Six of Pents
Artaxerxes granting liberty to the Jews
7:11 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.
7:12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the
law of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a
time.
7:13 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.
7:14 Forasmuch 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;
7:15 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,
7:16 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:
7:17 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.
7:18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethern, to
do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will
of your God.
7:19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the
house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem.
7:20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God,
which bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
Book of Ezra