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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://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=1.0; maximum-scale=1.0; user-scalable=0;"/><title>Ezra 7 New American Bible</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></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="/bmcc/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="http://biblehub.com/catholic">Bible</a> > <a href="../">NABRE</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"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="99%" valign="top">New American Bible Revised Edition</td><td width="1%" valign="top"></td></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><section id="ch15007" class="chapter"> <h1 class="bksect">II. <span class="ac">The Work of Ezra</span></h1> <h1 id="cn15007" class="cn"></h1> <p class="pf"><span class="hemb">Ezra, Priest and Scribe.</span> <span id="v15007001" class="ver">1</span><a id="rfn15007001-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15007001-1">*</a> <a id="ren15007001-a" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007001-a">a</a> After these events, during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra, son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, <span id="v15007002" class="ver">2</span>son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, <span id="v15007003" class="ver">3</span>son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, <span id="v15007004" class="ver">4</span>son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, <span id="v15007005" class="ver">5</span>son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the high priest— <span id="v15007006" class="ver">6</span><a id="ren15007006-b" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007006-b">b</a> this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a scribe, well-versed in the law of Moses given by the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, the God of Israel. The king granted him all that he requested, because the hand of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, his God, was over him.</p> <p><span id="v15007007" class="ver">7</span>Some of the Israelites and some priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. <span id="v15007008" class="ver">8</span>Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month of that seventh year of the king. <span id="v15007009" class="ver">9</span>On the first day of the first month he began the journey up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he arrived at Jerusalem, for the favoring hand of his God was over him. <span id="v15007010" class="ver">10</span><a id="ren15007010-c" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007010-c">c</a> Ezra had set his heart on the study and practice of the law of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> and on teaching statutes and ordinances in Israel.</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">The Decree of Artaxerxes.</span> <span id="v15007011" class="ver">11</span>This is a copy of the rescript which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest-scribe, the scribe versed in matters concerning the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>’s commandments and statutes for Israel:</p> <p><span id="v15007012" class="ver">12</span><a id="ren15007012-d" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007012-d">d</a> “Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, greetings! And now, <span id="v15007013" class="ver">13</span>I have issued this decree, that anyone in my kingdom belonging to the people of Israel, its priests or Levites, who is willing to go up to Jerusalem with you, may go, <span id="v15007014" class="ver">14</span>for you are the one sent by the king and his seven counselors to supervise Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the law of your God which is in your possession, <span id="v15007015" class="ver">15</span>and to bring the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely contributed to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, <span id="v15007016" class="ver">16</span>as well as all the silver and gold which you may receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the voluntary offerings the people and priests freely contribute for the house of their God in Jerusalem. <span id="v15007017" class="ver">17</span>Therefore, you must use this money with all diligence to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain offerings and libations proper to these, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. <span id="v15007018" class="ver">18</span>You and your kinsmen may do whatever seems best to you with the remainder of the silver and gold, as your God wills. <span id="v15007019" class="ver">19</span>The vessels given to you for the service of the house of your God you are to deposit before the God of Jerusalem. <span id="v15007020" class="ver">20</span>Whatever else you may be required to supply for the needs of the house of your God, you may draw from the royal treasury. <span id="v15007021" class="ver">21</span>I, Artaxerxes the king, issue this decree to all the treasurers of West-of-Euphrates: Whatever Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requests of you, let it be done with all diligence, <span id="v15007022" class="ver">22</span>within these limits: silver, one hundred talents; wheat, one hundred kors;<a id="rfn15007022-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15007022-1">*</a> wine, one hundred baths; oil, one hundred baths; salt, without limit. <span id="v15007023" class="ver">23</span>Let everything that is decreed by the God of heaven be carried out exactly for the house of the God of heaven, that wrath may not come upon the realm of the king and his sons. <span id="v15007024" class="ver">24</span>We also inform you that it is not permitted to impose taxes, tributes, or tolls on any priest, Levite, singer, gatekeeper, temple servant, or any other servant of that house of God.</p> <p><span id="v15007025" class="ver">25</span><a id="ren15007025-e" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007025-e">e</a> “As for you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God<a id="rfn15007025-1" class="fnref" href="footnotes.htm#fn15007025-1">*</a> which is in your possession, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people in West-of-Euphrates, to all, that is, who know the laws of your God. Instruct those who do not know these laws. <span id="v15007026" class="ver">26</span>All who will not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon them with all diligence, whether death, or corporal punishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.”</p> <p class="psec"><span class="hemb">Ezra Prepares for the Journey.</span> <span id="v15007027" class="ver">27</span>Blessed be the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, the God of our ancestors, who put it into the heart of the king thus to glorify the house of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span> in Jerusalem, <span id="v15007028" class="ver">28</span><a id="ren15007028-f" class="enref" href="footnotes.htm#en15007028-f">f</a> and who let me find favor with the king, with his counselors, and with all the most influential royal officials. I therefore took courage and, with the hand of the <span class="tetr">Lord</span>, my God, over me, I gathered together Israelite leaders to make the return journey with me.</p> </section> <br /><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="intro.htm"><span class="ac">Book Introduction</span></a></h1><h1 class="cn"><a class="xref" href="footnotes.htm"><span class="ac">Footnotes</span></a></h1></div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the <i>New American Bible, revised edition</i> © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. 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