¹Post hæc autem verba in regno Artaxerxis regis Persarum,Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians,Esdras filius Saraiæ,Ezra, the son of Seraiah,filii Azariæ,the son of Azariah,filii Helciæ,the son of Hilkiah,

¹Post hæc autem verba in regno Artaxerxis regis Persarum,Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians,Esdras filius Saraiæ,Ezra, the son of Seraiah,filii Azariæ,the son of Azariah,filii Helciæ,the son of Hilkiah,

²filii Sellum,the son of Shallum,filii Sadoc,the son of Zadok,filii Achitob,the son of Ahitub,

²filii Sellum,the son of Shallum,filii Sadoc,the son of Zadok,filii Achitob,the son of Ahitub,

³filii Amariæ,the son of Amariah,filii Azariæ,the son of Azariah,filii Maraioth,the son of Meraioth,

³filii Amariæ,the son of Amariah,filii Azariæ,the son of Azariah,filii Maraioth,the son of Meraioth,

⁴filii Zarahiæ,the son of Zerahiah,filii Ozi,the son of Uzzi,filii Bocci,the son of Bukki,

⁴filii Zarahiæ,the son of Zerahiah,filii Ozi,the son of Uzzi,filii Bocci,the son of Bukki,

⁵filii Abisue,the son of Abishua,filii Phinees,the son of Phinehas,filii Eleazar,the son of Eleazar,filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio.the son of Aaron, priest from the beginning,

⁵filii Abisue,the son of Abishua,filii Phinees,the son of Phinehas,filii Eleazar,the son of Eleazar,filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio.the son of Aaron, priest from the beginning,

⁶Ipse Esdras ascendit de Babylone,this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon;et ipse scriba velox in lege Moysi,and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses,quam Dominus Deus dedit Israël:which the Lord God gave to Israel.et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei ejus super eum,And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord,omnem petitionem ejus.his God, was over him.

⁶Ipse Esdras ascendit de Babylone,this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon;et ipse scriba velox in lege Moysi,and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses,quam Dominus Deus dedit Israël:which the Lord God gave to Israel.et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei ejus super eum,And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord,omnem petitionem ejus.his God, was over him.

⁷Et ascenderunt de filiis Israël,And some from the sons of Israel,et de filiis sacerdotum,and from the sons of the priests,et de filiis Levitarum,and from the sons of the Levites,et de cantoribus,and from the singing men,et de janitoribus,and from the gatekeepers,et de Nathinæis, in Jerusalem,and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem,anno septimo Artaxerxis regis.in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.

⁷Et ascenderunt de filiis Israël,And some from the sons of Israel,et de filiis sacerdotum,and from the sons of the priests,et de filiis Levitarum,and from the sons of the Levites,et de cantoribus,and from the singing men,et de janitoribus,and from the gatekeepers,et de Nathinæis, in Jerusalem,and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem,anno septimo Artaxerxis regis.in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.

⁸Et venerunt in Jerusalem mense quinto,And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month,ipse est annus septimus regis.in the same seventh year of the king.

⁸Et venerunt in Jerusalem mense quinto,And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month,ipse est annus septimus regis.in the same seventh year of the king.

⁹Quia in primo die mensis primi cœpit ascendere de Babylone,For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon,et in primo die mensis quinti venit in Jerusalem,and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem.juxta manum Dei sui bonam super se.For the good hand of his God was over him.

⁹Quia in primo die mensis primi cœpit ascendere de Babylone,For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon,et in primo die mensis quinti venit in Jerusalem,and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem.juxta manum Dei sui bonam super se.For the good hand of his God was over him.

¹⁰Esdras enim paravit cor suum,For Ezra prepared his heart,ut investigaret legem Domini,so that he might search the law of the Lord,et faceret et doceret in Israël præceptum et judicium.and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.

¹⁰Esdras enim paravit cor suum,For Ezra prepared his heart,ut investigaret legem Domini,so that he might search the law of the Lord,et faceret et doceret in Israël præceptum et judicium.and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.

