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,
a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a t.Wk.l;m.B h,Lea'h ~yir'b.D;h r;x;a.w ? h'y.r;z][ -n,B h'y'r.f -n,B a'r.z,[ s'r'P -.k,l,m ? h'Yiq.lix -n,B
2
son of
Shallum,
son of
Zadok,
son of
Ahitub,
b.Wjyix]a -n,B qw{d'c -n,B ~.WL;v -n,B
3
son of
Amariah,
son of
Azariah,
son of
Meraioth,
tw{y'r.m -n,B h'y.r;z][ -n,b h'y.r;m]a -n,B
4
son of
Zerahiah,
son of
Uzzi,
son of
Bukki,
yiQUB -n,B yiZU[ -n,b h'y.x;r.z -n,B
5
son of
Abishua,
son of
Phinehas,
son of
Eleazar,
son of
Aaron the
chief priest.
r'z'[.l,a -n,B s'x.nyiP -n,B ;[.Wvyib]a -n,B ? va{r'h !eh{K;h !{r]h;a -n,B
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.
ryih'm rep{s -a.Wh.w l,b'Bim h'l'[ a'r.z,[ a.Wh ? lea'r.fIy yeh{l/a h'wh.y !;t'n -r,v]a h,v{m t;rw{t.B ? wy'l'[ wy'h{l/a h'wh.y -d;y.K .$,l,M;h w{l -n,TiY;w ? w{t'v'Q;B l{K
7
Some of the
sons of
Israel and
some of the
priests, the
Levites, the
singers, the
gatekeepers and the
temple servants went up to
Jerusalem in the
seventh year of
King Artaxerxes.
~iYiw.l;h.w ~yin]h{K;h -nim.W lea'r.fIy -yen.Bim .Wl][;Y;w ? ~i'l'v.Wr.y -l,a ~yinyit.N;h.w ~yir][{V;h.w ~yir.r{v.m;h.w ? .$,l,M;h a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a.l [;b,v -t;n.viB
8
He
came to
Jerusalem in the
fifth month,
which was in the
seventh year of the
king.
t;n.v ayih yivyim]x;h v,d{x;B ~i;l'v.Wr.y a{b'Y;w ? .$,l,M;l tyi[yib.V;h
9
For on the
first of the
first month he
began to
go up from
Babylon; and on the
first of the
fifth month he
came to
Jerusalem, because the
good hand of his
God was upon him.
h'l][;M;h dUs.y a.Wh !w{vair'h v,d{x;l d'x,a.B yiK ? ~i;l'v.Wr.y -l,a a'B yivyim]x;h v,d{x;l d'x,a.b.W l,b'Bim ? wy'l'[ h'bw{J;h wy'h{l/a -d;y.K
10
For
Ezra had
set his
heart to
study the
law of the
LORD and to
practice it, and to
teach His
statutes and
ordinances in
Israel.
t;rw{T -t,a vw{r.dil w{b'b.l !yikeh a'r.z,[ yiK ? j'P.vim.W q{x lea'r.fIy.B deM;l.l.W t{f][;l.w h'wh.y
11
Now
this is the
copy of the
decree which King Artaxerxes gave to
Ezra the
priest, the
scribe,
learned in the
words of the
commandments of the
LORD and His
statutes to
Israel:
a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a .$,l,M;h !;t'n r,v]a !'w.T.viN;h !,g,v.r;P h,z.w ? h'wh.y -t{w.cim yer.biD rep{s rep{S;h !eh{K;h a'r.z,[.l ? lea'r.fIy -l;[ wy'QUx.w
12
"Artaxerxes,
king of
kings, to
Ezra the
priest, the
scribe of the
law of the
God of
heaven,
perfect peace. And
now
r;p's a'n]h'k a'r.z,[.l a'Y;k.l;m .$,l,m a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a ? t,n,[.k.W ryim.G a'Y;m.v H'l/a -yiD a't'D
13
I have
issued a
decree that
any of the
people of
Israel and their
priests and the
Levites in my
kingdom who are
willing to
go to
Jerusalem, may
go with you.
yit.Wk.l;m.B b;D;n.tim -l'k yiD ~e[.j ~yif yiNim ? .$'h.mil aey'wel.w yihw{n]h'k.w lea'r.fIy h'M;[ -nim ? .$'h.y .$'Mi[ ~,l.v.Wryil
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,
yih{j]['y t;[.biv.w a'K.l;m ~'d\q -nim yiD leb\q -l'K ? t'd.B ~,l.v.Wryil.w d.Wh.y -l;[ a'r'Q;b.l ;xyil.v ? .$'dyib yiD .$'h'l/a
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,
yihw{j]['y.w a'K.l;m -yiD b;h.d.W @;s.K h'l'byeh.l.W ? Hen.K.vim ~,l.v.Wryib yiD lea'r.fIy H'l/a,l .Wb;D;n.tih
16
with
all the
silver and
gold which you
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;
t;nyid.m l{k.B x;K.v;h.t yiD b;h.d.W @;s.K l{k.w ? !yib.D;n.tim a'Y;n]h'k.w a'M;[ t.Wb'D;n.tih ~i[ l,b'B ? ~,l.v.Wryib yiD ~{h]h'l/a tyeb.l
17
with
this money,
therefore * *, you shall
diligently buy bulls,
rams and
lambs, with their grain
offerings and their
drink offerings and
offer them on the
altar of the
house of your
God which is in
Jerusalem.
