Ezrah 7 – עזרא ז

¹Now after these things, in the reign of Artakhshastah king of Paras, Ezrah Ben Serayah, Ben Azar-Yah, Ben Khilki-Yah, ²Ben Shalum, Ben Tzadok, Ben Akhituv, ³Ben Amar-Yah, Ben Azar-Yah, Ben Merayot ⁴Ben Zerakh-Yah, Ben Uzi, Ben Buki, ⁵Ben Avishu’ah, Ben Pin’khas, Ben Elazar, Ben Aharon the chief kohen, ⁶this Ezrah went up from Bavel; and he was a ready scribe in the Torah of Moshe, which  יהוה Elohei Yisra’el had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of  יהוה  his Elohim upon him.

⁷And there went up some of B’nei Yisra’el, and of the Kohanim, and the Levi’im, and the singers, and the porters, and the Netinim, unto Yerushalayim, in the seventh year of Artakhshastah the king. ⁸And he came to Yerushalayim in the fifth khodesh, which was in the seventh year of the king. ⁹For upon the first day of the first khodesh he began to go up from Bavel, and on the first day of the fifth khodesh he came to Yerushalayim, according to the good hand of his Elohim upon him. ¹⁰For Ezrah had set his heart to seek the Torah of  יהוה , and to do it, and to teach in Yisra’el statutes and ordinances.  ¹¹Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artakhshastah gave unto Ezrah the Kohen, the Sofer, even the Sofer of the words of the Mitzvot of  יהוה , and of His statutes to Yisra’el,

¹²“Artakhshastah, king of kings, unto Ezrah the Kohen, the Sofer of the Torah of the Elohim of heaven, and so forth. And now ¹³I make a decree, that all they of the people of Yisra’el, and their Kohanim and the Levi’im, in my realm, that are minded of their own free will to go with you to Yerushalayim, go. ¹⁴Forasmuch as you are sent of the king and his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Yehudah and Yerushalayim, according to the Torah of your Elohim which is in your hand; ¹⁵and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto Elohei Yisra’el,  whose habitation is in Yerushalayim,  ¹⁶and all the silver and gold that you shall find in all the provinces of Bavel, with the Nedavah of the people, and of the Kohanim, offering willingly for the house of their Elohim which is in Yerushalayim; ¹⁷therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their Minkhah and their Shotah, and shall offer them upon the Mizbe’akh of the house of your Elohim which is in Yerushalayim. ¹⁸And whatever shall seem good to you and to your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your Elohim. ¹⁹And the vessels that are given you for the service of the house of your Elohim, deliver before the Elohim of Yerushalayim. ²⁰And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of your Elohim, which you shall have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure-house. ²¹And I, even I Artakhshastah the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers that are beyond the River, that whatsoever Ezrah the Kohen, the Sofer of the Torah of the Elohim of heaven, shall require of you, it will be done with all diligence, ²²unto a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much. ²³Whatsoever is commanded by the Elohim of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the Elohim of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?  ²⁴Also we announce to you, that touching any of the Kohanim and Levi’im, the singers, porters, Netinim, or servants of this Beit HaElohim, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, impost, or toll, upon them. ²⁵And you, Ezrah, after the wisdom of your Elohim that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the instructions of your Elohim; and teach him that knows them not. ²⁶And whoever will not do the Torah of your Elohim, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it is unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.”

²⁷Blessed is  יהוה , the Elohim of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify Beit  יהוה  which is in Yerushalayim; ²⁸and has extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of  יהוה  my Elohim upon me, and I gathered together out of Yisra’el chief men to go up with me.

^אוְאַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בְּמַלְכוּת אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא מֶלֶךְ פָּרָס עֶזְרָא בֶּן שְׂרָיָה בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה בֶּן חִלְקִיָּה. ^בבֶּן שַׁלּוּם בֶּן צָדוֹק בֶּן אֲחִיטוּב. ^גבֶּן אֲמַרְיָה בֶן עֲזַרְיָה בֶּן מְרָיוֹת. ^דבֶּן זְרַחְיָה בֶן עֻזִּי בֶּן בֻּקִּי. ^הבֶּן אֲבִישׁוּעַ בֶּן פִּינְחָס בֶּן אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן הָרֹאשׁ. ^והוּא עֶזְרָא עָלָה מִבָּבֶל וְהוּא סֹפֵר מָהִיר בְּתוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה אֲשֶׁר נָתַן יהוה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל; וַיִּתֶּן לוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ כְּיַד יהוה אֱלֹהָיו עָלָיו כֹּל בַּקָּשָׁתוֹ. 

^זוַיַּעֲלוּ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וּמִן הַכֹּהֲנִים וְהַלְוִיִּם וְהַמְשֹׁרְרִים וְהַשֹּׁעֲרִים וְהַנְּתִינִים אֶל יְרוּשָׁלִָם: בִּשְׁנַת שֶׁבַע לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא הַמֶּלֶךְ. ^חוַיָּבֹא יְרוּשָׁלִַם בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי: הִיא שְׁנַת הַשְּׁבִיעִית לַמֶּלֶךְ. ^טכִּי בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הָרִאשׁוֹן הוּא יְסֻד הַמַּעֲלָה מִבָּבֶל; וּבְאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי בָּא אֶל יְרוּשָׁלִַם כְּיַד אֱלֹהָיו הַטּוֹבָה עָלָיו. ^יכִּי עֶזְרָא הֵכִין לְבָבוֹ לִדְרֹשׁ אֶת תּוֹרַת יהוה וְלַעֲשֹׂת וּלְלַמֵּד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חֹק וּמִשְׁפָּט. ^יאוְזֶה פַּרְשֶׁגֶן הַנִּשְׁתְּוָן אֲשֶׁר נָתַן הַמֶּלֶךְ אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא לְעֶזְרָא הַכֹּהֵן הַסֹּפֵר: סֹפֵר דִּבְרֵי מִצְו‍ֹת יהוה וְחֻקָּיו עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. 

^יבאַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא מֶלֶךְ מַלְכַיָּא: לְעֶזְרָא כָהֲנָא סָפַר דָּתָא דִּי אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא גְּמִיר וּכְעֶנֶת. ^יגמִנִּי שִׂים טְעֵם דִּי כָל מִתְנַדַּב בְּמַלְכוּתִי מִן עַמָּא יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָהֲנוֹהִי וְלֵוָיֵא לִמְהָךְ לִירוּשְׁלֶם עִמָּךְ יְהָךְ. ^ידכָּל קֳבֵל דִּי מִן קֳדָם מַלְכָּא וְשִׁבְעַת יָעֲטֹהִי שְׁלִיחַ לְבַקָּרָה עַל יְהוּד וְלִירוּשְׁלֶם בְּדָת אֱלָהָךְ דִּי בִידָךְ.  ^טווּלְהֵיבָלָה  כְּסַף  וּדְהַב  דִּי  מַלְכָּא וְיָעֲטוֹהִי  הִתְנַדַּבוּ לֶאֱלָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם מִשְׁכְּנֵהּ. ^טזוְכֹל כְּסַף וּדְהַב דִּי תְהַשְׁכַּח בְּכֹל מְדִינַת בָּבֶל עִם הִתְנַדָּבוּת עַמָּא וְכָהֲנַיָּא מִתְנַדְּבִין לְבֵית אֱלָהֲהֹם דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם. ^יזכָּל קֳבֵל דְּנָה אָסְפַּרְנָא תִקְנֵא בְּכַסְפָּא דְנָה תּוֹרִין דִּכְרִין אִמְּרִין וּמִנְחָתְהוֹן וְנִסְכֵּיהוֹן; וּתְקָרֵב הִמּוֹ עַל מַדְבְּחָה דִּי בֵּית אֱלָהֲכֹם דִּי בִירוּשְׁלֶם. ^יחוּמָה דִי עליך (עֲלָךְ) וְעַל אחיך (אֶחָךְ) יֵיטַב בִּשְׁאָר כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָה לְמֶעְבַּד: כִּרְעוּת אֱלָהֲכֹם תַּעַבְדוּן. ^יטוּמָאנַיָּא דִּי מִתְיַהֲבִין לָךְ לְפָלְחָן בֵּית אֱלָהָךְ הַשְׁלֵם קֳדָם אֱלָהּ יְרוּשְׁלֶם. ^כוּשְׁאָר חַשְׁחוּת בֵּית אֱלָהָךְ דִּי יִפֶּל לָךְ לְמִנְתַּן תִּנְתֵּן מִן בֵּית גִּנְזֵי מַלְכָּא. ^כאוּמִנִּי אֲנָה אַרְתַּחְשַׁסְתְּא מַלְכָּא שִׂים טְעֵם לְכֹל גִּזַּבְרַיָּא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה: דִּי כָל דִּי יִשְׁאֲלֶנְכוֹן עֶזְרָא כָהֲנָא סָפַר דָּתָא דִּי אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא אָסְפַּרְנָא יִתְעֲבִד. ^כבעַד כְּסַף כַּכְּרִין מְאָה וְעַד חִנְטִין כּוֹרִין מְאָה וְעַד חֲמַר בַּתִּין מְאָה וְעַד בַּתִּין מְשַׁח מְאָה; וּמְלַח דִּי לָא כְתָב. ^כגכָּל דִּי מִן טַעַם אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא יִתְעֲבֵד אַדְרַזְדָּא לְבֵית אֱלָהּ שְׁמַיָּא: דִּי לְמָה לֶהֱוֵא קְצַף עַל מַלְכוּת מַלְכָּא וּבְנוֹהִי. ^כדוּלְכֹם מְהוֹדְעִין דִּי כָל כָּהֲנַיָּא וְלֵוָיֵא זַמָּרַיָּא תָרָעַיָּא נְתִינַיָּא וּפָלְחֵי בֵּית אֱלָהָא דְנָה מִנְדָּה בְלוֹ וַהֲלָךְ לָא שַׁלִּיט לְמִרְמֵא עֲלֵיהֹם. ^כהוְאַנְתְּ עֶזְרָא כְּחָכְמַת אֱלָהָךְ דִּי בִידָךְ מֶנִּי שָׁפְטִין וְדַיָּנִין דִּי לֶהֱו‍ֹן דאנין (דָּיְנִין) לְכָל עַמָּא דִּי בַּעֲבַר נַהֲרָה לְכָל יָדְעֵי דָּתֵי אֱלָהָךְ; וְדִי לָא יָדַע תְּהוֹדְעוּן. ^כווְכָל דִּי לָא לֶהֱוֵא עָבֵד דָּתָא דִי אֱלָהָךְ וְדָתָא דִּי מַלְכָּא אָסְפַּרְנָא דִּינָה לֶהֱוֵא מִתְעֲבֵד מִנֵּהּ: הֵן לְמוֹת הֵן לשרשו (לִשְׁרֹשִׁי) הֵן לַעֲנָשׁ נִכְסִין וְלֶאֱסוּרִין. 

^כזבָּרוּךְ יהוה אֱלֹהֵי אֲבֹתֵינוּ אֲשֶׁר נָתַן כָּזֹאת בְּלֵב הַמֶּלֶךְ לְפָאֵר אֶת בֵּית יהוה אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלִָם. ^כחוְעָלַי הִטָּה חֶסֶד לִפְנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְיוֹעֲצָיו וּלְכָל שָׂרֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ הַגִּבֹּרִים; וַאֲנִי הִתְחַזַּקְתִּי כְּיַד יהוה אֱלֹהַי עָלַי וָאֶקְבְּצָה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל רָאשִׁים לַעֲלוֹת עִמִּי.

chapter 6 <

chapter 8 <