AND after these things, when Artachshashta the king of the Persians reigned came Ezra the son of Serayahu, the son of Azaryahu, the son of Chilqiyahu, the son of Shallum,
The son of Tsadoq, the son of Achiytuv, the son of Amaryahu, the son of Azaryahu, the son of Merayoth, the son of Zerachyah, the son of Uzziy, the son of Buqqiy, the son of Aviyshua, the son of Piynechac, the son of El`azar, the son of Aharon the chief priest.
This Ezra went up from Babel, as a scribe, being very ready in the Torah of Mosheh, that was given by the Elohiym of Yashar'el.
And the king did him honor: for he found grace in his sight in all his requests.
There went up with him also certain of the children of Yashar'el, of the priest of the Leviyiym, of the holy singers, porters, and ministers of the Temple, unto Yerushalayim,
In the seventh year of the reign of Artachshashta, in the fifth month, this was the king's seventh year; for they went from Babel in the first day of the first month, and came to Yerushalayim, according to the prosperous journey which Yahuah gave them.
For Ezra had very great skill, so that he omitted nothing of the Torah and commandments of Yahuah, but taught all Yashar'el the ordinances and judgments.
Now the copy of the commission, which was written from Artachshashta the king, and came to Ezra the priest and reader of the Torah of Yahuah, is this that follows;
King Artachshashta unto Ezra the priest and reader of the Torah of Yahuah sends greeting:
Having determined to deal graciously, I have given order, that such of the nation of the Yahudiym, and of the priests and Leviyiym being within our realm, as are willing and desirous should go with you unto Yerushalayim.
As many therefore as have a mind thereunto, let them depart with you, as it has seemed good both to me and my seven friends the counselors;
That they may look unto the affairs of Yahudah and Yerushalayim, agreeably to that which is in the Torah of Yahuah;
And carry the gifts unto Yahuah of Yashar'el to Yerushalayim, which I and my friends have vowed, and all the gold and silver that in the country of Babel can be found, to Yahuah in Yerushalayim,
With that also which is given of the people for the Temple of Yahuah Elohayhem at Yerushalayim: and that silver and gold may be collected for bullocks, rams, and lambs, and things thereunto appertaining;
To the end that they may offer sacrifices unto Yahuah upon the altar of Yahuah Elohayhem, which is in Yerushalayim.
And whatsoever you and your brethren will do with the silver and gold, that do, according to the will of your Elohiym.
And the holy vessels of Yahuah, which are given you for the use of the Temple of your Elohiym, which is in Yerushalayim, you shall set before your Elohiym in Yerushalayim.
And whatsoever thing else you shall remember for the use of the Temple of your Elohiym, you shall give it out of the king's treasury.
And I King Artachshashta have also commanded the keepers of the treasures in Aram and Phoenicia, that whatsoever Ezra the priest and the reader of the Torah of El Elyon shall send for, they should give it him with speed,
To the sum of a hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even to a hundred cors, and a hundred pieces of wine, and other things in abundance.
Let all things be performed after the Torah of Elohiym diligently unto El Elyon, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.
I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other imposition, of any of the priests, or Leviyiym, or holy singers, or porters, or ministers of the Temple, or of any that have doings in this Temple, and that no man have authority to impose anything upon them.
And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of Elohiym ordain judges and justices, that they may judge in all Aram and Phoenicia all those that know the Torah of your Elohiym; and those that know it not you shall teach.
And whosoever shall transgress the Torah of your Elohiym, and of the king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment.
Then said Ezra the scribe, Blessed be the only Yahuah Elohiym of my fathers, who has put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Yerushalayim:
And has honored me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all his friends and nobles.
Therefore was I encouraged by the help of Yahuah Elohai, and gathered together men of Yashar'el to go up with me.