h'n.d a'P.s;k.B aen.qit a'n.r;P.s'a h'n.D leb\q -l'K ? !w{hyeK.sin.w !w{h.t'x.nim.W !yir.Mia !yir.kiD !yirw{T ? ~{k]h'l/a tyeB yiD h'x.B.d;m -l;[ w{Mih ber'q.t.W ? ~,l.v.Wryib yiD
18
"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.
r'a.viB ]b;jyIy .$Iy;x,a -l;[.w .$Iy;l][ yid h'm.W ? !.Wd.b;[;T ~{k]h'l/a t.W[.riK d;B.[,m.l h'b]h;d.w a'P.s;K
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.
tyeB !'x.l'p.l .$'l !yib]h;y.tim -yiD a'Y;na'm.W ? ~,l.v.Wr.y H'l/a ~'d\q ~el.v;h .$'h'l/a
20
"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.
.$'l -l,PIy yiD .$'h'l/a tyeB t.Wx.v;x r'a.v.W ? a'K.l;m yez.niG tyeB -nim !eT.niT !;T.nim.l
21
"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,
~e[.j ~yif a'K.l;m a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a h'n]a yiNim.W ? yiD -l'k yiD h'r]h;n r;b][;B yiD a'Y;r.b;ZiG l{k.l ? H'l/a -yiD a't'D r;p's h'n]h'k a'r.z,[ !w{k.n,l]a.vIy ? dib][.tIy a'n.r;P.s'a a'Y;m.v
22
even up to
100 talents of
silver,
100 kors of
wheat,
100 baths of
wine,
100 baths of
oil, and
salt as
needed.
!yir{K !yij.nix -d;[.w h'a.m !yir.K;K @;s.K -d;[ ? !yiT;B -d;[.w h'a.m !yiT;B r;m]x -d;[.w h'a.m ? b't.k a'l -yiD x;l.m.W h'a.m x;v.m
23
"Whatever * is
commanded * by the
God of
heaven, let it be
done with
zeal for the
house of the
God of
heaven,
so that there will not be
wrath against the
kingdom of the
king and his
sons.
a'D.z;r.d;a deb][.tIy a'Y;m.v H'l/a ~;[;j -nim yiD -l'K ? @;c.q aew/h,l h'm.l -yiD a'Y;m.v H'l/a tyeb.l ? yihw{n.b.W a'K.l;m t.Wk.l;m -l;[
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.
aey'wel.w a'Y;n]h'K -l'k yiD !yi[.dw{h.m ~{k.l.W ? a'h'l/a tyeB yex.l'p.W a'Y;nyit.n a'Y;['r't a'Y;r'M;z ? aem.rim.l jyiL;v a'l .$'l]h;w w{l.b h'D.nim h'n.d ? ~{hyel][
25
"You,
Ezra, according to the
wisdom of your
God which is in your
hand,
appoint magistrates and
judges that they may
judge * all the
people who are in the province
beyond the
River, even
all those who
know the
laws of your
God; and you may
teach anyone
who is
ignorant * of them.
yiN,m .$'dyib -yiD .$'h'l/a t;m.k'x.K a'r.z,[ .T.n;a.w ? h'M;[ -l'k.l !yin]a'D !{w/h,l -yiD !yin'Y;d.w !yij.p'v ? .$'h'l/a yet'D ye[.d'y -l'k.l h'r]h;n r;b][;B yiD ? !.W[.dw{h.T [;d'y a'l yid.w
26
"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."
.$'h'l/a -yid a't'D deb'[ aew/h,l a'l -yiD -l'k.w ? deb][.tim aew/h,l h'nyiD a'n.r;P.s'a a'K.l;m yiD a't'd.w ? !yis.kin v'n][;l -neh .Wv{r.vil !eh tw{m.l !eh HeNim ? !yir.Ws/a,l.w
27
Blessed be the
LORD, the
God of our
fathers,
who has
put such a thing as
this in the
king's heart, to
adorn the
house of the
LORD which is in
Jerusalem,
!;t'n r,v]a .Wnyetw{b]a yeh{l/a h'wh.y .$.Wr'B ? h'wh.y tyeB -t,a rea'p.l .$,l,M;h bel.B ta{z'K ? ~i'l'v.WryiB r,v]a
28
and has
extended lovingkindness to me
before the
king and his
counselors and before
all the
king's mighty princes. Thus I was
strengthened according to the
hand of the
LORD my
God upon me, and I
gathered leading men from
Israel to
go up with me.
wy'c][w{y.w .$,l,M;h yen.pil d,s,x -h'Jih y;l'[.w ? yiT.q;Z;x.tih yin]a;w ~yir{BiG;h .$,l,M;h yer'f -l'k.l.W ? lea'r.fiYim h'c.B.q,a'w y;l'[ y;h{l/a h'wh.y -d;y.K ? yiMi[ tw{l][;l ~yiva'r