Ezra 7
Open in the reader1Many years later, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Help son of He-Who-Is-Has-Prevailed, the son of He-Who-Is-Helps, the son of My-Portion-Is-He-Who-Is,
2the son of Requital, the son of Righteous, the son of My-Brother-Is-Goodness,
3the son of He-Who-Is-Has-Said, the son of He-Who-Is-Helps, the son of Rebellions,
4the son of He-Who-Is-Shines, the son of My-Strength, the son of Proved-of-He-Who-Is,
5the son of My-Father-Is-Salvation, the son of Phinehas, the son of My-God-Is-Help, the son of Aaron the chief priest—
6this Help came up from Confusion. He was a scribe skilled in the Teaching of Drawn-Out, which He-Who-Is, the God of Strives-with-God, had given. The king had granted Help all his requests, for the hand of He-Who-Is his God was upon him.
7So in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, he went up to Foundation-of-Peace with some of the children of Strives-with-God, including priests, Joined-Ones, singers, gatekeepers, and temple servants.
8Help arrived in Foundation-of-Peace in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king.
9He had begun the journey from Confusion on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Foundation-of-Peace on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was upon him.
10For Help had set his heart to study the Teaching of He-Who-Is, to practice it, and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Strives-with-God.
11This is the text of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Help the priest and scribe, an expert in the commandments and statutes of He-Who-Is to Strives-with-God:
12Artaxerxes, king of kings. To Help the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13I hereby decree that any volunteers among the children of Strives-with-God in my kingdom, including the priests and Joined-One, may go up with you to Foundation-of-Peace.
14You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Praised and Foundation-of-Peace according to the Law of your God, which is in your hand.
15Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Strives-with-God, whose dwelling is in Foundation-of-Peace,
16together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Confusion, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Foundation-of-Peace.
17With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Foundation-of-Peace.
18You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.
19You must deliver to the God of Foundation-of-Peace all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God.
20And if anything else is needed for the house of your God that you may have occasion to supply, you may pay for it from the royal treasury.
21I, King Artaxerxes, decree to all the treasurers west of the Rushing: Whatever Help the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, it must be provided promptly,
22up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred cors of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of olive oil, and salt without limit.
23Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for His house. For why should wrath fall on the realm of the king and his sons?
24And be advised that you have no authority to impose tribute, duty, or toll on any of the priests, Joined-Ones, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or other servants of this house of God.
25And you, Help, according to the wisdom of your God, which you possess, are to appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people west of the Rushing—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach these laws to anyone who does not know them.
26If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.
27Blessed be He-Who-Is, the God of our fathers, who has put into the heart of the king to so honor the house of He-Who-Is in Foundation-of-Peace,
28and who has shown me favor before the king, his counselors, and all his powerful officials. And because the hand of He-Who-Is my God was upon me, I took courage and gathered the leaders of Strives-with-God to return with me.