1 And after these things, when Artexerxes the king of the Persians reigned, came Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Ezerias, the son of Helchiah, the son of Salum,
2 The son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob, the son of Amarias, the son of Ezias, the son of Meremoth, the son of Zaraias, the son of Savias, the son of Boccas, the son of Abisum, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest.
3 This Esdras went up from Babylon, as a scribe, being very ready in the law of Moses, that was given by the God of Israel.
4 And the king did him honour: for he found grace in his sight in all his requests.
5 There went up with him also certain of the children of Israel, of the priest of the Levites, of the holy singers, porters, and ministers of the temple, unto Jerusalem,
6 In the seventh year of the reign of Artexerxes, in the fifth month, this was the king’s seventh year; for they went from Babylon in the first day of the first month, and came to Jerusalem, according to the prosperous journey which the Lord gave them.
7 For Esdras had very great skill, so that he omitted nothing of the law and commandments of the Lord, but taught all Israel the ordinances and judgments.
8 Now the copy of the commission, which was written from Artexerxes the king, and came to Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord, is this that followeth;
9 King Artexerxes unto Esdras the priest and reader of the law of the Lord sendeth greeting:
10 Having determined to deal graciously, I have given order, that such of the nation of the Jews, and of the priests and Levites being within our realm, as are willing and desirous should go with thee unto Jerusalem.
11 As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart with thee, as it hath seemed good both to me and my seven friends the counsellors;
12 That they may look unto the affairs of Judea and Jerusalem, agreeably to that which is in the law of the Lord;
13 And carry the gifts unto the Lord of Israel to Jerusalem, which I and my friends have vowed, and all the gold and silver that in the country of Babylon can be found, to the Lord in Jerusalem,
14 With that also which is given of the people for the temple of the Lord their God at Jerusalem: and that silver and gold may be collected for bullocks, rams, and lambs, and things thereunto appertaining;
15 To the end that they may offer sacrifices unto the Lord upon the altar of the Lord their God, which is in Jerusalem.
16 And whatsoever thou and thy brethren will do with the silver and gold, that do, according to the will of thy God.
17 And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given thee for the use of the temple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou shalt set before thy God in Jerusalem.
18 And whatsoever thing else thou shalt remember for the use of the temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the king’s treasury.
19 And I king Artexerxes have also commanded the keepers of the treasures in Syria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras the priest and the reader of the law of the most high God shall send for, they should give it him with speed,
20 To the sum of an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even to an hundred cors, and an hundred pieces of wine, and other things in abundance.
21 Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently unto the most high God, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.
22 I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other imposition, of any of the priests, or Levites, or holy singers, or porters, or ministers of the temple, or of any that have doings in this temple, and that no man have authority to impose any thing upon them.
23 And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God ordain judges and justices, that they may judge in all Syria and Phenice all those that know the law of thy God; and those that know it not thou shalt teach.
24 And whosoever shall transgress the law of thy God, and of the king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment.
25 Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem:
26 And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his counsellors, and all his friends and nobles.
27 Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gathered together men of Israel to go up with me.
28 And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities, that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Artexerxes:
29 Of the sons of Phinees, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael: of the sons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias:
30 Of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias; and with him were counted an hundred and fifty men:
31 Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, and with him two hundred men:
32 Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and with him three hundred men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him two hundred and fifty men:
33 Of the sons of Elam, Josias son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men:
34 Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with him threescore and ten men:
35 Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two hundred and twelve men:
36 Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias, and with him an hundred and threescore men:
37 Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight men:
38 Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him an hundred and ten men:
39 Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of them, Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men:
40 Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.
41 And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, where we pitched our tents three days: and then I surveyed them.
42 But when I had found there none of the priests and Levites,
43 Then sent I unto Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,
44 And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zacharias, and Mosollamon, principal men and learned.
45 And I bade them that they should go unto Saddeus the captain, who was in the place of the treasury:
46 And commanded them that they should speak unto Daddeus, and to his brethren, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us such men as might execute the priests’ office in the house of the Lord.
47 And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought unto us skilful men of the sons of Moli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, Asebebia, and his sons, and his brethren, who were eighteen.
48 And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons of Channuneus, and their sons, were twenty men.
49 And of the servants of the temple whom David had ordained, and the principal men for the service of the Levites to wit, the servants of the temple two hundred and twenty, the catalogue of whose names were shewed.
50 And there I vowed a fast unto the young men before our Lord, to desire of him a prosperous journey both for us and them that were with us, for our children, and for the cattle:
51 For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct for safeguard against our adversaries.
52 For we had said unto the king, that the power of the Lord our God should be with them that seek him, to support them in all ways.
53 And again we besought our Lord as touching these things, and found him favourable unto us.
54 Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Esebrias, and Assanias, and ten men of their brethren with them:
55 And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the holy vessels of the house of our Lord, which the king, and his council, and the princes, and all Israel, had given.
