Book 36 : KETUVIM - EZRA - Chapter 007
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Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of
Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah
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the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub
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the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth
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the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki
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the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar,
the son of Aaron the chief priest-
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this Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe
in the Law of Moses, which HaShem, the G-d of Israel, had given; and the king
granted him all his request, according to the hand of HaShem his G-d upon him
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And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of
the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinim,
unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king
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And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in
the seventh year of the king
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For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up
from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem,
according to the good hand of his G-d upon him
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For Ezra had set his heart to seek the law of HaShem, and
to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and ordinances
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Now this is the copy of the letter that the king
Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words
of the commandments of HaShem, and of His statutes to Israel
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'Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, the
scribe of the Law of the G-d of heaven, and so forth. And no
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I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel,
and their priests and the Levites, in my realm, that are minded of their own
free will to go with thee to Jerusalem, go
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Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king and his seven
counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of
thy G-d which is in thy hand
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and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his
counsellors have freely offered unto the G-d of Israel, whose habitation is in
Jerusalem
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and all the silver and gold that thou shalt 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 G-d which is in Jerusalem
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therefore thou shalt with all diligence buy with this
money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their
drink-offerings, and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your G-d
which is in Jerusalem
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And whatsoever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren
to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do ye after the will of
your G-d
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And the vessels that are given thee for the service of the
house of thy G-d, deliver thou before the G-d of Jerusalem
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And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy
G-d, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's
treasure-house
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And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all
the treasurers that are beyond the River, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the
scribe of the Law of the G-d of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with
all diligence
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unto a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred
measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of
oil, and salt without prescribing how much
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Whatsoever is commanded by the G-d of heaven, let it be
done exactly for the house of the G-d of heaven; for why should there be wrath
against the realm of the king and his sons
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Also we announce to you, that touching any of the priests
and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of G-d,
it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, impost, or toll, upon them
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And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy G-d that is in thy
hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are
beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy G-d; and teach ye him that
knoweth them not
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And whosoever will not do the law of thy G-d, and the law
of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be
unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
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Blessed be HaShem, the G-d of our fathers, who hath put
such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of HaShem which
is in Jerusalem
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and hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his
counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened
according to the hand of HaShem my G-d upon me, and I gathered together out of
Israel chief men to go up with me
Book 36 : KETUVIM - EZRA - Chapter 007
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