Now after these things had happened, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, Ezra came up from Babylon. Ezra was the son of Seraiah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Hilkiah, who was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub, read more. who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth, who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki, who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron the chief priest.

"Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a scribe of the perfect law of the God of heaven: I have now issued a decree that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel -- even the priests and Levites -- who wishes to do so may go up with you to Jerusalem. read more. You are authorized by the king and his seven advisers to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your possession, and to bring silver and gold which the king and his advisers have freely contributed to the God of Israel, who resides in Jerusalem, along with all the silver and gold that you may collect throughout all the province of Babylon and the contributions of the people and the priests for the temple of their God which is in Jerusalem. With this money you should be sure to purchase bulls, rams, and lambs, along with the appropriate meal offerings and libations. You should bring them to the altar of the temple of your God which is in Jerusalem. You may do whatever seems appropriate to you and your colleagues with the rest of the silver and the gold, in keeping with the will of your God. Deliver to the God of Jerusalem the vessels that are given to you for the service of the temple of your God. The rest of the needs for the temple of your God that you may have to supply, you may do so from the royal treasury. "I, King Artaxerxes, hereby issue orders to all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates, that you precisely execute all that Ezra the priestly scribe of the law of the God of heaven may request of you -- up to 100 talents of silver, 100 cors of wheat, 100 baths of wine, 100 baths of olive oil, and unlimited salt. Everything that the God of heaven has required should be precisely done for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should there be wrath against the empire of the king and his sons? Furthermore, be aware of the fact that you have no authority to impose tax, tribute, or toll on any of the priests, the Levites, the musicians, the doorkeepers, the temple servants, or the attendants at the temple of this God. "Now you, Ezra, in keeping with the wisdom of your God which you possess, appoint judges and court officials who can arbitrate cases on behalf of all the people who are in Trans-Euphrates who know the laws of your God. Those who do not know this law should be taught. Everyone who does not observe both the law of your God and the law of the king will be completely liable to the appropriate penalty, whether it is death or banishment or confiscation of property or detainment in prison."

These are the leaders and those enrolled with them by genealogy who were coming up with me from Babylon during 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. the son of Shecaniah; from the descendants of Parosh, Zechariah, and with him were enrolled by genealogy 150 men; from the descendants of Pahath-Moab, Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him 200 men; from the descendants of Zattu, Shecaniah son of Jahaziel, and with him 300 men; from the descendants of Adin, Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him 50 men; from the descendants of Elam, Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him 70 men; from the descendants of Shephatiah, Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him 80 men; from the descendants of Joab, Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him 218 men; from the descendants of Bani, Shelomith son of Josiphiah, and with him 160 men; from the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men; from the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men; from the descendants of Adonikam there were the latter ones. Their names were Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men; from the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai, and Zaccur, and with them 70 men.

Indeed, they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has become intermingled with the local residents. Worse still, the leaders and the officials have been at the forefront of all of this!"

On the second day of the month the family leaders met with Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, read more. and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message in all their cities and in Jerusalem: "Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written." So the people went out and brought these things back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy. Ezra read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last. They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly as was required.

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

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,