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Now after these things, in the reign of Artachshasta king of Paras, 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 Aharon the chief kohen;
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this Ezra went up from Bavel: and he was a ready scribe in the Torah of Mosheh, which Yahuah, Elohim of Yisra’el, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Yahuah his Elohim on him.
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There went up some of the children of Yisra’el, and of the kohenim, and the Leviyim, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Netinim, to Yerushalayim, in the seventh year of Artachshasta the king.
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He came to Yerushalayim in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
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For on the first day of the first month began he to go up from Bavel; and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Yerushalayim, according to the good hand of his Elohim on him.
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For Ezra had set his heart to seek the Torah of Yahuah, and to do it, and to teach in Yisra’el statutes and ordinances.
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Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artachshasta gave to Ezra the kohen, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahuah, and of his statutes to Yisra’el:
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Artachshasta, king of kings, to Ezra the kohen, the scribe of the Torah of Elohim of heaven, perfect and so forth.
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I make a decree, that all those of the people of Yisra’el, and their kohenim and the Leviyim, in my realm, who are minded of their own free will to go to Yerushalayim, go with you.
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Because you are sent of the king and his seven counselors, to inquire concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim, according to the Torah of your Elohim which is in your hand,
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and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to Elohim of Yisra’el, whose habitation is in Yerushalayim,
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and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the province of Bavel, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the kohenim, offering willingly for the house of their Elohim which is in Yerushalayim;
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therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your Elohim which is in Yerushalayim.
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Whatever shall seem good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that after the will of your Elohim.
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The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your Elohim, deliver before Elohim of Yerushalayim.
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Whatever more shall be needful for the house of your Elohim, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
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I, even I Artachshasta the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the kohen, the scribe of the Torah of Elohim of heaven, shall require of you, it be done with all diligence,
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to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred measures of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
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Whatever is commanded by Elohim of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of Elohim of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
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Also we inform you, that touching any of the kohenim and Leviyim, the singers, gatekeepers, Netinim, or servants of this house of Elohim, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, on them.
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You, Ezra, after the wisdom of your Elohim who is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your Elohim; and teach him who doesn't know them.
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Whoever will not do the Torah of your Elohim, and the Torah of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
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Blessed be Yahuah, Elohim of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Yahuah which is in Yerushalayim;
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and has extended loving kindness to me before the king, and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the hand of Yahuah my Elohim on me, and I gathered together out of Yisra’el chief men to go up with me.