11
Now this is the
copy of the
letter that the
king Artaxerxes gave unto
Ezra the
priest, the
scribe, even a
scribe of the
words of the
commandments of the
LORD, and of his
statutes to
Israel.
a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a .$,l,M;h !;t'n r,v]a !'w.T.viN;h !,g,v.r;P h,z.w ? h'wh.y -t{w.cim yer.biD rep{s rep{S;h !eh{K;h a'r.z,[.l ? lea'r.fIy -l;[ wy'QUx.w
12
Artaxerxes, king of
kings, unto
Ezra the
priest, a
scribe of the
law of the
God of
heaven, perfect peace, and at such a
time.
r;p's a'n]h'k a'r.z,[.l a'Y;k.l;m .$,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 make a
decree, that
all they
of the
people of
Israel, and of his
priests and
Levites, in my
realm, which are minded of their own
freewill to go
up to
Jerusalem, go with
thee.
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 .$'Mi[ ~,l.v.Wryil
14
Forasmuch* as thou art
sent of the king, and of his
seven counsellors, to
enquire concerning Judah and
Jerusalem, according to the
law of thy
God which is in thine
hand;
yih{j]['y t;[.biv.w a'K.l;m ~'d\q -nim yiD leb\q -l'K ? t'd.B ~,l.v.Wryil.w d.Wh.y -l;[ a'r'Q;b.l ;xyil.v ? .$'dyib yiD .$'h'l/a
15
And to
carry the
silver and
gold, which the
king and his
counsellors have freely
offered unto the
God of
Israel, whose habitation is in
Jerusalem,
yihw{j]['y.w a'K.l;m -yiD b;h.d.W @;s.K h'l'byeh.l.W ? Hen.K.vim ~,l.v.Wryib yiD lea'r.fIy H'l/a,l .Wb;D;n.tih
16
And
all the
silver and
gold that thou canst
find in
all the
province of
Babylon, with the freewill
offering of the
people, and of the
priests, offering
willingly for the
house of their
God which is in
Jerusalem:
t;nyid.m l{k.B x;K.v;h.t yiD b;h.d.W @;s.K l{k.w ? !yib.D;n.tim a'Y;n]h'k.w a'M;[ t.Wb'D;n.tih ~i[ l,b'B ? ~,l.v.Wryib yiD ~{h]h'l/a tyeb.l
17
That thou mayest
buy speedily with
this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat
offerings and their drink
offerings, and
offer them upon the
altar of the
house of your
God which is in
Jerusalem.
h'n.d a'P.s;k.B aen.qit a'n.r;P.s'a h'n.D leb\q -l'K ? !w{hyeK.sin.w !w{h.t'x.nim.W !yir.Mia !yir.kiD !yirw{T ? ~{k]h'l/a tyeB yiD h'x.B.d;m -l;[ w{Mih ber'q.t.W ? ~,l.v.Wryib yiD
18
And
whatsoever shall seem
good to thee, and
to thy
brethren, to
do with the
rest of the
silver and the
gold, that
do after the
will of your
God.
r'a.viB ]b;jyIy .$Iy;x,a -l;[.w .$Iy;l][ yid h'm.W ? !.Wd.b;[;T ~{k]h'l/a t.W[.riK d;B.[,m.l h'b]h;d.w a'P.s;K
19
The
vessels also that are
given thee for the
service of the
house of thy
God, those
deliver thou
before the
God of
Jerusalem.
tyeB !'x.l'p.l .$'l !yib]h;y.tim -yiD a'Y;na'm.W ? ~,l.v.Wr.y H'l/a ~'d\q ~el.v;h .$'h'l/a
20
And whatsoever
more shall be
needful for the
house of thy
God, which thou shalt have
occasion to
bestow,
bestow it out
of the
king's treasure house.
.$'l -l,PIy yiD .$'h'l/a tyeB t.Wx.v;x r'a.v.W ? a'K.l;m yez.niG tyeB -nim !eT.niT !;T.nim.l
21
And
I, even
I Artaxerxes the
king, do
make a
decree to
all the
treasurers which are
beyond the
river, that whatsoever
Ezra the
priest, the
scribe of the
law of the
God of
heaven, shall
require of you, it be
done speedily,
~e[.j ~yif a'K.l;m a.T.s;v.x;T.r;a h'n]a yiNim.W ? yiD -l'k yiD h'r]h;n r;b][;B yiD a'Y;r.b;ZiG l{k.l ? H'l/a -yiD a't'D r;p's h'n]h'k a'r.z,[ !w{k.n,l]a.vIy ? dib][.tIy a'n.r;P.s'a a'Y;m.v
22
Unto an
hundred talents of
silver, and to an
hundred measures of
wheat, and to an
hundred baths of
wine, and to an
hundred baths of
oil, and
salt without prescribing how much.
!yir{K !yij.nix -d;[.w h'a.m !yir.K;K @;s.K -d;[ ? !yiT;B -d;[.w h'a.m !yiT;B r;m]x -d;[.w h'a.m ? b't.k a'l -yiD x;l.m.W h'a.m x;v.m
23
Whatsoever is commanded
by the God of
heaven, let it be
diligently done for the
house of the
God of
heaven: for why should there
be wrath against the
realm of the
king and his
sons?
a'D.z;r.d;a deb][.tIy a'Y;m.v H'l/a ~;[;j -nim yiD -l'K ? @;c.q aew/h,l h'm.l -yiD a'Y;m.v H'l/a tyeb.l ? yihw{n.b.W a'K.l;m t.Wk.l;m -l;[
24
Also we
certify you, that touching
any of the
priests and
Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or
ministers of
this house of
God, it shall
not be
lawful to
impose toll, tribute, or
custom, upon them.
aey'wel.w a'Y;n]h'K -l'k yiD !yi[.dw{h.m ~{k.l.W ? a'h'l/a tyeB yex.l'p.W a'Y;nyit.n a'Y;['r't a'Y;r'M;z ? aem.rim.l jyiL;v a'l .$'l]h;w w{l.b h'D.nim h'n.d ? ~{hyel][
25
And
thou, Ezra, after the
wisdom of thy
God, that is in thine
hand, set magistrates and
judges, which may
judge* all the
people that are
beyond the
river, all such as
know the
laws of thy
God; and
teach ye them that
know them
not.
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 ? .$'h'l/a yet'D ye[.d'y -l'k.l h'r]h;n r;b][;B yiD ? !.W[.dw{h.T [;d'y a'l yid.w
26
And
whosoever will
not do* the
law of thy
God, and the
law of the
king, let
judgment be executed speedily upon
him, whether it be unto
death, or to
banishment, or to
confiscation of
goods, or to
imprisonment.
.$'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