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Ezra 7
Ezra
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Chapter 7
II.
THE ORGANISATION OF THE COMMUNITY BY EZRA AND NEHEMIAH
The mission and personality of Ezra
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After these events, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
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son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
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son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
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son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
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son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of the chief priest Aaron,
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this man Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe versed in the Law of Moses, which had been given by Yahweh, the God of Israel. As the favour of his God, Yahweh, was with him, the king gave him all he asked.
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A certain number of Israelites, priests, Levites, cantors, gatekeepers and oblates went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of the reign of King Artaxerxes.
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He arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month: it was the seventh year of the king’s reign,
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for he had decided to depart from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month; the kindly favour of his God was certainly with him.
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For Ezra had devoted himself to the study of the Law of Yahweh, to practising it and to teaching Israel its laws and customs.
The edict of Artaxerxes
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This is a copy of the document which King Artaxerxes handed to Ezra, the priest-scribe, the scribe who was especially learned in the text of Yahweh’s commandments and his laws relating to Israel:
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‘Artaxerxes, king of kings, to the priest Ezra, scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, perfect peace.
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‘Here then are my orders: Anyone in my kingdom who is of the people of Israel, of their priests or their Levites and who freely chooses to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
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For you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to make an inspection of Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your possession,
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and also to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counsellors have voluntarily offered to the God of Israel who dwells in Jerusalem,
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as well as all the silver and gold you find in the whole province of Babylonia, together with those voluntary offerings given by the people and the priests for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
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Further, with this money take pains to buy bulls, rams and lambs, as well as the oblations and libations which go with them; you must offer them on the altar of the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.
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‘The gold and silver left over you may spend as you and your brothers think right, according to the will of your God.
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Place the vessels that have been given you for the service of the Temple of your God before your God in Jerusalem.
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For anything else necessary for the Temple of your God, which you may find occasion to provide, you may draw on the royal treasury.
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I, King Artaxerxes, give this command to all the treasurers of Transeuphrates: Whatever the priest Ezra, scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you must be instantly allowed:
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up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred measures of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt as requested.
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Everything that the God of heaven commands must be carried out zealously for the Temple of the God of heaven, lest the wrath should come on the realm of the king and of his sons.
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‘You are also informed that it is forbidden to impose tribute, customs or tolls on any of the priests, Levites, cantors, gatekeepers, oblates; in short, on the servants of this Temple of God.
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‘And you, Ezra, by virtue of the wisdom of your God, which is in your possession[*a], you are to appoint scribes and judges to administer justice for the whole people of Transeuphrates, that is, for all who know the Law of your God. You must teach those who do not know it.
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If anyone does not obey the Law of your God-which is the law of the king-let judgement be strictly executed on him: death, banishment, confiscation or imprisonment.’
The journey of Ezra from Babylonia to Palestine
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Blessed be Yahweh, the God of our ancestors, who moved the king’s heart in this way to glorify the Temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem
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and who won for me the favour of the king, his counsellors and all the most powerful of the king’s officials. For my part, I took courage, for the favour of Yahweh my God was with me, and I gathered the leading men of Israel together to set out with me.
Chapters of Ezra
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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