Chapter 7

Meta de ta pragmata tauta, epi thV basileiaV Artaxerxou basilewV thV PersiaV, EsdraV o uioV tou Seraiou, uiou tou Azaria, uiou tou Celkia,

uiou tou Salloum, uiou tou Sadwk, uiou tou Acitwb,

uiou tou Amaria, uiou tou Azaria, uiou tou Meraiwq,

uiou tou Zeraia, uiou tou Ozi, uiou tou Boukki,

uiou tou Abissoua, uiou tou FineeV, uiou tou Eleazar, uiou tou Aarwn tou ierewV tou prwtou,

outoV o EsdraV anebh apo thV BabulwnoV, wn grammateuV empeiroV eiV ton nomon tou MwusewV, ton opoion edwke KurioV o QeoV tou Israhl× kai o basileuV ecarisen eiV auton panta ta aithmata autou, kata thn ep' auton ceira Kuriou tou Qeou autou.

Anebhsan kai tineV ek twn uiwn Israhl kai ek twn ierewn, kai oi Leuitai, kai oi yaltwdoi kai oi pulwroi kai oi Neqineim, eiV Ierousalhm, en tw ebdomw etei Artaxerxou tou basilewV.

Kai hlqon eiV Ierousalhm ton pempton mhna tou ebdomou etouV tou basilewV.

Dioti thn prwthn tou prwton mhnoV hrcisen outoV na anabainh apo thV BabulwnoV, kai thn prwthn tou pemptou mhnoV hlqen eiV Ierousalhm, kata thn ep' auton agaqhn ceira tou Qeou autou.

Epeidh o EsdraV eicen etoimasei thn kardian autou eiV to na ekzhth ton nomon tou Kuriou, kai na ektelh kai na didaskh eiV ton Israhl diatagmata kai kriseiV.

Touto de einai to antigrafon thV epistolhV, thn opoian o basileuV ArtaxerxhV edwken eiV ton Esdran ton ierea, ton grammatea, grammatea twn logwn twn entolwn tou Kuriou kai twn diatagmatwn autou proV ton Israhl×

ArtaxerxhV, basileuV twn basilewn, proV Esdran ton ierea, ton grammatea tou nomou tou Qeou tou ouranou, ton teleion, kai ta loipa.

Exedoqh par' emou diatagh, wste panteV oi ek tou laou tou Israhl kai twn ierewn autou kai twn Leuitwn, oi en tw basileiw mou, osoi qelousin autoproairetwV na anabwsin eiV Ierousalhm, na elqwsi meta sou.

Dioti pempesai para tou basilewV kai twn epta sumboulwn autou, dia na episkefqhV thn Ioudaian kai Ierousalhm, kata ton en th ceiri sou nomon tou Qeou sou×

kai na ferhV to argurion kai to crusion, to opoion o basileuV kai oi sumbouloi autou proseferan autoproairetwV eiV ton Qeon tou Israhl, tou opoiou to katoikhthrion einai en Ierousalhm,

kai apan to argurion kai crusion oson sunaxhV kaq' olhn thn eparcian thV BabulwnoV, meta twn proairetikwn prosforwn tou laou kai twn ierewn, twn prosferontwn autoproairetwV dia ton en Ierousalhm oikon tou Qeou autwn×

dia n' agorashV tacewV dia tou arguriou toutou moscouV, kriouV, arnia, taV ex alfitwn prosforaV autwn kai taV spondaV autwn, kai na prosferhV auta epi to qusiasthrion tou oikou tou Qeou saV, to en Ierousalhm.

Kai pan o, ti fanh areston eiV se kai eiV touV adelfouV sou na kamhte dia tou upoloipou arguriou kai crusiou, touto kamete, kata to qelhma tou Qeou saV.

Kai ta skeuh, ta doqenta eiV se dia thn uphresian tou oikou tou Qeou sou, paradoV enwpion tou Qeou thV Ierousalhm.

Kai o, ti peripleon creiasqh dia ton oikon tou Qeou sou, o, ti sumbh na exodeushV, exodeue ek tou basilikou qhsaurofulakiou.

Kai par' emou, emou tou Artaxerxou basilewV, exedoqh diatagh eiV pantaV touV qhsaurofulakaV touV peran tou potamou, pan o, ti zhthsh par' umwn o EsdraV o iereuV, o grammateuV tou nomou tou Qeou tou ouranou, na ginhtai parauta,

ewV ekaton talantwn arguriou, kai ewV ekaton korwn sitou, kai ewV ekaton baq oinou, kai ewV ekaton baq elaiou, kai alaV aprosdioriston,

Pan o, ti einai prostetagmenon para tou Qeou tou ouranou, aV geinh meta spoudhV dia ton oikon tou Qeou tou ouranou× dia na mh elqh orgh epi thn basileian tou basilewV kai twn uiwn autou.

Eti gnwstopoieitai eiV esaV, oti eiV oudena ek twn ierewn kai Leuitwn, yaltwdwn, qurwrwn, Neqineim kai uphretwn toutou tou oikou tou Qeou, den qelei eisqai nomimon na epiblhqh foroV, telwnion h diagwgion ep' autouV.

Kai su, Esdra, kata thn en soi tou Qeou sou sofian, katasthson kritaV kai dikastaV, dia na krinwsi panta ton laon ton peran tou potamou, pantaV touV eidotaV touV nomouV tou Qeou sou× kai didaskete touV mh eidotaV.

Kai paV ostiV den kamnei ton nomon tou Qeou sou kai ton nomon tou basilewV, aV ektelhtai tacewV krisiV ep' auton, eite eiV qanaton, eite eiV exorian, h eiV dhmeusin uparcontwn, h eiV fulakhn.

EuloghtoV KurioV o QeoV twn paterwn hmwn, ostiV edwke toiauta eiV thn kardian tou basilewV, dia na doxash ton oikon tou Kuriou, ton en Ierousalhm×

kai ekame na eurw eleoV enwpion tou basilewV kai twn sumboulwn autou kai pantwn twn arcontwn tou basilewV twn dunatwn. Kai egw eniscuqhn kata thn ep' eme ceira Kuriou tou Qeou mou, kai sunhgagon ek tou Israhl arcontaV dia na sunanabwsi met' emou.