11And this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD and of his statutes for Israel.12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the secretary of the law of the God of heaven. Peace, and now.13From me a decree is issued that every volunteer in my kingdom from the people of Israel, together with his priests and the Levites, may go to Jerusalem with you.14In accordance with the command from the king and his seven advisers, he sent them to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem regarding the law of your God that is in your hand.15And to bring silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem.16And all the silver and gold that you find throughout the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests who are contributing to the house of their God in Jerusalem.17With this silver you shall therefore exactly purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, together with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.18Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and the gold, do according to the will of your God.19And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver them in full before God in Jerusalem.20And whatever else is needed for the house of your God that falls to you to provide, provide it from the royal treasuries.21And I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the river that whatever Ezra the priest and secretary of the law of the God of heaven requests of you, you shall exactly carry out.22Up to a hundred talents of silver, up to a hundred kors of wheat, up to a hundred baths of wine, up to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without written limit.23Whatever is according to the decree of the God of heaven shall be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven, lest wrath come upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.24And you are also to know that no tax, tribute, or toll has authority to be imposed upon any of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the servants of this house.25And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the river, all who know the laws of your God, and you shall inform those who do not know them.26And whoever does not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him exactly, whether to death, or to uprooting, or to confiscation of property, or to imprisonment.27Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this into the heart of the king to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem.28And he extended kindness to me before the king and his advisers and before all the mighty officials of the king. I was strengthened by the hand of the LORD my God upon me, and I gathered leading men from Israel to go up with me.