And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities, that went up with me from Babel in the reign of King Artachshashta:
Of the sons of Piynechac, Gershem: of the sons of Iythamar, Daniy'el: of the sons of David, Chattush the son of Shekanyahu:
Of the sons of Perets, Zakaryahu; and with him were counted a hundred and fifty men:
Of the sons of Pahath Mo'av, Elyahu`aynai, the son of Zerachyah, and with him two hundred men:
Of the sons of Zattu, Shekanyahu the son of Yachaziy'el, and with him three hundred men: of the sons of Adiyn, Eved the son of Yonathan, and with him two hundred and fifty men:
Of the sons of Eylam, Yo'shiyahu son of Athalyahu, and with him seventy men:
Of the sons of Shephatyahu, Zerachyah son of Miyka'el, and with him threescore and ten men:
Of the sons of Yo'av, Ovadyahu son of Yachaziy'el, and with him two hundred and twelve men:
Of the sons of Baniy, Shelomiyth son of Yociphyah, and with him a hundred and threescore men:
Of the sons of Bevai, Zakaryahu son of Bevai, and with him twenty and eight men:
Of the sons of Azgad, Yochanon son of Haqqatan, and with him a hundred and ten men:
Of the sons of Adoniyqam the last, and these are the names of them, Eliyphelet, Ye'iy'el, and Shema'yahu, and with them seventy men:
Of the sons of Bigvai, Uthai the son of Zabbud, and with him seventy men.
And these I gathered together to the river called Ahava, where we pitched our tents three days: and then I surveyed them.
But when I had found there none of the priests and Leviyiym,
Then sent I unto El`azar, and Ariy'el, and Shema`yahu,
And Elnathan, and Shema'yahu, and Yariyv, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zakaryahu, and Meshullam, principal men and learned.
And I bade them that they should go unto Iddo the captain, who was in the place of the treasury:
And commanded them that they should speak unto Iddo, and to his brethren, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us such men as might execute the priests' office in the house of Yahuah.
And by the mighty hand of our Adonai they brought unto us skilful men of the sons of Machliy the son of Leviy, the son of Yashar'el, Sherevyah, and his sons, and his brethren, who were eighteen.
And Chashavyahu, and Baniy, and Yesha`yahu his brother, of the sons of Merariy, and their sons, were twenty men.
And of the servants of the Temple whom David had ordained, and the principal men for the service of the Leviyiym to wit, the servants of the Temple two hundred and twenty, the catalogue of whose names were showed.
And there I vowed a fast unto the young men before our Adonai, to desire of him a prosperous journey both for us and them that were with us, for our children, and for the cattle:
For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct for safeguard against our adversaries.
For we had said unto the king, that the power of Yahuah Elohaynu should be with them that seek him, to support them in all ways.
And again we besought our Adonai as touching these things, and found him favorable unto us.
Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Sherevyah, and Chashavyahu, and ten men of their brethren with them:
And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the holy vessels of the house of our Adonai, which the king, and his council, and the princes, and all Yashar'el, had given.
And when I had weighed it, I delivered unto them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of a hundred talents, and a hundred talents of gold,
And twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of fine brass, glittering like gold.
And I said unto them, Both ye are holy unto Yahuah, and the vessels are holy, and the gold and the silver is a vow unto Yahuah, Yahuah of our fathers.
Watch ye, and keep them till ye deliver them to the chief of the priests and Leviyiym, and to the principal men of the families of Yashar'el, in Yerushalayim, into the chambers of the house of our Elohiym.
So the priests and the Leviyiym, who had received the silver and the gold and the vessels, brought them unto Yerushalayim, into the Temple of Yahuah.
And from the river Ahava we departed the twelfth day of the first month, and came to Yerushalayim by the mighty hand of our Adonai, which was with us: and from the beginning of our journey Yahuah delivered us from every enemy, and so we came to Yerushalayim.
And when we had been there three days, the gold and silver that was weighed was delivered in the house of our Adonai on the fourth day unto Meremoth the priest the son of Uriyahu.
And with him was El`azar the son of Piynechac, and with them were Yozavad the son of Yahusha and No'adyah the son of Binnuy, Leviyiym: all was delivered them by number and weight.
And all the weight of them was written up the same hour.