¹¹Hoc est autem exemplar epistolæ edicti,Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict,quod dedit rex Artaxerxes Esdræ sacerdoti,which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra,scribæ erudito in sermonibus et præceptis Domini,the priest,et cæremoniis ejus in Israël.a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:

¹¹Hoc est autem exemplar epistolæ edicti,Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict,quod dedit rex Artaxerxes Esdræ sacerdoti,which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra,scribæ erudito in sermonibus et præceptis Domini,the priest,et cæremoniis ejus in Israël.a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:

¹²Artaxerxes rex regum Esdræ sacerdoti scribæ legis Dei cæli doctissimo, salutem.“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.

¹²Artaxerxes rex regum Esdræ sacerdoti scribæ legis Dei cæli doctissimo, salutem.“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.

¹³A me decretum est,It has been decreed by me,ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Israël, et de sacerdotibus ejus,that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom,et de Levitis, ire in Jerusalem,to go to Jerusalem,tecum vadat.may go with you.

¹³A me decretum est,It has been decreed by me,ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Israël, et de sacerdotibus ejus,that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom,et de Levitis, ire in Jerusalem,to go to Jerusalem,tecum vadat.may go with you.

¹⁴A facie enim regis,For you have been sent from the face of the kinget septem consiliatorum ejus,and his seven counselors,missus es,so that you may visit Judeaut visites Judæam et Jerusalem in lege Dei tui,and Jerusalem by the law of your God,quæ est in manu tua:which is in your hand,

¹⁴A facie enim regis,For you have been sent from the face of the kinget septem consiliatorum ejus,and his seven counselors,missus es,so that you may visit Judeaut visites Judæam et Jerusalem in lege Dei tui,and Jerusalem by the law of your God,quæ est in manu tua:which is in your hand,

¹⁵et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex,and so that you may carry the silver and gold,et consiliatores ejus, sponte obtulerunt Deo Israël,which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel,cujus in Jerusalem tabernaculum est.whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.

¹⁵et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex,and so that you may carry the silver and gold,et consiliatores ejus, sponte obtulerunt Deo Israël,which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel,cujus in Jerusalem tabernaculum est.whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.

¹⁶Et omne argentumAnd all the silver and gold,et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis,as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon,et populus offerre voluerit,and which the people will wish to offer,et de sacerdotibus quæ sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui,and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God,quæ est in Jerusalem,which is in Jerusalem,

¹⁶Et omne argentumAnd all the silver and gold,et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis,as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon,et populus offerre voluerit,and which the people will wish to offer,et de sacerdotibus quæ sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui,and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God,quæ est in Jerusalem,which is in Jerusalem,

¹⁷libere accipe,accept it freely.et studiose eme de hac pecunia vitulos,And with this money,arietes,carefully purchase calves,agnos,rams,et sacrificia,lambs,et libamina eorum,and their sacrifices and libations,et offer ea super altare templi Dei vestri,and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God,quod est in Jerusalem.which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁷libere accipe,accept it freely.et studiose eme de hac pecunia vitulos,And with this money,arietes,carefully purchase calves,agnos,rams,et sacrificia,lambs,et libamina eorum,and their sacrifices and libations,et offer ea super altare templi Dei vestri,and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God,quod est in Jerusalem.which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁸Sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis,But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold,juxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite.do so in accord with the will of your God.

¹⁸Sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis,But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold,juxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite.do so in accord with the will of your God.

¹⁹Vasa quoque,Likewise,quæ dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui,the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God,trade in conspectu Dei in Jerusalem.deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.

¹⁹Vasa quoque,Likewise,quæ dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui,the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God,trade in conspectu Dei in Jerusalem.deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.

²⁰Sed et cetera,Then,quibus opus fuerit in domum Dei tui,whatever more will be needed for the house of your God,quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas,as much as is necessary for you to spend,dabitur de thesauro,it shall be given from the treasury,et de fisco regis,and from the king’s finances,

²⁰Sed et cetera,Then,quibus opus fuerit in domum Dei tui,whatever more will be needed for the house of your God,quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas,as much as is necessary for you to spend,dabitur de thesauro,it shall be given from the treasury,et de fisco regis,and from the king’s finances,

²¹et a me.and by me.Ego Artaxerxes rex,I, king Artaxerxes,statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arcæ publicæ,have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury,qui sunt trans flumen,those who are beyond the river,ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Esdras sacerdos,that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven,scriba legis Dei cæli, absque mora detis,shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,