56 And when I had weighed it, I delivered unto them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of an hundred talents, and an hundred talents of gold,
57 And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of fine brass, glittering like gold.
58 And I said unto them, Both ye are holy unto the Lord, and the vessels are holy, and the gold and the silver is a vow unto the Lord, the Lord of our fathers.
59 Watch ye, and keep them till ye deliver them to the chief of the priests and Levites, and to the principal men of the families of Israel, in Jerusalem, into the chambers of the house of our God.
60 So the priests and the Levites, who had received the silver and the gold and the vessels, brought them unto Jerusalem, into the temple of the Lord.
61 And from the river Theras we departed the twelfth day of the first month, and came to Jerusalem by the mighty hand of our Lord, which was with us: and from the beginning of our journey the Lord delivered us from every enemy, and so we came to Jerusalem.
62 And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver that was weighed was delivered in the house of our Lord on the fourth day unto Marmoth the priest the son of Iri.
63 And with him was Eleazar the son of Phinees, and with them were Josabad the son of Jesu and Moeth the son of Sabban, Levites: all was delivered them by number and weight.
64 And all the weight of them was written up the same hour.
65 Moreover they that were come out of the captivity offered sacrifice unto the Lord God of Israel, even twelve bullocks for all Israel, fourscore and sixteen rams,
66 Threescore and twelve lambs, goats for a peace offering, twelve; all of them a sacrifice to the Lord.
67 And they delivered the king’s commandments unto the king’s stewards’ and to the governors of Celosyria and Phenice; and they honoured the people and the temple of God.
68 Now when these things were done, the rulers came unto me, and said,
69 The nation of Israel, the princes, the priests and Levites, have not put away from them the strange people of the land, nor the pollutions of the Gentiles, to wit, of the Canaanites, Hittites, Pheresites, Jebusites, and the Moabites, Egyptians, and Edomites.
70 For both they and their sons have married with their daughters, and the holy seed is mixed with the strange people of the land; and from the beginning of this matter the rulers and the great men have been partakers of this iniquity.
71 And as soon as I had heard these things, I rent my clothes, and the holy garment, and pulled off the hair from off my head and beard, and sat me down sad and very heavy.
72 So all they that were then moved at the word of the Lord God of Israel assembled unto me, whilst I mourned for the iniquity: but I sat still full of heaviness until the evening sacrifice.
73 Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and the holy garment rent, and bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands unto the Lord,
74 I said, O Lord, I am confounded and ashamed before thy face;
75 For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our ignorances have reached up unto heaven.
76 For ever since the time of our fathers we have been and are in great sin, even unto this day.
77 And for our sins and our fathers’ we with our brethren and our kings and our priests were given up unto the kings of the earth, to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with shame, unto this day.
78 And now in some measure hath mercy been shewed unto us from thee, O Lord, that there should be left us a root and a name in the place of thy sanctuary;
79 And to discover unto us a light in the house of the Lord our God, and to give us food in the time of our servitude.
80 Yea, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our Lord; but he made us gracious before the kings of Persia, so that they gave us food;
81 Yea, and honoured the temple of our Lord, and raised up the desolate Sion, that they have given us a sure abiding in Jewry and Jerusalem.
82 And now, O Lord, what shall we say, having these things? for we have transgressed thy commandments, which thou gavest by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying,
83 That the land, which ye enter into to possess as an heritage, is a land polluted with the pollutions of the strangers of the land, and they have filled it with their uncleanness.
84 Therefore now shall ye not join your daughters unto their sons, neither shall ye take their daughters unto your sons.
85 Moreover ye shall never seek to have peace with them, that ye may be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye may leave the inheritance of the land unto your children for evermore.
86 And all that is befallen is done unto us for our wicked works and great sins; for thou, O Lord, didst make our sins light,
87 And didst give unto us such a root: but we have turned back again to transgress thy law, and to mingle ourselves with the uncleanness of the nations of the land.
88 Mightest not thou be angry with us to destroy us, till thou hadst left us neither root, seed, nor name?
89 O Lord of Israel, thou art true: for we are left a root this day.
90 Behold, now are we before thee in our iniquities, for we cannot stand any longer by reason of these things before thee.
91 And as Esdras in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and lying flat upon the ground before the temple, there gathered unto him from Jerusalem a very great multitude of men and women and children: for there was great weeping among the multitude.
92 Then Jechonias the son of Jeelus, one of the sons of Israel, called out, and said, O Esdras, we have sinned against the Lord God, we have married strange women of the nations of the land, and now is all Israel aloft.