Moreover they that were come out of the captivity offered sacrifice unto Yahuah Elohiym of Yashar'el, even twelve bullocks for all Yashar'el, fourscore and sixteen rams,
Threescore and twelve lambs, goats for a peace offering, twelve; all of them a sacrifice to Yahuah.
And they delivered the king's commandments unto the king's stewards' and to the governors of Celo Aram and Phoenicia; and they honored the people and the Temple of Elohiym.
Now when these things were done, the rulers came unto me, and said,
The nation of Yashar'el, the princes, the priests and Leviyiym, have not put away from them the strange nations of the land, nor the pollutions of the other people to wit, of the Kena`aniym, Chittiym, Perizziym, Yevuciym, and the Mo'aviym, Mitsriym, and Edomiym.
For both they and their sons have married with their daughters, and the holy seed is mixed with the strange people of the land; and from the beginning of this matter the rulers and the great men have been partakers of this iniquity.
And as soon as I had heard these things, I rent my clothes, and the holy garment, and pulled off the hair from off my head and beard, and sat me down sad and very heavy.
So all they that were then moved at the Word of Yahuah Elohiym of Yashar'el assembled unto me, while I mourned for the iniquity: but I sat still full of heaviness until the evening sacrifice.
Then rising up from the fast with my clothes and the holy garment rent, and bowing my knees, and stretching forth my hands unto Yahuah,
I said, O Yahuah, I am confounded and ashamed before your face;
For our sins are multiplied above our heads, and our ignorances have reached up unto heaven.
Forever since the time of our fathers we have been and are in great sin, even unto this day.
And for our sins and our fathers' we with our brethren and our kings and our priests were given up unto the kings of the earth, to the sword, and to captivity, and for a prey with shame, unto this day.
And now in some measure has mercy been showed unto us from you, O Yahuah, that there should be left us a root and a name in the place of your sanctuary;
And to discover unto us a light in the house of Yahuah Elohaynu, and to give us food in the time of our servitude.
Yea, when we were in bondage, we were not forsaken of our Adonai; but he made us gracious before the kings of Persia, so that they gave us food;
Yea, and honored the Temple of our Adonai, and raised up the desolate Tsiyon, that they have given us a sure abiding in Yahudah and Yerushalayim.
And now, O Yahuah, what shall we say, having these things? for we have transgressed your commandments, which you gave by the hand of your servants the prophets, saying,
That the land, which ye enter into to possess as a heritage, is a land polluted with the pollutions of the strangers of the land, and they have filled it with their uncleanness.
Therefore now shall ye not join your daughters unto their sons, neither shall ye take their daughters unto your sons.
Moreover ye shall never seek to have peace with them, that ye may be strong, and eat the good things of the land, and that ye may leave the inheritance of the land unto your children forevermore.
And all that is befallen is done unto us for our wicked works and great sins; for you, O Yahuah, did make our sins light,
And did give unto us such a root: but we have turned back again to transgress your Torah, and to mingle ourselves with the uncleanness of the nations of the land.
Might not you be angry with us to destroy us, till you had left us neither root, seed, nor name?
O Yahuah of Yashar'el, you are true: for we are left a root this day.
Behold, now are we before you in our iniquities, for we cannot stand any longer by reason of these things before you.
And as Ezra in his prayer made his confession, weeping, and lying flat upon the ground before the Temple, there gathered unto him from Yerushalayim a very great multitude of men and women and children: for there was great weeping among the multitude.
Then Yekonyahu the son of Ye'iy'el, one of the sons of Yashar'el, called out, and said, O Ezra, we have sinned against Yahuah Elohiym, we have married strange women of the nations of the land, and now is all Yashar'el aloft.
Let us make an oath to Yahuah, that we will put away all our women, which we have taken of the heathen, with their children,
Like as you have decreed, and as many as do obey the Torah of Yahuah.
Arise and put in execution: for to you does this matter appertain, and we will be with you: do valiantly.
So Ezra arose, and took an oath of the chief of the priests and Leviyiym of all Yashar'el to do after these things; and so they swore.