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Ezra 7

7 By the commādement of the King, Ezrá and his companiōs come to Ieruſalem. 27 He giueth thākes to God.
1.NOw after theſe things, in the reigne of Artahſhaſhte King of Perſia, was Ezrá the ſonne of Seraiáh, the ſonne of Azariáh, the ſonne of Hilkiáh,
2.The ſonne of Shallúm, the ſonne of Zadók, the ſonne of Ahitúb,
3.The ſonne of Amariáh, the ſonne of Azariáh, the ſonne of Meraioth,
4.The ſonne of Zeraiah, the ſonne of Vzzí, the ſonne of Bukkí,
5.The ſonne of Abiſhúa, the ſonne of Phinehás, the ſonne of Eleazár, the ſonne of Aarón, the chief Prieſt.
6.This Ezrá came vp from Babél, and was a ſcribe prompt in the Law of Moſes, which the Lord God of Iſraél had giuen, and the King gaue him all his requeſt according to the hand of the Lord his God which was vpon him.
7.And there went vp certeine of the children of Iſraél, and of the Prieſts, and the Leuites, and the ſingers, and the porters, and the Nethinims vnto Ieruſalém, in the ſeuent yere of King Artahſhaſhte.
8.And he came to Ieruſalém in the fift moneth, which was in the ſeuent yere of the King.
9.For vpon the firſt day of the firſt moneth began he to go vp from Babél, and on the firſt day of the fift moneth came he to Ieruſalém, according to the good hand of his God that was vpon him.
10.For Ezrá had prepared his heart to ſeke the Law of the Lord, and to do it, & to teache the precepts & iudgements in Iſraél.
11.¶ And this is the copie of the letter that King Artahſhaſhte gaue vnto Ezrá the Prieſt & ſcribe, euē a writer of the wordes of the cōmandements of the Lord, and of his ſtatutes ouer Iſraél.
12.ARTAHSHASHTE King of Kings to Ezrá ye Prieſt & perfite ſcribe of the Law of the God of heauen, and to Cheéneth.
13.I haue giuen cōmandement, that euerie one, that is willing in my kingdome of the people of Iſraél, and of the Prieſts, and Leuites to go to Ieruſalém with thee, ſhal go.
14.Therefore art thou ſent of the King and his ſeuen counſelers, to enquire in Iudáh and Ieruſalém, according to the Law of thy God, which is in thine hand,
15.And to carie the ſiluer and the golde, wc the King and his counſelers willingly offer vnto the God of Iſraél (whoſe habitacion is in Ieruſalém)
16.And all the ſiluer and golde that thou canſt finde in all the prouince of Babél, with the fre offring of the people, and that which the Prieſts offre willingly to ye houſe of their God which is in Ieruſalém,
17.That thou maieſt bye ſpedely with this ſiluer, bullockes, rams, lambes, with their meat offrings and their drinke offrings: & thou ſhalt offer thē vpon the altar of the houſe of your God, which is in Ieruſalém.
18.And whatſoeuer it pleaſeth thee & thy brethrē to do with the reſt of the ſiluer, and golde, do ye it according to the wil of your God.
19.And the veſſels that are giuen thee for the ſeruice of the houſe of thy God, thoſe deliuer thou before God in Ieruſalém.
20.And the reſidue that ſhalbe nedeful for the houſe of thy God, which ſhalbe mete for thee to beſtowe, thou ſhalt beſtowe it out of the Kings treaſure houſe,
21.And I King Artahſhaſhte haue giuen commandement to all the treaſurers which are beyonde the Riuer, that whatſoeuer Ezrá the Prieſt and ſcribe of the Law of ye God of heaue ſhal require of you, that it be done incontinently,
22.Vnto an hundreth talents of ſiluer, vnto an hundreth meaſures of wheat, and vnto an hundreth baths of wine, and vnto an hundreth baths of oyle, and ſalt without writing.
23.Whatſoeuer is by the commandement of the God of heauen, let it be done ſpedely for the houſe of the God of heauen: for why ſhulde he be wrath againſt the realme of the King, and his children?
24.And we certifie you, that vpon anie of ye Prieſts, Leuites, ſingers, porters, Nethinims, or miniſters in this houſe of God, there ſhal no gouernour lay vpon them tolle, tribute nor cuſtome.
25.And thou Ezrá(after the wiſdome of thy God, yt is in thine hand) ſet iudges & arbiters, which may iudge all ye people that is beyond the Riuer, euen all that knowe the Law of thy God, & teache ye them that knowe it not.
26.And whoſoeuer wil not do the Law of thy God, and the Kings law, let him haue iudgement without delay, whether it be vnto death, or to baniſhment, or to confiſcation of goods, or to impriſonement.
27.Bleſſed be the Lord God of our fathers, which ſo hath put in the Kings heart, to beautifie the houſe of the Lord that is in Ieruſalém,
28.And hath enclined mercie towarde me, before the King and his counſelers, and before all the Kings mightie princes: and I was comforted by the hand of the Lord my God which was vpon me, and I gathered the chief of Iſraél to go vp with me.

Notes

1:a.
The Ebrewes write, that diuers of the Kings of Perſia were called by this name as Pharaoh was a cōmune name to the Kīgs of Egypt, and Ceſar to ye Emperours Romain
5:b.
Ezrá deduceth his kinred, til he cōmeth to Aarón, to proue that he came of him
6:c.
He ſheweth here what a ſcribe is, who had charge to write the Law & to expoude it, whome Marke calleth a ſcribe, Mar. 12, 28 Mat and Luke call him a lawier, or doctor of the Law, Mat 22, 35 Luk 10,23
8:d.
That conteined parte of Iulie and parte of Auguſt
8:e.
Of King Darius.
12:f.
Some take this for the name of a people, ſome for time or continuance meaning ye the King wiſhed him long life
13:g.
Which remained as yet in Babylon, & had not returned with Zerubbabél.
14:h.
To examine who liued according to the Law
14:i.
Whereof thou art expert.
18:k.
As ye know beſt may ſerue to Gods glorie.
21:l.
Which was the Riuer Euphrates, and they were beyonde it in reſpect of Babylon.
22:".
Ebr. Corim.
22:m.
Read I King 7,26, and 2 Chro 2,10.
23:n.
This declareth that the feare of Gods iudgemēts cauſed him to vſe this liberalitie, and not the loue that he bare to Gods glorie or affection to his people.
25:o.
He gaue Ezrá ful autoritie to reſtore all things according to the worde of God, and to puniſh thē that reſiſted and wolde not obeie.
27:p.
Thus Ezrá gaue God thākes for that he gaue him ſo good ſucceſſe in his affaires by reaſon of the King.