1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it , and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11 ¶ Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace , and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: 17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much . 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. 25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 ¶ Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Ezra atgriežas Jeruzālemē
1 Pēc šiem notikumiem Persijas ķēniņa Artakserksa valdīšanas laikā Ezra, Serāja dēls, Azarjas dēls, Hilkijas dēls, 2 Šallūma dēls, Cādoka dēls, Ahītūva dēls, 3 Amarjas dēls, Azarjas dēls, Merājota dēls, 4 Zerahjas dēls, Uzī dēls, Bukī dēls, 5 Abīšūas dēls, Pinhāsa dēls, Elāzāra dēls, augstā priestera Ārona dēls, – 6 šis Ezra izgāja no Bābeles. Viņš bija mācīts Mozus bauslībā, kuru bija devis Kungs, Israēla Dievs. Ķēniņš deva visu, ko viņš lūdza, jo pār viņu bija Kunga, viņa Dieva, roka.
7 Ķēniņa Artakserksa septītajā valdīšanas gadā uz Jeruzālemi devās daļa Israēla dēlu: priesteri, levīti, dziedātāji, vārtu sargi un tempļa kalpotāji. 8 Ezra nonāca Jeruzālemē piektajā mēnesī, ķēniņa septītajā valdīšanas gadā. 9 Pirmā mēneša pirmajā dienā viņš devās projām no Bābeles un nonāca Jeruzālemē piektā mēneša pirmajā dienā – Dievs bija labs pret viņu, 10 jo Ezra sirdī bija apņēmies turēties pie Kunga bauslības, pildīt to un mācīt Israēlam likumus un tiesu.
Artakserksa vēstule
11 Šis ir tās vēstules noraksts, ko ķēniņš Artakserkss deva priesterim Ezram, rakstu pazinējam, mācītam Kunga baušļos un Israēla likumos:
12 “Artakserkss, ķēniņu ķēniņš, priesterim Ezram, rakstu pazinējam, debesu Dieva likumu zinātājam. Tagad 13 es pavēlu, lai manā valstī ikviens no Israēla tautas, priesteriem un levītiem, kas labprātīgi grib iet uz Jeruzālemi, iet kopā ar tevi. 14 Tā kā tu esi ķēniņa un viņa septiņu padomnieku sūtīts pārbaudīt Jūdu un Jeruzālemi ar Dieva likumiem, kuri ir tavā rokā, 15 un aizvest sudrabu un zeltu, ko ķēniņš un viņa padomnieki labprātīgi ziedo Israēla Dievam, kas mīt Jeruzālemē, 16 kā arī visu sudrabu un zeltu, ko no labprātīgiem ziedojumiem tu savāksi visās Bābeles pavalstīs, ko tauta un priesteri ziedos Jeruzālemes Dieva namam, 17 tādēļ cītīgi pērc par šo naudu vēršus, aunus, jērus, labības dāvanas un lejamos upurus un upurē tos uz altāra Dieva namā Jeruzālemē! 18 Ar pārējo sudrabu un zeltu dari tā, kā tev un taviem brāļiem šķiet pareizi, dariet, kā grib jūsu Dievs! 19 Traukus, kas tev atdoti, lai kalpotu Dieva namā, novieto Dieva priekšā Jeruzālemē. 20 Pārējās Dieva namam nepieciešamās lietas, kas tev būs vajadzīgas, ņem no ķēniņa dārgumu nama! 21 Es, ķēniņš Artakserkss, esmu pavēlējis visiem Viņpusupes apgabala mantziņiem: ko priesteris Ezra, kas mācīts debesu Dieva likumos, jums lūgs, to dodiet! – 22 Sudrabu līdz simts mēriem, kviešus līdz simts korām , vīnu līdz simts batiem , eļļu līdz simts batiem un sāli bez mēra. 23 Dodiet debesu Dieva namam visu, ko debesu Dievs pavēl, lai pār valsti, ķēniņu un viņa dēliem nenāk dusmas! 24 Lai jums ir zināms, ka nedrīkst prasīt nodevas un muitu ne no viena priestera, levīta, dziedātāja, durvju sarga, tempļa kalpotāja un šī Dieva nama kalpa!
25 Un tu, Ezra, Dieva gudrībā, kas tev dota, iecel soģus un tiesnešus, kuri spēj tiesāt visus Viņpusupes apgabala ļaudis, lai visi zina tava Dieva likumus un lai iemāca tiem, kas tos nezina. 26 Bet ikvienu, kas nepildīs tava Dieva likumu un ķēniņa likumu, tiesājiet stingri – ar nāvi, izsūtīšanu, mantas atņemšanu vai cietumu.”
27 Slavēts lai Kungs, mūsu tēvu Dievs, kurš ķēniņa sirdij licis celt godā Kunga namu Jeruzālemē! 28 Viņš devis man laipnību pie ķēniņa, viņa padomniekiem un visiem augstmaņiem, ķēniņa varenajiem. Es kļuvu stiprs, jo ar mani bija Kunga, mana Dieva, roka, un es sapulcēju Israēla galvenos, lai tie nāk man līdzi.
