The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
The Bible in Basic English BBE
1 After these events, during the reign of Artach'shashta king of Persia, 'Ezra the son of S'rayah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of Hilkiyah,
1
Now after these things, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 the son of Shalum, the son of Tzadok, the son of Achituv,
2
The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amaryah, the son of 'Azaryah, the son of M'rayot,
3
The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Z'rachyah, the son of 'Uzi, the son of Buki,
4
The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Avishua, the son of Pinchas, the son of Eli'ezer, the son of Aharon the cohen hagadol -
5
The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6 this 'Ezra went up from Bavel. He was a scribe, expert in the Torah of Moshe, which ADONAI the God of Isra'el had given; and the king granted him everything he asked for, since the hand of ADONAI his God was on him.
6
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a scribe, expert in the law of Moses which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given: and the king, moved by the Lord his God, gave him whatever he made request for.
7 In the seventh year of Artach'shashta the king, some of the people of Isra'el, and some of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants went up to Yerushalayim.
7
And some of the children of Israel went up, with some of the priests and the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 ['Ezra] arrived at Yerushalayim in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.
8
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's rule.
9 He began going up to Yerushalayim from Bavel on the first day of the first month and arrived on the first day of the fifth month, since the good hand of his God was on him.
9
For, starting his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, he came to Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, by the good help of his God.
10 For 'Ezra had set his heart on studying and practicing the Torah of ADONAI and teaching Isra'el the laws and rulings.
10
For Ezra had given his mind to learning the law of the Lord and doing it, and to teaching his rules and decisions in Israel.
11 Here is the letter that King Artach'shashta gave 'Ezra the cohen and Torah-teacher, the student of matters relating to ADONAI's mitzvot and his laws for Isra'el:
11
Now this is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and the scribe, who put into writing the words of the orders of the Lord, and of his rules for Israel:
12 "From: Artach'shashta, king of kings "To: 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, etc.: "Herewith
12
Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, all peace;
13 I decree that everyone in my realm who belongs to the people of Isra'el, including their cohanim and L'vi'im, who, of his own free will, chooses to go with you to Yerushalayim, should go.
13
And now it is my order that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites in my kingdom, who are ready and have a desire to go to Jerusalem, are to go with you.
14 You are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire how the law of your God, of which you have expert knowledge, is being applied in Y'hudah and Yerushalayim.
14
Because you are sent by the king and his seven wise men, to get knowledge about Judah and Jerusalem, as you are ordered by the law of your God which is in your hand;
15 You are also to bring with you the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have voluntarily offered to the God of Isra'el, whose dwelling is in Yerushalayim;
15
And to take with you the silver and gold freely offered by the king and his wise men to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem,
16 together with all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Bavel and the voluntary offerings of the people and the cohanim that have been offered willingly for the house of their God in Yerushalayim.
16
As well as all the silver and gold which you get from the land of Babylon, together with the offering of the people and of the priests, freely given for the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem:
17 "You are to spend this money carefully on young bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and drink offerings; and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Yerushalayim.
17
So with this money get with care oxen, sheep, and lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 Whatever seems good to you and your kinsmen to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.
18
And whatever seems right to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, that do, as may be pleasing to your God.
19 "The articles given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver to the God of Yerushalayim.
19
And the vessels which have been given to you for the uses of the house of your God, you are to give to the God of Jerusalem.
20 "Whatever else may be needed for the house of your God that you have to supply, you may supply from the royal treasury.
20
And whatever more is needed for the house of your God, and which you may have to give, take it from the king's store-house.
21 "I, Artach'shashta the king, herewith order all the treasurers in the territory beyond the [Euphrates] River to do carefully anything 'Ezra the cohen, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you,
21
And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, now give orders to all keepers of the king's money across the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may have need of from you, is to be done with all care,
22 up to three-and-a-third tons of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 500 gallons of wine, 500 gallons of olive oil and unlimited amounts of salt.
22
Up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred measures of grain, a hundred measures of wine, and a hundred measures of oil, and salt without measure.
23 Whatever is ordered by the God of heaven is to be performed exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should wrath come against the realm of the king and his sons?
23
Whatever is ordered by the God of heaven, let it be done completely for the house of the God of heaven; so that there may not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 Moreover, we herewith proclaim to you that it will be illegal to impose tribute, taxes or tolls on any of the cohanim, L'vi'im, singers, gatekeepers, servants or laborers in this house of God.
24
In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, door-keepers, Nethinim, or any servants of this house of God.
25 "And you, 'Ezra, making use of the wisdom you have from your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the territory beyond the River, that is, all who know the laws of your God; and you are to teach those who don't know them.
25
And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your God which is in you, are to put rulers and judges to have authority over all the people across the river who have knowledge of the laws of your God; and you are to give teaching to him who has no knowledge of them.
26 Whoever refuses to obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him swiftly, whether it be death, banishment, confiscation of goods or imprisonment."
26
And if anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, take care that punishment is given to him, by death or by driving him from his country or by taking away his goods or by putting him in prison.
27 Blessed be ADONAI, the God of our ancestors, who has put such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to restore the beauty of the house of ADONAI in Yerushalayim,
27
Praise be to the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing into the heart of the king, to make fair the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
28 and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's most powerful officials. So I took courage, since the hand of ADONAI my God was on me, and I gathered together out of Isra'el key men to go up with me.
28
And has given mercy to me before the king and his government and before all the king's great captains. And I was made strong by the hand of the Lord my God which was on me, and I got together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.
The Bible in Basic English is in the public domain.