1So after all that, Artaxerxes was king of Persia, and Ezra, son of Seraiah, was in the mix.

2He’s the son of Shallum, son of Zadok, and son of Ahitub, you feel?

3Then there's Amariah, Azariah, and Meraioth, all in the fam.

4Zerahiah’s up next, followed by Uzzi and Bukki, keeping it legit.

5Abishua's the son of Phinehas, who’s the son of Eleazar, son of Aaron, the big priest, no cap.

6Ezra bounced from Babylon, ready to vibe with the law of Moses that God dropped. The king was like, "You got it, fam," 'cause God had his back.

7Some of the fam from Israel, priests, Levites, singers, porters, and Nethinims rolled out to Jerusalem in Artaxerxes' seventh year.

8He pulled up to Jerusalem in the fifth month of the king's seventh year, no lie.

9He started his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month and hit Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, all thanks to God’s good vibes.

10Ezra was all about seeking the Lord’s law, doing it, and teaching Israel the rules, periodt.

11Yo, this is the deets from King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest, the scribe who’s all about the Lord’s commandments and vibes for Israel.

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, hits up Ezra the priest, the law scribe of the God of heaven, sending perfect peace, no cap.

13I’m making a decree: anyone from Israel, priests, or Levites who wanna roll up to Jerusalem, go with Ezra, fam.

14Since you’re sent by the king and his squad of seven, to check on Judah and Jerusalem, according to your God’s law in your hands;

15And bring that silver and gold, which the king and his crew are dropping for the God of Israel, whose crib is in Jerusalem,

16And all the silver and gold you can scoop up in Babylon, plus the freewill offerings from the people and priests for their God’s house in Jerusalem:

17Use that cash to quickly grab bullocks, rams, and lambs, with their meat and drink offerings, and offer them on your God’s altar in Jerusalem.

18Whatever seems good to you and your crew to do with the leftover silver and gold, just vibe with your God’s will.

19The stuff you get for serving your God’s house, make sure to deliver that to the God of Jerusalem.

20And whatever else you need for your God’s house, just get it from the king’s treasure house, periodt.

21Yo, it’s me, Artaxerxes the king, and I’m dropping a decree to all the treasurers across the river. Whatever Ezra the priest needs from you, just do it quick, no cap.

22Up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred measures of wheat, a hundred baths of wine, a hundred baths of oil, and salt, no limits on that.

23Whatever the God of heaven says, make sure it’s done for His house, fr. Why would we want the king and his fam to catch wrath?

24Just so you know, you can’t charge any tolls or taxes on the priests, Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or anyone serving in this house of God.

25And you, Ezra, with the wisdom of your God in your hands, pick judges and magistrates to handle all the peeps beyond the river, and teach those who don’t know the laws.

26Anyone who skips out on the law of your God or the king’s law? Yeah, let’s serve that judgment quick, whether it’s death, banishment, confiscation, or jail time.

27Big ups to the Lord God of our ancestors for putting this on the king’s heart to make the Lord’s house in Jerusalem look fire.

28He showed me mad mercy in front of the king, his advisors, and all the king’s powerful homies. I felt pumped because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, and I rallied up some top dudes from Israel to roll with me.

1Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

2The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

3The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:

6This 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.

7And 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.

8And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9For upon the first day of the first month began 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.

10For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.

11Now 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.

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.

13I 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.

14Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;

15And 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,

16And 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:

17That 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.

18And 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.

19The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.

20And 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.

21And 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,

22Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.

23Whatsoever 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?

24Also 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.

25And 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.

26And 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, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

27Blessed 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:

28And 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.