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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Ezra 7 GNT</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/ezra/7.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="../topmenuchap/ezra/7-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">GNT</a> > Ezra 7</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../ezra/6.htm" title="Ezra 6">◄</a> Ezra 7 <a href="../ezra/8.htm" title="Ezra 8">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div class="vheading">Good News Translation</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s">Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_7_1"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.1" class="v15_7_1">1</span>Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, </span><span class="v15_7_2"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.2" class="v15_7_2">2</span>son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, </span><span class="v15_7_3"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.3" class="v15_7_3">3</span>son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, </span><span class="v15_7_4"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.4" class="v15_7_4">4</span>son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, </span><span class="v15_7_5"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.5" class="v15_7_5">5</span>son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron.</span></p><p class="par"><span class="v15_7_6"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.6-Ezra.7.7" class="v15_7_6">6-7</span>Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of Israel, had given to Moses. Because Ezra had the blessing of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> his God, the emperor gave him everything he asked for. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workers. </span><span class="v15_7_8"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.8-Ezra.7.9" class="v15_7_8">8-9</span>They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. </span><span class="v15_7_10"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.10" class="v15_7_10">10</span>Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.</span></p><h3 class="s">The Document Which Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_7_11"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.11" class="v15_7_11">11</span>Emperor Artaxerxes gave the following document to Ezra, the priest and scholar, who had a thorough knowledge of the laws and commands which the <span class="nd">Lord</span> had given to Israel:</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_7_12"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.12" class="v15_7_12">12</span>“From Emperor Artaxerxes<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.7.12!f.1" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> to the priest Ezra, scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven.<a href="#fn" id="link_Ezra.7.12!f.2" class="notelink f-link"><span>+</span></a> </span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_7_13"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.13" class="v15_7_13">13</span>“I command that throughout my empire all the Israelite people, priests, and Levites that so desire be permitted to go with you to Jerusalem. </span><span class="v15_7_14"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.14" class="v15_7_14">14</span>I, together with my seven counselors, send you to investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the Law of your God, which has been entrusted to you, is being obeyed. </span><span class="v15_7_15"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.15" class="v15_7_15">15</span>You are to take with you the gold and silver offerings which I and my counselors desire to give to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. </span><span class="v15_7_16"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.16" class="v15_7_16">16</span>You are also to take all the silver and gold which you collect throughout the province of Babylon and the offerings which the Israelite people and their priests give for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_7_17"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.17" class="v15_7_17">17</span>“You are to spend this money carefully and buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine and offer them on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. </span><span class="v15_7_18"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.18" class="v15_7_18">18</span>You may use the silver and gold that is left over for whatever you and your people desire, in accordance with the will of your God. </span><span class="v15_7_19"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.19" class="v15_7_19">19</span>You are to present to God in Jerusalem all the utensils that have been given to you for use in the Temple services. </span><span class="v15_7_20"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.20" class="v15_7_20">20</span>And anything else which you need for the Temple, you may get from the royal treasury.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_7_21"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.21" class="v15_7_21">21</span>“I command all the treasury officials in West-of-Euphrates Province to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven, everything he asks you for, </span><span class="v15_7_22"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.22" class="v15_7_22">22</span>up to a limit of 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as needed. </span><span class="v15_7_23"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.23" class="v15_7_23">23</span>You must be careful to provide everything which the God of Heaven requires for his Temple, and so make sure that he is never angry with me or with those who reign after me. </span><span class="v15_7_24"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.24" class="v15_7_24">24</span>You are forbidden to collect any taxes from the priests, Levites, musicians, guards, workers, or anyone else connected with this Temple.</span></p><p class="pi"><span class="v15_7_25"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.25" class="v15_7_25">25</span>“You, Ezra, using the wisdom which your God has given you, are to appoint administrators and judges to govern all the people in West-of-Euphrates who live by the Law of your God. You must teach that Law to anyone who does not know it. </span><span class="v15_7_26"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.26" class="v15_7_26">26</span>If any disobey the laws of your God or the laws of the empire, they are to be punished promptly: by death or by exile or by confiscation of their property or by imprisonment.”</span></p><h3 class="s">Ezra Praises God</h3><p class="par"><span class="v15_7_27"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.27" class="v15_7_27">27</span>Ezra said, “Praise the <span class="nd">Lord</span>, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the <span class="nd">Lord</span> in Jerusalem. </span><span class="v15_7_28"><span class="reftext" id="Ezra.7.28" class="v15_7_28">28</span>By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the <span class="nd">Lord</span> my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me.”</span></p><a name="fn"></a><br /><br /><br /><b>Footnotes:<br /><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">7.12: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Verses 12-26 are in Aramaic (see also 4.7).</char></note><br /><note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">7.12: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">Aramaic has an additional word, the meaning of which is unclear.</char></note></div></div><span class="p"><br /><br /></span><div align="center"><p><span style="font-size:11pt;">Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:11pt;">© 1992 American Bible Society. 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