8
And they came into Jerusalem in the fifth month; that is (in) the seventh year of the king('s) (reign).
9
And in the first day of the first month Ezra began to go up from Babylon, and in the first day of the fifth month he came into Jerusalem, by the good hand, or help, of the God of him. (Yea, on the first day of the first month Ezra left Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came into Jerusalem, by the good hand, or the help, of his God.)
10
And Ezra (had) made ready his heart to inquire (of) the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel the behest and doom of the Lord. (And Ezra had devoted his heart to inquire into the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach its rules and regulations in Israel/and to teach its rules and regulations to the Israelites.)
11
Soothly this is the exemplar of the epistle of the commandment, which the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, (the) priest, (a) writer learned in the words and commandments of the Lord, and in his ceremonies in Israel. (And this is the text of the letter of the decree, which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest, a writer learned in the Law of the Lord, and a teacher of its rules and regulations, to the people of Israel.)
12
(I,) Artaxerxes, king of kings, desireth health to Ezra, the priest (desireth good favour for Ezra, the priest), the most wise writer of the law of (the) God of heaven.
13
It is deemed of me, that whomever it pleaseth in my realm of the people of Israel, and of his priests, and deacons, to go into Jerusalem, go he with thee. (It is decreed by me, that whomever in my kingdom of the people of Israel, or of its priests, or of its Levites, desireth to go up to Jerusalem, go he with thee/may go with thee.)
14
For thou art sent from the presence of the king, and of his seven counsellors, that thou visit Judaea and Jerusalem in the law of thy God, which is in thy hand; (For thou art sent from the presence of the king, and of his seven counsellors, or his officials, so that thou visit the people of Judah and Jerusalem, to see how well they obey the Law of thy God, which is entrusted to thee;)
15
and that thou bear (the) silver and (the) gold, which the king and his counsellors, (or his officials,) have offered by free will to [the] God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16
And take thou freely all the silver and gold, whatever thou findest in all the province of Babylon, and that that the people will offer, and of priests that offered by free will to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem; (And take thou all the silver and the gold, whatever thou findest in all the province of Babylon, and what the people, and the priests, offer by free will for the House of their God, which is in Jerusalem;)
17
and buy thou busily of this money calves, rams, lambs, and other offerings, and [the] moist sacrifices of those (and with this money prudently buy thou calves, and rams, and lambs, and other offerings, and the proper grain and wine offerings); and offer thou those upon the altar of the temple of your God, which temple is in Jerusalem.
18
But over this also if any thing pleaseth to thee, and to thy brethren, to do of the silver and gold that leaveth, do ye it by the will of your God; (And over this, whatever thing pleaseth thee, and thy fellows, to do with the silver and the gold that be left, do ye it according to the will of your God;)