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1Many years later, during the reign of King Artaxerxes of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,[#7:1a Artaxerxes reigned 465–424 b.c.; #7:1b Or descendant; see 1 Chr 6:14.]
2son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,[#7:3 Or descendant; see 1 Chr 6:6-10.]
4son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.[#7:5 Or the first priest.]
6This Ezra was a scribe who was well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord , the God of Israel, had given to the people of Israel. He came up to Jerusalem from Babylon, and the king gave him everything he asked for, because the gracious hand of the Lord his God was on him.
7Some of the people of Israel, as well as some of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and Temple servants, traveled up to Jerusalem with him in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes’ reign.
8Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in August of that year.[#7:8 Hebrew in the fifth month. This month in the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar occurred within the months of August and September 458 b.c.]
9He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.[#7:9a Hebrew on the first day of the first month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was April 8, 458 b.c. ; also see note on 6:15.; #7:9b Hebrew on the first day of the fifth month, of the ancient Hebrew lunar calendar. This day was August 4, 458 b.c. ; also see note on 6:15.]
10This was because Ezra had determined to study and obey the Law of the Lord and to teach those decrees and regulations to the people of Israel.
11King Artaxerxes had given a copy of the following letter to Ezra, the priest and scribe who studied and taught the commands and decrees of the Lord to Israel:
27Praise the Lord , the God of our ancestors, who made the king want to beautify the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem!
28And praise him for demonstrating such unfailing love to me by honoring me before the king, his council, and all his mighty nobles! I felt encouraged because the gracious hand of the Lord my God was on me. And I gathered some of the leaders of Israel to return with me to Jerusalem.