Ezra 7:1-28
1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him.
7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For upon the first day of the first month begana he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel.
12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king,b and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem:
17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measuresc of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 Whatsoeverd is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment,e or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:
28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
The *Jews return to Jerusalem
Ezra
Robert Bryce
Chapter 7
In the first 6 Chapter s of the Book of Ezra, we read about the people who returned from *exile. We read how they built the *temple of God in Jerusalem again.The events in the rest of the book happened almost 60 years later in 458 *BC. At last, the man Ezra appears in the Book of Ezra.
v1 After all this happened, Ezra came during the rule of Artaxerxes, the king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Hilkiah. v2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Ahitub. v3 Ahitub was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Meraioth. v4 Meraioth was the son of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Bukki. v5 Bukki was the son of Abishua. Abishua was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. Eleazar was the son of Aaron who was the chief priest.
Verses 1-5 The rules of King Darius and King Xerxes have finished and Artaxerxes is the king of Persia. We have already read something about King Xerxes and King Artaxerxes in the book of Ezra (Ezra 4:6-23). We can also read more about King Xerxes in the Book of Esther in the Bible.
God had brought many of his people, the *Jews, back to Judah. They had built the *temple again in Jerusalem. Now there was another step (development) in God’s plan. God wanted to make the people a real nation again. God wanted to make a nation that *worshipped him, the only real God. And God had chosen a special man, Ezra, to have a part in God’s plan.
Ezra was a *descendant of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Only the *descendants of Aaron could be priests. So it was important that a priest knew the history of his family. (See Ezra 2:61-63.)
v6 This Ezra came from Babylonia. He knew very well the law of Moses that the *LORD, the God of Israel, had given. And Ezra was a skilled teacher of that law. The king had given Ezra everything that Ezra had asked for. This happened because the *LORD his God was with Ezra.
v7 Some of the *people of Israel also came to Jerusalem. There were priests, *Levites, singers, men who guarded the gates and *temple servants. This was in the 7th year of the rule of King Artaxerxes.
v8 Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the 5th month of the 7th year of the king’s rule.
v9 Ezra had started his journey from Babylonia on the first day of the first month. He arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the 5th month because God was taking care of him. v10 Ezra’s sincere desire was to study and to obey the law of the *LORD. And so Ezra worked hard to teach its commands and laws among the *people of Israel.
Verses 6-10 God needed a special man to teach the people about God’s law. Ezra had learned how to copy the books that contained God’s words. So Ezra had studied hard and he knew the law of God. Ezra was also a very good teacher so he could teach the people the law of God. And God was with Ezra because God had chosen him to teach the people.
Ezra lived in Babylonia. He went to the king of Persia to ask for help. And the king gave him everything that he had asked for. God was helping Ezra. God was preparing Ezra for the task that God wanted him to do.
Ezra travelled to Jerusalem in Judah. And *Levites and other priests went with him. Other people who would help in the work of the *temple also travelled with Ezra to Jerusalem. They travelled for 4 months to go from Babylonia to Jerusalem. It was a long journey of about 600 kilometres (370 miles). But they arrived safely because God was helping them.
v11 This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest and teacher. Ezra was a teacher of the commands and laws of the *LORD for the *people of Israel.
Verse 11 King Artaxerxes gave a letter to Ezra.
In this letter, the king tells Ezra what to do when Ezra goes to Jerusalem. The letter also has instructions for the leaders of the people whom Ezra will meet in Judah.
v12 ‘From King Artaxerxes, the king of kings, to Ezra, the priest and teacher of the law of the God of heaven. I greet you. v13 This is my command for any of the *people of Israel, including priests and *Levites, who are in my *kingdom. If they want to go to Jerusalem, they may go with you.
v14 The king and the 7 men who advise him send you. You must inquire about Judah and Jerusalem. You have the law of your God in your hand. So, you must find out if the people are obeying it. v15 Also take with you silver and gold. The king and the men who advise him have freely given this silver and gold. They have given it to the God of Israel who lives in Jerusalem. v16 Also take all the silver and gold that you can obtain in the district called Babylonia. And take the gifts that the people have given freely. Also, take the gifts from the priests. The people and the priests have given these gifts freely for the *temple of their God that is in Jerusalem. v17 Then, with this money, you must buy *bulls, male sheep, young sheep and gifts of grain and drink. Do this carefully. Then give them all as a *sacrifice on the *altar in the house of your God in Jerusalem. v18 Then, with the rest of the silver and gold, you and your companions may do what seems right to you. Use it in the way that your God wants you to use it. v19 You have received objects for the *worship in the *temple of your God. Deliver these to the God of Jerusalem. v20 If you need anything else for the *temple of your God, provide it. The king will pay the cost.’
Verses 12-20 Artaxerxes did not really *worship the real God. Kings Cyrus and Darius, who ruled before Artaxerxes, did not *worship the real God either. However they all helped the *Jews after the *exile because God was in control. God even used great kings who did not serve him to bring about his plan for his people. God made these kings to be generous to the *Jews and to the work at the *temple.
