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ThisEzrawent up from Babylon, and he was a scribeskilled in the law of Moses, which the LORDGod of Israel had given; and the kinggranted him all he requested because the hand of the LORD his God was upon him.
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Some of the sons of Israel and some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers and the templeservantswent up to Jerusalem in the seventhyear of KingArtaxerxes.
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For on the first of the firstmonth he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifthmonth he came to Jerusalem, because the goodhand of his God was upon him.
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Now this is the copy of the decreewhichKingArtaxerxesgave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, learned in the words of the commandments of the LORD and His statutes to Israel:
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I have issued a decree that any of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my kingdomwho are willing to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
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"Forasmuch** as you are sent by the king and his sevencounselors to inquireconcerningJudah and Jerusalem according to the law of your Godwhich is in your hand,
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with all the silver and goldwhich you find in the wholeprovince of Babylon, along with the freewilloffering of the people and of the priests, who offeredwillingly for the house of their Godwhich is in Jerusalem;
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with thismoney, therefore**, you shall diligentlybuybulls, rams and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drinkofferings and offer them on the altar of the house of your Godwhich is in Jerusalem.
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"I, even I, KingArtaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurerswho 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 donediligently,
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"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 wrathagainst the kingdom of the king and his sons.
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"We also inform you that it is not allowed to imposetax, tribute or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim or servants of thishouse of God.
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"You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your Godwhich is in your hand, appointmagistrates and judges that they may judge*all the peoplewho 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.
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"Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him strictly, whether for deathor for banishmentor for confiscation of goods or for imprisonment."
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Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king'sheart, to adorn the house of the LORDwhich is in Jerusalem,
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and has extendedlovingkindness to me before the king and his counselors and before all the king'smightyprinces. Thus I was strengthened according to the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gatheredleadingmen from Israel to go up with me.