Artaxerxes’ commission and gifts

11This is the copy of the document that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Yahweh and of his statutes for Israel:

12Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven: complete peace. And now—

13A decree is issued by me that anyone in my kingdom from the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites, who freely offers himself to go to Jerusalem with you, may go.

14because you are sent from before the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem according to the law of your God that is in your hand.

15and to bring the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

16and all the silver and gold that you find in all the province of Babylon, together with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, who are freely offering for the house of their God that is in Jerusalem.

17Therefore you shall diligently buy with this silver bulls, rams, lambs, along with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and you shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God that is in Jerusalem.

18And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do according to the will of your God.

19And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20And whatever other need of the house of your God falls to you to provide, you shall provide it from the house of the king’s treasuries.