93 Let us make an oath to the Lord, that we will put away all our wives, which we have taken of the heathen, with their children,
94 Like as thou hast decreed, and as many as do obey the law of the Lord.
95 Arise and put in execution: for to thee doth this matter appertain, and we will be with thee: do valiantly.
96 So Esdras arose, and took an oath of the chief of the priests and Levites of all Israel to do after these things; and so they sware.
Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
(Ezra 7.1-10)1 Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, a man named Ezra came from Babylon. He traced his ancestry back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, 2 son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron.
3-4 Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law, which the God of Israel had given to Moses. The emperor had a high regard for him and approved all the requests he made. Ezra set out from Babylonia 5 for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workmen. 6 They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month in the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes. God gave them a safe journey, and they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. 7 Ezra had a thorough knowledge of the Law of the Lord and neglected none of its details. As a result he could teach all its laws and regulations to all the people of Israel.
The Document That Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra
(Ezra 7.11-26)8 The following is a copy of the decree that Emperor Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law of the Lord:
9 “From Emperor Artaxerxes to the priest Ezra, scholar of the Law of the Lord, greetings.
10 “In my generosity I have decided to decree that throughout my empire any of the Jews who so desire, including priests and Levites, may go with you to Jerusalem. 11 I and the seven counselors who have the title ‘Friends of the Emperor’ have decided that all who wish to do so may go with you. 12 Let them investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah to see how well the Law of the Lord is being obeyed. 13 Let them also take with them to Jerusalem the gifts which I and my counselors have vowed to give to the Lord of Israel, including all the silver and gold belonging to the Lord which may be found in Babylonia, 14 and all that is given by the people of Israel for the Temple of their Lord. The silver and gold are to be collected to buy bulls, rams, lambs, and everything else that is necessary, 15 so that sacrifices may be offered on the altar of the Lord in Jerusalem.
16 “You may use the silver and gold for whatever you and the rest of your people desire, in accordance with the will of your God. 17-18 You may obtain from the royal treasury the sacred vessels of the Lord that are being entrusted to you for use in the Temple of your God in Jerusalem, as well as anything else you may need for the Temple service.
19 “I command all the treasury officials in Greater Syria and Phoenicia to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar of the Law of God Most High, everything he asks for, 20 up to a limit of 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and as much salt as may be needed. 21 You must be careful to do everything that the Law requires in order to honor God Most High and so make sure that he is never angry with me or with those who reign after me. 22 You are forbidden to collect any taxes from the priests, Levites, musicians, guards, workmen, or anyone else connected with this Temple. No one has the right to impose any burden on them.
23 “You, Ezra, using the wisdom that comes from God, shall appoint administrators and judges to govern all the people in Greater Syria and Phoenicia who live by the Law of your God. You must teach that Law to anyone who does not know it. 24 If anyone disobeys the laws of your God or the laws of the empire, he is to be punished promptly: by death, by fine, by exile, or by some other punishment.”
Ezra Praises God
(Ezra 7.27Ezra 28)25 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the Lord alone! He has made the emperor willing to restore the glory of the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 26 By God's grace, I have won the respect of the emperor, his counselors, all his Friends, and all his powerful officials. 27 The Lord my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many men to return with me.”
The People Who Returned from Exile
(Ezra 8.1-14)28 This is the list of the leaders of the clans and families who had been in exile in Babylonia and returned with Ezra to Jerusalem when Artaxerxes was emperor:
29-40 Gershom, of the clan of PhinehasGamael, of the clan of IthamarHattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of DavidZechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family line)Eliehoenai son of Zechariah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 menShecaniah son of Jehaziel, of the clan of Zattu, with 300 menEbed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 250 menJeshaiah son of Gotholiah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 menZeraiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 70 menObadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 212 menShelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani, with 160 menZechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 menJohanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 menEliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 70 men (they returned at a later date)Uthai son of Istalcurus, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 menEzra Finds Priests and Levites for the Temple
(Ezra 8.15-20)41 I assembled the entire group at Theras River, and we camped there for three days. I inspected them 42 and found that there were no priests or Levites in the group, 43-44 so I sent a message to ten of the leaders who were competent men: Eliezer, Iduel, Maasmas, Elnathan, Shemaiah, Jarib, Nathan, Elnathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 45 I told them to go to Iddo, the chief official at the treasury, 46 and ask him, his associates, and the treasury officials to send us priests to serve in the Temple of our Lord. 47 With God's help, they sent us some able men: Sherebiah, a Levite from the clan of Mahli, with eighteen of his sons and relatives, 48 and Hashabiah, Annunus, and his brother Jeshaiah of the clan of Hananiah, with twenty of their sons. 49 There were also 220 Temple workmen whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed in the register by name.
Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer
(Ezra 8.21-23)50 There by Theras River I made a vow that the young men should fast in the presence of our Lord and ask him for a safe journey for us, our children, and our animals. 51 I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for infantry and cavalry to accompany us and protect us from our enemies, 52 because I had told him that our Lord by his strength blesses and protects those who trust him. 53 So once again we prayed for our Lord to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
The Gifts for the Temple
(Ezra 8.24-30)54 From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others. 55 Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the sacred utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests. 56-57 This is what I gave them:
silver 25 tonssilver utensils 7,500 poundsgold 7,500 poundsgold bowls 20fine bronze bowls that looked like gold 12
58 I said to the priests, “You are sacred to the Lord, the Lord of our ancestors, and so are the utensils and the silver and gold brought to him in fulfillment of a vow. 59 Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms, turn them over to the leaders of the priests and the Levites and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem.” 60 So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils for Jerusalem and brought them to the Temple.
The Return to Jerusalem
(Ezra 8.31-36)61 It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left Theras River, and with the Lord's presence and protection we reached Jerusalem. He protected us from all our enemies on our journey, and we arrived safely. 62 After we had been there three days, we went to the Temple, weighed the silver and gold and turned it all over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. 63 With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Moeth son of Sabannus. 64 Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.
65 All those who had returned from exile then offered sacrifices to the Lord, the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 66 and 72 lambs; they also offered 12 goats as a fellowship offering. They sacrificed all these animals to the Lord. 67 Then they took the decree the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of Greater Syria and Phoenicia, who then honored the Jewish people and the Temple of the Lord.
Ezra Learns of Intermarriages with Non-Jews
(Ezra 9.1-15)68 After all this had been done, some of the leaders of the people of Israel came and told me that 69 the people, the leaders, the priests, and the Levites had not kept themselves separate from the people in the neighboring countries of Edom, Moab, and Egypt, or from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. They were doing the same disgusting things which those people did. 70 God's holy people had become contaminated because Jewish men were marrying foreign women. Even the leaders and the officials had taken part in this breaking of the Law from the very beginning. 71 As soon as I heard this, I tore my clothes and my sacred robe in despair. I also tore my hair and my beard, and sat down crushed with anxiety and grief. 72 I sat there grieving about this sin until it was time for the evening sacrifice to be offered, when people began to gather around me—all those who were disturbed by what the Lord of Israel had said.
73 Then I got up from where I had been fasting, and still wearing my torn clothes, I knelt in prayer and stretched out my hands to the Lord. 74 I said, “O Lord, I am ashamed and confused in your presence. 75 Our sins tower over our heads; they reach as high as the heavens. 76 This has been true from the days of our ancestors until now; we, your people, have sinned greatly. 77 Because of our sins and the sins of our ancestors, we and our relatives, our kings, and our priests have fallen into the hands of foreign kings, and we have been slaughtered, robbed, and carried away as prisoners. We have been totally disgraced, as we still are today. 78 Now, Lord, for a short time you have shown us great mercy. You have allowed just a few of us to survive in order to carry on the name Israel here in your holy Temple. 79 You have let the light of our nation shine again, after feeding us and taking care of us during the time of our slavery. 80 Even when we were slaves you did not abandon us; you made the emperors of Persia favor us, so that they gave us food, 81 restored the glory of your Temple, rebuilt the city of Jerusalem out of its ruins, and gave us a place of security here in Judah and Jerusalem.
82 “But now, Lord, what can we say, after you have done all this for us? We have again disobeyed the commands that you gave us through your servants, the prophets. They told us that 83 the land we were to occupy was an impure land because the heathen people who lived in it filled it with their disgusting deeds. 84 They told us that we should never intermarry with those people 85 and never seek peaceful relations with them if we wanted to be strong and enjoy the land and pass it on to our descendants forever. 86 Even after everything that has happened to us in punishment for our sins, we know that you, Lord, have punished us less than we deserve 87 and have allowed us to survive. But we have rebelled again, broken your Law, and intermarried with these wicked people. 88 Yet you were not angry enough to destroy us completely and leave none of us alive, with no descendants and without our name. 89 Lord of Israel, you are faithful; you have allowed us to survive. 90 We confess our guilt to you; we have no right to come into your presence.”
The Plan for Ending Mixed Marriages
(Ezra 10.1-17)91 While Ezra was bowing in prayer in front of the Temple, weeping and confessing these sins, a large group of people from Jerusalem—men, women, and children—gathered around him, all of them weeping bitterly. 92 Then Shecaniah son of Jehiel, one of the Israelites, said to Ezra, “We have sinned against the Lord by marrying foreign women, but even so, there is still hope for Israel. 93 Now we must make a solemn promise to the Lord that we will send all these foreign women and their children away. 94 We will do what you and the others who obey the Law of the Lord advise us to do. 95 It is your responsibility to act. We are behind you, so go ahead and get it done.”
96 So Ezra began by making the leaders of the priests, of the Levites, and of the rest of the people take an oath that they would divorce their foreign wives.
