After these things [during] the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, son 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--

"Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of the heavens. Peace. And now I issue forth a decree that any of the people of Israel, their priests, or their Levites in my kingdom who are willing to go to Jerusalem may go with you. read more. For you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem concerning the law of your God, which is in your hand. Also, bring the silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely offered to the God of Israel whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, and all of the silver and gold that you will find in the whole province of Babylonia, with the freewill offerings of the people and the priests giving willingly for the house of their God in Jerusalem. With this money, then, with diligence you must buy young bulls, young rams, lambs, and their offerings and libations. You must offer them on the altar that is in the house of your God in Jerusalem. You may do whatever seems best to you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold according to the desire of your God. And the vessels that were given to you for the service of the house of your God you shall deliver before the God of Jerusalem. And the remainder of the needs for the house of your God that falls to you to provide, you may provide from the house of the king's treasury." "I, even I, King Artaxerxes, issue forth a decree to all the treasurers who are in [the province] Beyond the River. Whatever the priest Ezra, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may ask of you, let it be done with diligence, up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred measures of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and {unlimited salt}. All that is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done with diligence for the house of the God of heaven, otherwise wrath will come on the kingdom of the king and his sons. You also should be aware that it is not permitted to place tax, tribute, or duty upon all of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, and other servants of the house of God. "You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that you possess, appoint magistrates and judges who can judge all of the people [in the province] Beyond the River who know the laws of your God. And you will teach those who do not know. All who do not obey the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with diligence, whether for death or for banishment or for confiscation of goods and for imprisonment."

These were the heads of their {families} and the register of those returnees from Babylonia who [came up] with me in the reign of King Artaxerxes: From the descendants of Phinehas: Gershom. From the descendants of Ithamar: Daniel. From the descendants of David: Hattush. read more. From the descendants of Shecaniah, from the descendants of Parosh: Zechariah and with him one hundred and fifty registered males. From the descendants of Pahath-Moab: Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah and with him two hundred males. From the descendants of [Zattu]: Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males. From the descendants of Adin: Ebed son of Jehonathan, and with him fifty males. From the descendants of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males. From the descendants of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty males. From the descendants of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males. From the descendants of [Bani]: Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him one hundred and sixty males. From the descendants of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty-eight males. From the descendants of Azgad: Jehohanan son of Haqqatan, and with him one hundred and ten males. From the descendants of Adonikam, those who came last, these were their names: Eliphelet, Jeiel, Shemaiah, and with them sixty males. From the descendants of Bigvai: Uthai son of Zabud, and with him seventy males.

For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and their sons. So the holy seed has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the officials and prefects were foremost in this sin.

On the second day the heads of the {families} of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered together to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law. They found written in the law, which Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the {Israelites} should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month, read more. and that they should proclaim and give voice in all of their cities in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hill and bring olive tree branches, olive oil wood branches, myrtle shrub branches, palm tree branches, and other leafy tree branches to make booths, as it is written." So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the public square of the Water Gate, and in the public square of the Gate of Ephraim. And all of the assembly of those who returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths because the {Israelites} had not done it from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great joy. And he read from the scroll of the law of God day by day from the first day up to the last day. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly according to the rule.

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

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,