After all of this, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Seraiah's son Ezra (who was the grandson of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, read more. son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the chief priest)

From: Artaxerxes, King of Kings To: Ezra, the Priest, a scholar in matters concerning the laws of the God of Heaven Greetings! I hereby decree that all of the people of Israel along with their priests and descendants of Levi in my kingdom who are determined to return to Jerusalem with you may do so. read more. You have authority to act for the king and for his Council of Seven to conduct an inquiry concerning Judah and Jerusalem in accordance with the Law of your God, which is in your possession. You are carrying silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem, together with all of the silver and gold that you can raise in the province of Babylon, plus the freewill offerings given by the people and the priests, contributed for the Temple of their God, which is in Jerusalem. Accordingly, you are to exercise due diligence to utilize this money to purchase bulls, rams, lambs, grain offerings, and drink offerings, and to offer them upon the altar of the Temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem. Furthermore, the balance remaining of the silver and gold may be used for whatever other purpose you and your people desire, as long as such use is consistent with the will of your God. Furthermore, you are to deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels for the service of the Temple of your God that have been given to you. Furthermore, provide from the royal treasury whatever else may be needed for the Temple of your God. I, Artaxerxes, in my capacity as king, hereby decree to all royal treasuries beyond the Euphrates River that whatever Ezra the priest-scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, may require of you are to be performed with all due diligence, up to 100 silver talents, 100 measures of wheat, 100 measures of wine, 100 measures of oil, and salt without limitation. Whatever is commanded by the God of Heaven is to be done with all due diligence for the Temple of the God of Heaven, or wrath will come against the king's realm and his sons. Furthermore, we decree that with respect to any of the priests, descendants of Levi, singers, gatekeepers, Temple Servants, or other servants of this Temple of God, it is not to be lawful to impose any tribute, tax, or toll on them. And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom given to you by your God, are to appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people beyond the Euphrates River. All of them are to know the laws of your God, and you are to instruct those who do not know them. Whoever refuses to practice the law of your God and the law of the king is to see judgment executed quickly, whether to death, banishment, confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.

These are the leaders of the families listed among those who left Babylon with me during the reign of King Artaxerxes: From Phinehas's descendants: Gershom. From Ithamar's descendants: Daniel. From David's descendants: Hattush. read more. From Shecaniah's descendants and from Parosh's descendants: Zechariah, along with 150 men whose genealogies had been certified. From Pahath-moab's descendants: Zerahiah's son Eliehoenai and 200 men with him. From Zattu's descendants: Jahaziel's son Shecaniah and 300 men with him. From Adin's descendants: Jonathan's son Ebed and 50 men with him. From Elam's descendants: Athaliah's son Jeshaiah and 70 men with him. From Shephatiah's descendants: Michael's son Zebadiah and 80 men with him. From Joab's descendants: Jehiel's son Obadiah and 218 men with him. From Bani's descendants: Josiphiah's son Shelomith and 160 men with him. From Bebai's descendants: Bebai's son Zechariah and 28 men with him. From Azgad's descendants: Hakkatan's son Johanan and 110 men with him. From Adonikam's later descendants: Eliphelet, Jeuel, Shemaiah, and 60 men with him. From Bigvai's descendants: Uthai, Zabbud, and 70 men with him.

because they and their sons have married foreign women. As a result, the holy people have mingled themselves among the nations of these lands. As a matter of fact, the senior officials and the rulers have been foremost in this sin."

The next day, the heads of the families of all the people were gathered together, along with the priests and the descendants of Levi, to meet with Ezra the scribe in order to understand the words of the Law. They found written in the Law that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelis were to live in tents during the festival scheduled for the seventh month. read more. So they circulated a proclamation throughout their towns and in Jerusalem. It said, "Go out to the hill country and bring back olive branches, wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of mature trees, in order to set up tents, as has been written." Then the people went out and found branches to make tents for themselves on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, and in the courts of God's Temple, in the plaza near the Water Gate, and in the plaza near the Gate of Ephraim. The entire assembly of those who had returned from exile erected tents and lived in them. Indeed, from the days of Nun's son Joshua until that day the Israelis had not done so. Joy was everywhere, and Ezra continued to read from the Book of the Law of God day by day, from the first day through the last. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly according to regulation.

These are the priests and descendants of Levi who had returned with Shealtiel's son Zerubbabel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,