After these events, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra- Seraiah's son, Azariah's son, Hilkiah's son, Shallum's son, Zadok's son, Ahitub's son, read more. Amariah's son, Azariah's son, Meraioth's son, Zerahiah's son, Uzzi's son, Bukki's son, Abishua's son, Phinehas's son, Eleazar's son, Aaron the chief priest's son

Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an expert in the law of the God of heaven: Greetings [to you]. I issue a decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including their priests and Levites, who want to go to Jerusalem, may go with you. read more. You are sent by the king and his seven counselors to evaluate Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God, which is in your possession. [You are] also to bring the silver and gold the king and his counselors have willingly given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold you receive throughout the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem. Then, you are to buy with this money as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, along with their grain and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem. You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God. You must deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles given to you for the service of the house of your God. You may use the royal treasury to pay for anything else you have to supply [to meet] the needs of the house of your God. I, King Artaxerxes, issue a decree to all the treasurers in the region west of the Euphrates River: Whatever Ezra the priest and expert in the law of the God of heaven asks of you must be provided promptly, up to 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of oil, and salt without limit. Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven must be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven, so that wrath will not fall on the realm of the king and his sons. Be advised that tribute, duty, and land tax must not be imposed on any priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, temple servants, or [other] servants of this house of God. And you, Ezra, according to God's wisdom that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to judge all the people in the region west of the Euphrates who know the laws of your God and to teach anyone who does not know [them]. Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a fair judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

These are the family leaders and the genealogical records of those who returned with me from Babylon during the reign of King Artaxerxes: Gershom, from Phinehas's descendants; Daniel, from Ithamar's descendants; Hattush, from David's descendants, read more. who was of Shecaniah's descendants; Zechariah, from Parosh's descendants, and 150 men with him who were registered by genealogy; Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah from Pahath-moab's descendants, and 200 men with him; Shecaniah son of Jahaziel from Zattu's descendants, and 300 men with him; Ebed son of Jonathan from Adin's descendants, and 50 men with him; Jeshaiah son of Athaliah from Elam's descendants, and 70 men with him; Zebadiah son of Michael from Shephatiah's descendants, and 80 men with him; Obadiah son of Jehiel from Joab's descendants, and 218 men with him; Shelomith son of Josiphiah from Bani's descendants, and 160 men with him; Zechariah son of Bebai from Bebai's descendants, and 28 men with him; Johanan son of Hakkatan from Azgad's descendants, and 110 men with him; these are the last ones, from Adonikam's descendants, and their names are: Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and 60 men with them; Uthai and Zaccur from Bigvai's descendants, and 70 men with them.

Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy people has become mixed with the surrounding peoples. The leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!"

On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, assembled before Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law. They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month. read more. So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and [other] leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written." The people went out, brought back [branches], and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Gate of Ephraim. The whole community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy. Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.

These are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Meshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah,

Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,