These kings also had political reasons for their actions. The kings wanted the people that they ruled over to be content. The people would be content if they were freely able to *worship their own gods. Also the kings wanted the gods that their people *worshipped to be kind to them too (Ezra 6:10; Ezra 7:23). So God did not force these kings to do his work. They did these things because they wanted to.
So King Artaxerxes sent Ezra to Jerusalem. The king allowed other *Jews to go with Ezra if they wanted to. The king told Ezra to make sure that the people in Judah were obeying the law of God.
The king also gave Ezra silver and gold from Babylonia to pay for the work of the *temple. The king told Ezra to use this silver and gold to pay for the *sacrifices to God. If Ezra needed anything more for the work of the *temple then the king would pay the cost.
v21 ‘And I, King Artaxerxes, make a law. This law is for all those who look after the money in the district beyond the Euphrates river. You must give to Ezra whatever he asks from you. Ezra is the priest and the teacher of the law of the God of heaven. You must do this carefully. v22 You must give him *up to 3.4 tons of silver, 22 000 litres (5800 gallons) of wheat, 2200 litres (580 gallons) of wine, 2200 litres (580 gallons) of oil. Also, give him as much salt as he requests. v23 You must do carefully whatever the God of heaven demands for the *temple of the God of heaven. We do not want him to be angry with the king’s nation or the king’s sons. v24 We also order that you must not take any kind of taxes from any of these people. Do not tax the priests, the *Levites, the singers, the people who guard the gates nor the *temple servants. Do not tax any other people who work at this house of God.’
Verses 21-24 The king’s letter also gave orders to the leaders of the people in the district round Judah. The king ordered his officials to help the *Jews. He told them to give the *Jews all that they needed for their *sacrifices to God. He even told them not to take taxes from the people who worked in the *temple. The king did not want the God whom the *Jews served to be angry with him.
v25 ‘And you, Ezra, you have the wisdom of your God. Use that wisdom to appoint judges who will *judge the people in the district beyond the Euphrates river. The judges will *judge all the people who know the laws of your God. You must teach anyone who does not know these laws. v26 You must punish anyone who does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king. Take care to do this. You can punish such people by death or you can send them away from the country. You can take away their property or you can put them in prison.’
Verses 25-26 King Artaxerxes knew that Ezra was a wise man. He knew that God had given Ezra this wisdom. The king wanted the people to obey the law of God as well as the laws of the *kingdom. So the king gave the authority to Ezra to appoint men who would be good judges. The king also ordered Ezra to teach the law of God to the people. The king also gave legal authority to Ezra. Ezra should punish anyone who did not obey the law of God or the law of the king.
v27 Let us praise the *LORD, the God of our *ancestors. He has given the desire to the king to do these things. The *LORD has given the desire to the king to give honour to the house of the *LORD in Jerusalem. v28 The *LORD has shown kindness to me in front of the king and the men who advise the king. The *LORD has shown kindness to me in front of all the king’s powerful officials. I had courage because the *LORD my God was with me. So I gathered some chief men from the *people of Israel to go with me.
Verses 27-28 Ezra might have been afraid to go to ask the king for help. (See Esther 4:11.) But he knew that God was with him. He knew that God had made the king do all these things to help Ezra and the *Jews. God had even given these good desires to the men who advised the king.
So Ezra went to Judah with some of the leaders of the *Jews.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
exile ~ a period when people cannot live in their own country. This period may be for many years.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
BC ~ years Before Christ was born.
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
LORD ~ a name for God. It means that he is always God.'people of Israel ~ another name for the people who are Jews.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
Levites ~ the people from one of the 12 families of the Israelites; they acted as assistants to the priests in the temple.
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
temple ~ the special building in Jerusalem where the Jews worshipped God.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
worship ~ to praise God and to give thanks to him; to show honour to God and to say that we love him very much.
kingdom ~ the place or territory or country where a king rules.
bull ~ the male animal which mates with a cow.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something. The Jews offered these to God, often an animal or bird, when they asked God to forgive their sins. Jesus gave himself to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
sin ~ when people do bad things against God or other people; when people do not obey the commands of God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
altar ~ a table (usually stone or metal) where the priests burned animals and gave other gifts as a sacrifice to God.
sacrifice ~ a gift to God to ask him to forgive sins; or to thank him for something. The Jews offered these to God, often an animal or bird, when they asked God to forgive their sins. Jesus gave himself to die as a sacrifice for our sins.
sin ~ when people do bad things against God or other people; when people do not obey the commands of God.
Jews ~ another name for the Israelites, especially those Israelites who were from Judah. (Judah was the southern part of the country called Israel.)
Israelites ~ descendants of Jacob who was also called Israel. Sometimes the word ‘Israelites’ means all of Jacob’s descendants. But sometimes it only means those descendants who were from the northern part of the country called Israel.
descendant ~ a later member of a family, town, or nation.
judge ~ to make decisions about the law.
ancestors ~ parents, grandparents and previous members of the same family.