And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra 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 head priest;

'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time: By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go; read more. because that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that is in thy hand, and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem, and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem, therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem, and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.' 'And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem; and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king. And by me -- I Artaxerxes the king -- is made a decree to all treasurers who are beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, be done speedily: Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning; all that is by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons? 'And to you we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up. And thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know; and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'

And these are heads of their fathers, and the genealogy of those going up with me, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king, from Babylon. From the sons of Phinehas: Gershom; from the sons of Ithamar: Daniel; from the sons of David: Hattush; read more. from the sons of Shechaniah, from the sons of Pharosh: Zechariah, and with him, reckoning themselves by genealogy, of males a hundred and fifty. From the sons of Pahath-Moab: Elihoenai son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred who are males. From the sons of Shechaniah: the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred who are males. And from the sons of Adin: Ebed son of Jonathan, and with him fifty who are males. And from the sons of Elam: Jeshaiah son of Athaliah, and with him seventy who are males. And from the sons of Shephatiah: Zebadiah son of Michael, and with him eighty who are males. From the sons of Joab: Obadiah son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen who are males. And from the sons of Shelomith, the son of Josiphiah, and with him a hundred and sixty who are males. And from the sons of Bebai: Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight who are males. And from the sons of Azgad: Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him a hundred and ten who are males. And from the younger sons of Adonikam -- and these are their names -- Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them sixty who are males. And from the sons of Bigvai, Uthai and Zabbud, and with them seventy who are males.

for they have taken of their daughters to them, and to their sons, and the holy seed have mingled themselves among the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the heads and of the seconds have been first in this trespass.'

And on the second day have been gathered heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to act wisely concerning the words of the law. And they find written in the law that Jehovah commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel dwell in booths in the feast, in the seventh month, read more. and that they proclaim and cause to pass over all their cities, (and in Jerusalem,) saying, 'Go ye out to the mount, and bring leaves of the olive, and leaves of the oil tree, and leaves of the myrtle, and leaves of the palms, and leaves of thick trees, to make booths as it is written.' And the people go out, and bring in, and make for themselves booths, each on his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water-gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Ephraim. And they make -- all the assembly of the captives of the captivity -- booths, and they sit in booths; for the sons of Israel had not done, from the days of Jeshua son of Nun, so unto that day, and there is very great joy. And he readeth in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day till the last day, and they make a feast seven days, and on the eighth day a restraint, according to the ordinance.

And 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;

and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,