²¹et a me.and by me.Ego Artaxerxes rex,I, king Artaxerxes,statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arcæ publicæ,have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury,qui sunt trans flumen,those who are beyond the river,ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Esdras sacerdos,that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven,scriba legis Dei cæli, absque mora detis,shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,

²²usque ad argenti talenta centum,even up to one hundred talents of silver,et usque ad frumenti coros centum,and up to one hundred cors of wheat,et usque ad vini batos centum,and up to one hundred baths of wine,et usque ad batos olei centum,and up to one hundred baths of oil,sal vero absque mensura.and truly salt without measure.

²²usque ad argenti talenta centum,even up to one hundred talents of silver,et usque ad frumenti coros centum,and up to one hundred cors of wheat,et usque ad vini batos centum,and up to one hundred baths of wine,et usque ad batos olei centum,and up to one hundred baths of oil,sal vero absque mensura.and truly salt without measure.

²³Omne quod ad ritum Dei cæli pertinet,All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven,tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei cæli:let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven,ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis,lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the kinget filiorum ejus.and his sons.

²³Omne quod ad ritum Dei cæli pertinet,All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven,tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei cæli:let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven,ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis,lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the kinget filiorum ejus.and his sons.

²⁴Vobis quoque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus,Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests,et Levitis,and the Levites,et cantoribus,and the singers,et janitoribus, Nathinæis,and the gatekeepers,et ministris domus Dei hujus,and the temple servants,ut vectigal, et tributum,and the ministers of the house of this God,et annonas non habeatis potestatem imponendi super eos.that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.

²⁴Vobis quoque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus,Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests,et Levitis,and the Levites,et cantoribus,and the singers,et janitoribus, Nathinæis,and the gatekeepers,et ministris domus Dei hujus,and the temple servants,ut vectigal, et tributum,and the ministers of the house of this God,et annonas non habeatis potestatem imponendi super eos.that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.

²⁵Tu autem Esdra,But as for you,secundum sapientiam Dei tui,Ezra,quæ est in manu tua,in accord with the wisdom of your God,constitue judiceswhich is in your hand,et præsides,appoint judges and magistrates,ut judicent omni populo qui est trans flumen,so that they may judge the entire people,his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui:which is beyond the river,sedespecially so that they may know the law of your God,et imperitos docete libere.but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.

²⁵Tu autem Esdra,But as for you,secundum sapientiam Dei tui,Ezra,quæ est in manu tua,in accord with the wisdom of your God,constitue judiceswhich is in your hand,et præsides,appoint judges and magistrates,ut judicent omni populo qui est trans flumen,so that they may judge the entire people,his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui:which is beyond the river,sedespecially so that they may know the law of your God,et imperitos docete libere.but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.

²⁶Et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui,And anyone who will not diligently keep the law of your God,et legem regis,and the law of the king,diligenter,judgment shall be upon him,judicium erit de eo sive in mortem,either to death,sive in exilium,or to exile,sive in condemnationem substantiæ ejus,or to the confiscation of his goods,vel certe in carcerem.or certainly to prison.”

²⁶Et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui,And anyone who will not diligently keep the law of your God,et legem regis,and the law of the king,diligenter,judgment shall be upon him,judicium erit de eo sive in mortem,either to death,sive in exilium,or to exile,sive in condemnationem substantiæ ejus,or to the confiscation of his goods,vel certe in carcerem.or certainly to prison.”

²⁷Benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum,Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers,qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini quæ est in Jerusalem,who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.

²⁷Benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum,Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers,qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini quæ est in Jerusalem,who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.

²⁸et in me inclinavit misericordiam suam coram rege et consiliatoribus ejus,For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors,et universis principibus regis potentibus:and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so,et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei,having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God,quæ erat in me,which was upon me,congregavi de Israël principes qui ascenderent mecum.I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.

²⁸et in me inclinavit misericordiam suam coram rege et consiliatoribus ejus,For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors,et universis principibus regis potentibus:and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so,et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei,having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God,quæ erat in me,which was upon me,congregavi de Israël principes qui ascenderent mecum.I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.