Ezra 7:13

“Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israeli people in my kingdom who want to are allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and other descendants of Levi who will work in the temple who want to go.

Translation for Translators

In The King James Version

I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.

In Context

12“This letter is from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. I am giving it to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God who is/rules in heaven gave to the Israeli people.

14I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in other towns in Judah. You are taking with you [MTY] a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.

Read all of Ezra 7

Cross References

Ezra 1:3All you people who belong to God may go up to Jerusalem to rebuild this temple for Yahweh, the God who lives in Jerusalem, the God who is worshiped by you Israeli people. I desire/hope that your God will be with you and help those who go there.

Ezra 6:1Later Darius became the ruler of the Persian Empire. When the enemies of the Israelis forced them to stop rebuilding the temple, the Persian officials sent a message to King Darius. They asked him to search the records in the ◄archives/government records►, in the building where the king stored the important documents, to find out whether King Cyrus had authorized that the temple should be rebuilt.

Esther 9:14So the king commanded that the Jews be permitted to kill more of their enemies the next day. After he issued another order in Susa, the bodies of Haman’s ten sons were hanged.

Psalms 148:6He determined the places where they should be in the sky, and he commanded that they should be there forever. They cannot disobey that command!

Revelation 22:17God’s Spirit and his people, who are like [MET] the bride of Christ, say to each one who desires to believe, “Come!” Whoever hears this should also say to each one who desires to believe, “Come!” Spiritually thirsty people should come [MET]! Everyone who desires the water that enables people to live forever should take it as a free gift!

Matthew Henry on Ezra 7:12-27

The Decree of Artaxerxes. ( b. c. 457.) 11 Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord , and of his statutes to Israel. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

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