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¹ After these thinges, ther was in the raigne of Artaxerxes king of Persia, one Esdras the sonne of Saraia, the sonne of Asaria, the sonne of Helkia,² The sonne of Sallum, the sonne of Zador, the sonne of Ahitob,³ The sonne of Amaria, the sonne of Asaria, the sonne of Meraioth,⁴ The sonne of Zeraia, the sonne of Uzzi, the sonne of Bucci,⁵ The sonne of Abisua, the sonne of Phinehes, the sonne of Eleasar, the sonne of Aaron the chiefe priest.⁶ This Esdras also went vp from Babylon, and was a perfect scribe in the law of Moyses which the Lorde God of Israel did geue: And the king gaue him al that he required, according to the hand of the Lorde his God which was vpon him.⁷ And there went vp certaine of the children of Israel, of the priestes, leuites, singers, porters, and of the Nethinims vnto Hierusalem, in the seuenth yere of king Artaxerxes.⁸ And he came to Hierusalem in the fifth moneth, euen in the seuenth yere of the king.⁹ For vpon the first day of the first moneth, began he to go vp from Babylon: and on the first day of the fifth moneth came he to Hierusalem, according to the good hand of his God that was vpon him.¹⁰ For Esdras prepared his heart to seeke the law of the Lorde, and to do it, and to teache the preceptes and iudgementes in Israel.

¹¹ And this is the copie of the letter that king Artaxerxes gaue vnto Esdras the priest, and scribe, which was a writer of the wordes and commaundementes of the Lorde, and of his statutes ouer Israel.¹² Artaxerxes a king of kinges, vnto Esdras the priest and scribe of the law of the God of heauen, peace and salutation.¹³ I haue commaunded that all they of the people of Israel, and of the priestes and Leuites in my realme, which are minded of their owne good wyll to go vp to Hierusalem, go with thee:¹⁴ And therfore art thou sent of the king and of his seuen counsailers, to visite Iuda and Hierusalem, according to the law of thy God, which is in thy hande:¹⁵ And that thou shouldest take with thee siluer and golde which the king and his counsailers offer of their owne good wyll vnto the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Hierusalem:¹⁶ And all the siluer and golde that thou canst finde in al the countrey of Babylon, with it that the people offer of their owne good wyll, and the priestes geue wyllingly for the house of their God which is at Hierusalem:¹⁷ That thou mayst bye diligently with the same money, oxen, rammes, and lambes, with their meate offringes and drinke offringes, & thou shalt offer them vpon the aulter of the house of your God which is at Hierusalem.¹⁸ And looke what lyketh thee and thy brethren to do with the remnaunt of the siluer and golde, that do after the wyll of your God.¹⁹ And the vessels that are geuen thee for the ministration in the house of thy God, those deliuer thou before God at Hierusalem.²⁰ And whatsoeuer thing more shalbe nedefull for the house of thy God which is necessary for to spend, thou shalt receaue the charges out of the kinges treasure house.²¹ I king Artaxerxes haue commaunded all the treasures beyond the water, that loke what soeuer Esdras the priest and scribe in the law of the God of heauen requireth of you, that ye fulfill the same speedylie,²² Untill an hundred talentes of siluer, and till an hundred quarters of wheate, and till an hundred battes of wine, and till an hundred vattes of oyle, & salt without measure.²³ Whatsoeuer also is by the commaundement of the God of heauen, let the same be done without any delay for the house of the God of heauen, that he be not wroth against the realme, & against the king and his children.²⁴ And we certifie you, that ye haue no aucthoritie to require taxing and custome and yerely rentes, vpon any of the priestes, leuites, singers, porters, Nethinims, and ministers in the house of his God.²⁵ And thou Esdras, after the wysdome of thy God that is in thyne hande, set iudges and arbitrers [by my aucthoritie] to iudge all the people that is beyond the water, euen all such as know the law of thy God: and them that knowe it not, those see that ye teache.²⁶ And whosoeuer wyll not fulfill the lawe of thy God, and the kinges lawe, let him haue his iudgement without delay, whether it be vnto death, or to be rooted out, or to be condempned in goodes, or to be put in prison.

²⁷ Blessed be the Lorde God of our fathers, which so had inspired the kinges heart, to garnishe the house of the Lord that is at Hierusalem:²⁸ And hath enclined mercie vnto me in the presence of the king and his counsailers, and before all the kinges high estates: And I was comforted euen as the hande of the Lord my God was vpon me, and so gathered I the heades of Israel together, that they might go vp with me.