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Ezra / Artaxerxes' Decree Granting Ezra Authority
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Artaxerxes' Decree Granting Ezra Authority

Ezra 7:11-28

7
Chapter 7
11 And this is the copy of the document that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe: a document of the words of the commandments of the LORD and his statutes concerning Israel. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, the perfect and perceptive one. 13 I decree that everyone in my kingdom who volunteers from the people of Israel, their priests, and Levites may go with you to Jerusalem. 14 all—according to the word from before the king and his seven advisors—to send his emissary to inquire concerning Judea and Jerusalem in the law of your God that is in your hand. 15 and to deliver the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. 16 And all the silver and gold that you find in all the province of Babel, with the freewill offering of the people, and what the priests voluntarily dedicate to the house of their God in Jerusalem. 17 With this silver, buy bulls, males for burnt offerings, along with their grain offerings and their drink offerings. Offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers with the remainder of the silver and gold, to do the will of your God you shall do. 19 And the vessels that are given to you for the worship/service of the house of your God, complete them before God in Jerusalem. 20 And the rest of the needs of the house of your God, which may fall to you to provide, shall be given from the house of the treasuries of the king. 21 And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, have put a decree on all the treasurers who are beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, asks of you shall be done. 22 up to one hundred korins of silver, up to one hundred kors of wheat, up to one hundred baths of wine, up to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit. 23 Everything that is required by the decree of the God of heaven, Adrazda, to the house of the God of heaven, so that there may not be wrath upon the kingdom of the king and his sons. 24 And you know that the priests and Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple-servants, and worshipers of the house of this God—all of them—Dannah shall not impose tribute, tax, or any toll upon them. 25 And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand—from me appoint judges and justices for them, who are for all the people who are beyond the River, for all who know the Law of your God; and whoever does not know—you shall make them know. 26 And whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him—whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment. 27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, who has put such a thing into the heart of the king to glorify the house of the LORD that is in Jerusalem. 28 And he inclined steadfast love toward me before the king and his advisors and all the king's rulers, the mighty men, and I strengthened myself as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered heads from Israel to go up with me.