sons and brothers, 18 men,

19 plus Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and their sons, 20 men.

20 There were also 220 of the temple servants, who had been appointed by David and the leaders for the work of the Levites. All were identified by name.

21 I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions.

22 [I did this] because I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry to protect us from enemies during the journey, since we had told him, "The hand of our God is gracious to all who seek Him, but His great anger is against all who abandon Him."

23 So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.

24 I selected 12 of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their brothers.

25 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles-the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites who were present had offered.

26 I weighed out to them 24 tons of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of gold,

27 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 gold coins, and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.

28 Then I said to them, "You are holy to the Lord, and the articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers.

29 Guard [them] carefully until you weigh [them] out in the chambers of the Lord's house before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem."

30 So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring [them] to the house of our God in Jerusalem.

31 We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth [day] of the first month to go to Jerusalem. We were strengthened by our God, and He protected us from the power of the enemy and from ambush along the way.

32 So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.

33 On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the articles were weighed out in the house of our God into the care of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui were also with them.

34 Everything was [verified] by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.

35 The exiles who had returned from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs, along with 12 male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering for the Lord.

36 They also delivered the king's edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, so that they would support the people and the house of God.

Psalms 94

1 Lord, God of vengeance- God of vengeance, appear.

2 Rise up, Judge of the earth; repay the proud what they deserve.

3 Lord, how long will the wicked- how long will the wicked gloat?

4 They pour out arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.

5 Lord, they crush Your people; they afflict Your heritage.

6 They kill the widow and the foreigner and murder the fatherless.

7 They say, "The Lord doesn't see it. The God of Jacob doesn't pay attention."

8 Pay attention, you stupid people! Fools, when will you be wise?

9 Can the One who shaped the ear not hear, the One who formed the eye not see?

10 The One who instructs nations, the One who teaches man knowledge- does He not discipline?

11 The Lord knows man's thoughts; they are meaningless.

12 Lord, happy is the man You discipline and teach from Your law

13 to give him relief from troubled times until a pit is dug for the wicked.

14 The Lord will not forsake His people or abandon His heritage,

15 for justice will again be righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.

16 Who stands up for me against the wicked? Who takes a stand for me against evildoers?

17 If the Lord had not been my help, I would soon rest in the silence [of death].

18 If I say, "My foot is slipping," Your faithful love will support me, Lord.

19 When I am filled with cares, Your comfort brings me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne- one that creates trouble by law- become Your ally?

21 They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

22 But the Lord is my refuge; my God is the rock of my protection.

23 He will pay them back for their sins and destroy them for their evil. The Lord our God will destroy them.