Ezra 7:13-28 This is my answer. By me a decree is made, That every one of the people of Israel in my kingdom, and of the priests, and Levites, who is of his own free will minded to go to Jerusalem,

Thomson⁽ⁱ⁾ ¹³ This is my answer. By me a decree is made, That every one of the people of Israel in my kingdom, and of the priests, and Levites, who is of his own free will minded to go to Jerusalem, ¹⁴ is sent on behalf of the king, and the seven counsellors, to go with thee to guard to Judea, even to Jerusalem, by the law of their God, which is in thy hand, ¹⁵ for the house of the Lord, the silver and the gold, which the king and the counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, who dwelleth in Jerusalem, and all the silver and the gold which thou canst ¹⁶ procure in all the country of Babylon, with the free will offerings of the people and the priests who make free will offerings to the house of God which is at Jerusalem; ¹⁷ enroll thou therefore in this book every one who freely cometh to thee. The bulls, rams and lambs, with their sacrifices and their libations; these thou shalt offer on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem. ¹⁸ And if it seemeth good to thee and thy brethren, to do any thing with the rest of the silver and the gold, ¹⁹ do it as it shall please your God; but the vessels which are given thee for the service of the house of God, deliver up in the presence of God in Jerusalem. ²⁰ And whatsoever more may be wanted for the house of thy God, which thou mayst think ought to be given, give that out of the king's treasure houses and on my behalf. ²¹ I Arthasastha the king, have given an order on all the treasuries which are beyond the river, that whatever Esdras the priest and scribe of the God of heaven shall require of you, be done with all readiness ²² to the amount of a hundred talents of silver, and to the amount of a hundred cores of wheat, and to the amount of a hundred bats of wine, and a hundred bats of oil, and salt without limitation. ²³ Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done. Take heed that no one offer any insult to the house of the God of heaven, lest there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons. ²⁴ Moreover, in respect to all the priests and the Levites, the musicians, the keepers of the gates, the Nathimins, and those employed in the service of the house of God, this hath been notified to you, Take no toll of them. Thou shalt have no authority to exercise dominion over them. ²⁵ And thou Esdras! as the wisdom of God is in thy hand, appoint scribes and judges, that they may administer justice to all the people beyond the river, to all such as know the law of thy God, and to such as know it not you shall make it known. ²⁶ And whoever will not readily perform the law of God, and the law of the king, upon him let judgment be passed, whether it be to death or to correction, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment." ²⁷ Blessed be the Lord the God of our fathers who thus put it in the king's heart to glorify the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem, ²⁸ and who gave me favour in the eyes of the king and his counsellors, and of all the officers of the king who were high in office. As for me, I strengthened myself, as the good hand of God was upon me, and assembled from among Israel chiefs to go up with me.