Ezr:7:23: Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
Ezr:7:24: Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them.
Ezr:7:25: And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
Ezr:7:26: And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
Ezr:7:27: Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem:
Ezr:7:28: And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
Chapter 8
Ezr:8:1: These are now the chief of their fathers, and this is the genealogy of them that went up with me from Babylon, in the reign of Artaxerxes the king.
Ezr:8:2: Of the sons of Phinehas; Gershom: of the sons of Ithamar; Daniel: of the sons of David; Hattush.
Ezr:8:3: Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh; Zechariah: and with him were reckoned by genealogy of the males an hundred and fifty.
Ezr:8:4: Of the sons of Pahath-moab; Elihoenai the son of Zerahiah, and with him two hundred males.
Ezr:8:5: Of the sons of Shechaniah; the son of Jahaziel, and with him three hundred males.
Ezr:8:6: Of the sons also of Adin; Ebed the son of Jonathan, and with him fifty males.
Ezr:8:7: And of the sons of Elam; Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah, and with him seventy males.
Ezr:8:8: And of the sons of Shephatiah; Zebadiah the son of Michael, and with him fourscore males.
Ezr:8:9: Of the sons of Joab; Obadiah the son of Jehiel, and with him two hundred and eighteen males.
Ezr:8:10: And of the sons of Shelomith; the son of Josiphiah, and with him an hundred and threescore males.
Ezr:8:11: And of the sons of Bebai; Zechariah the son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight males.
Ezr:8:12: And of the sons of Azgad; Johanan the son of Hakkatan, and with him an hundred and ten males.
Ezr:8:13: And of the last sons of Adonikam, whose names are these, Eliphelet, Jeiel, and Shemaiah, and with them threescore males.
Ezr:8:14: Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai, and Zabbud, and with them seventy males.
Ezr:8:15: And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava; and there abode we in tents three days: and I viewed the people, and the priests, and found there none of the sons of Levi.
Ezr:8:16: Then sent I for Eliezer, for Ariel, for Shemaiah, and for Elnathan, and for Jarib, and for Elnathan, and for Nathan, and for Zechariah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Joiarib, and for Elnathan, men of understanding.
Ezr:8:17: And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia, and I told them what they should say unto Iddo, and to his brethren the Nethinims, at the place Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
Ezr:8:18: And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
Ezr:8:19: And Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
Ezr:8:20: Also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
Ezr:8:21: Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
Ezr:8:22: For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.
