Ezra 7

Ezra Sent to Teach the People

1 Now after this, v in the reign of v Artaxerxes king of Persia, w Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest - 6 this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe x skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, y for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.

7 And there went up also to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king, some of the people of Israel, and z some of the priests and a Levites, the singers and gatekeepers, and the temple b servants. 8 And Ezra 1 came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylonia, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, c for the good hand of his God was on him. 10 For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it d and to e teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a man learned in matters of the commandments of the Lord and his statutes for Israel: 12 "Artaxerxes, f king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the g scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace. 2 h And now 13 i I make a decree that anyone of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom, who freely offers to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. 14 For you are sent by the king j and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand, 15 and also to carry the silver and gold that the king j and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, k whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16 l with all the silver and gold that you shall find in the whole province of Babylonia, and m with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests, vowed willingly for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem. 17 With this money, then, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and n you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 Whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do, according to the will of your God. 19 The vessels that have been given you for the service of the house of your God, you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatever else is required for the house of your God, which it falls to you to provide, you may provide it out of the king's treasury.

21 "And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: Whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence, 22 up to 100 talents 3 of silver, 100 cors 4 of wheat, 100 baths 5 of wine, 100 baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. 23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the king and his sons. 24 We also notify you that it shall not be lawful to impose o tribute, custom, or toll on anyone of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.

25 "And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, p appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. q And those who do not know them, you shall teach. 26 Whoever will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be strictly executed on him, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of his goods or for imprisonment."

27 r Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, s who put such a thing as this into the heart of the king, to beautify the house of the Lord that is in Jerusalem, 28 t and who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.

  1. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:1
    In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
  2. Cross References
    Nehemiah 2:1
    In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence.
  3. Cross References
    Ezra 7:1 - 5
    Now after this, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah.
    1 Chronicles 6:4 - 14
    Eleazar fathered Phinehas, Phinehas fathered Abishua.
  4. Cross References
    Ezra 7:11 - 12
    This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerx...
    Ezra 7:21
    And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to al...
    Nehemiah 8:1 - 3
    And all the people gathered as one man into the...
    Nehemiah 8:13
    On the second day the heads of fathers' houses ...
    Nehemiah 12:26
    These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Je...
    Nehemiah 12:36
    And his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, G...
  5. Cross References
    Ezra 7:9
    For on the first day of the first month he bega...
    Ezra 7:28
    And who extended to me his steadfast love befor...
    Ezra 8:18
    And by the good hand of our God on us, they bro...
    Ezra 8:22
    For I was ashamed to ask the king for a band of...
    Ezra 8:31
    Then we departed from the river Ahava on the tw...
    Nehemiah 2:8
    And a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king's...
    Nehemiah 2:18
    And I told them of the hand of my God that had ...
    Ezra 5:5
    But the eye of their God was on the elders of t...
  6. Cross References
    Ezra 8:1 - 14
    These are the heads of their fathers' houses, and this is the genealogy of those who went up with me from Babylonia, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king:
  7. Cross References
    Ezra 8:15 - 19
    I gathered them to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we camped three days. As I reviewed the people and the priests, I found there none of the sons of Levi.
  8. Cross References
    Ezra 8:17
    And sent them to Iddo, the leading man at the place Casiphia, telling them what to say to Iddo and his brothers and the temple servants at the place Casiphia, namely, to send us ministers for the house of our God.
    Ezra 8:20
    Besides 220 of the temple servants, whom David and his officials had set apart to attend the Levites. These were all mentioned by name.
    Ezra 2:43
    The temple servants: the sons of Ziha, the sons of Hasupha, the sons of Tabbaoth.
  9. Cross References
    Ezra 7:6
    This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
  10. Cross References
    Ezra 7:25
    And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.
    Deuteronomy 33:10
    They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
  11. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 17:7
    In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah.
    Malachi 2:7
    For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
    Matthew 23:2 - 3
    The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat.
    Nehemiah 8:1 - 8
    And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.
  12. Cross References
    Ezekiel 26:7
    For thus says the Lord God : Behold, I will bring against Tyre from the north Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, and with horsemen and a host of many soldiers.
    Daniel 2:37
    You, O king, the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory.
  13. Cross References
    Ezra 7:6
    This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
  14. Cross References
    Ezra 4:11
    (This is a copy of the letter that they sent.) "To Artaxerxes the king: Your servants, the men of the province Beyond the River, send greeting. And now
    Ezra 4:17
    The king sent an answer: "To Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe and the rest of their associates who live in Samaria and in the rest of the province Beyond the River, greeting. And now
  15. Cross References
    Ezra 6:8
    Moreover, I make a decree regarding what you shall do for these elders of the Jews for the rebuilding of this house of God. The cost is to be paid to these men in full and without delay from the royal revenue, the tribute of the province from Beyond the River.
  16. Cross References
    Ezra 7:15
    And also to carry the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.
    Ezra 7:28
    And who extended to me his steadfast love before the king and his counselors, and before all the king's mighty officers. I took courage, for the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.
    Ezra 8:25
    And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered.
    Esther 1:14
    The men next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media, who saw the king's face, and sat first in the kingdom):
  17. Cross References
    Ezra 7:14
    For you are sent by the king and his seven counselors to make inquiries about Judah and Jerusalem according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
  18. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 6:2
    But I have built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever.
    Psalms 135:21
    Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who dwells in Jerusalem! Praise the Lord!
  19. Cross References
    Ezra 8:25
    And I weighed out to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the offering for the house of our God that the king and his counselors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered.
  20. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:6
    Then the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officers over the king's work.
    1 Chronicles 29:9
    Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
  21. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:5
    But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go.
    Deuteronomy 12:11
    Then to the place that the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there, there you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings and your sacrifices, your tithes and the contribution that you present, and all your finest vow offerings that you vow to the Lord.
  22. Cross References
    Ezra 4:13
    Now be it known to the king that if this city is rebuilt and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and the royal revenue will be impaired.
    Ezra 4:20
    And mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, who ruled over the whole province Beyond the River, to whom tribute, custom, and toll were paid.
  23. Cross References
    Exodus 18:21 - 22
    Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.
    Deuteronomy 16:18
    You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
  24. Cross References
    Ezra 7:10
    For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
  25. Cross References
    1 Chronicles 29:10
    Therefore David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly. And David said: "Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
  26. Cross References
    Ezra 6:22
    And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy, for the Lord had made them joyful and had turned the heart of the king of Assyria to them, so that he aided them in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
  27. Cross References
    Ezra 9:9
    For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
Previous Book Next Book