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7 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, was Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the High Priest.
6 This Ezra came up from Babel and was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses which the LORD God of Israel had given. And the king gave him all his request according to the Hand of the LORD his God which was upon him.
7 And in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes, some of the children of Israel, and of the priests and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, went up to Jerusalem.
8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 For upon the first day of the first month, he began to go up from Babel. And on the first day of the fifth month, he came to Jerusalem, according to the good Hand of his God that was upon him.
10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach the Precepts and Judgments in Israel.
11 And this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the Priest and scribe, a writer of the Words of the Commandments of the LORD, and of His Statutes, over Israel:
12 “ARTAXERXES, king of kings, to Ezra the Priest and perfect scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven, and to Cheeneth,
13 “I have given commandment that every one of the people in my kingdom— of Israel and of the priests and Levites—who is willing to go to Jerusalem with you, shall go.
14 “Therefore, you are sent from the king and his seven counselors to enquire in Judah and Jerusalem, according to the Law of your God which is in your hand,
15 “and to carry the silver and the gold which the king and his counselors willingly offer to the God of Israel (whose habitation is in Jerusalem)
16 “and all the silver and gold that you can find in all the province of Babel, with the free offering of the people, and that which the priests offer willingly to the House of their God which is in Jerusalem,
17 “so that you may speedily buy bulls, rams and lambs, with their Meat Offerings and their Drink Offerings, with this silver. And you shall offer them upon the Altar of the House of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 “And whatever it pleases you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.
19 “And the vessels that are given to you for the service of the House of your God, deliver those before God in Jerusalem.
20 “And the rest that shall be needed for the House of your God, which shall be right for you to bestow, you shall bestow it out of the king’s treasure house.
21 “And I, King Artaxerxes, have given commandment to all the treasurers which are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the Priest and scribe of the Law of the God of Heaven shall require of you, that it be done immediately,
22 “to a hundred talents of silver, to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without writing.
23 “Whatever is by the Commandment of the God of Heaven, let it be done speedily for the House of the God of Heaven. For why should He be angry against the realm of the king and his children?
24 “And we inform you that upon any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or ministers in this House of God, no governor shall lay toll, tribute or custom.
25 “And you, Ezra (after the wisdom of your God that is in your hand), set judges and arbiters which may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all that know the Law of your God. And teach those who do not know it.
26 “And whoever will not do the Law of your God, and the king’s law, let him have judgment without delay, whether it be to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.”
27 Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, Who has put such in the king’s heart, to beautify the House of the LORD that is in Jerusalem,
28 and has inclined mercy toward me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes! And I was comforted by the Hand of the LORD my God upon me. And I gathered the chief of Israel to go up with me.
8 These, now, are the chief fathers of those—and the genealogy of those— who came up with me from Babel, in the reign of King Artaxerxes.
2 Of the sons of Phinehas came Gershom. Of the sons of Ithamar came Daniel. Of the sons of David came Hattush.
3 Of the sons of Shechaniah, of the sons of Pharosh came Zechariah, and the count of the males with him was one hundred fifty.
4 Of the sons of Pahath-Moab came Elihoenai, the son of Zerahiah, and two hundred males with him.
5 Of the sons of Shechaniah came the son of Jahaziel, and three hundred males with him.
6 And of the sons of Adin came Ebed, the son of Jonathan, and fifty males with him.
7 And of the sons of Elam came Jeshaiah, the son of Athaliah, and seventy males with him.
8 And of the sons of Shephatiah came Zebadiah, the son of Michael, and eighty males with him.
9 Of the sons of Joab came Obadiah, the son of Jehiel, and two hundred eighteen males with him.
10 And of the sons of Shelomith came the son of Josiphiah, and one hundred sixty males with him.
11 And of the sons of Bebai came Zechariah, the son of Bebai, and twenty-eight males with him.
12 And of the sons of Azgad came Johanan, the son of Hakkatan, and one hundred ten males with him.
13 And of the sons of Adonikam came the last, whose names are these: Eliphelet, Jehiel and Shemaiah, and sixty males with them.
14 And of the sons of Bigvai came Uthai and Zabbud, and seventy males with them.
15 And I gathered them to the river that goes toward Ahava. And we stayed there for three days. Then I viewed the people, and the priests, and found none of the sons of Levi there.
16 Therefore I sent to Eliezer, to Ariel, to Shemeiah, and to Elnathan, and to Jarib, and to Elnathan, and to Nathan, and to Zechariah, and to Meshullam (the chief), and to Joiarib, and to Elnathan, men of understanding.
17 And I gave them a commandment for Iddo (the highest at the place of Casiphia). And I told them the words that they should speak to Iddo and to his brethren, the Nethinim, at the place of Casiphia, so that they would cause the ministers of the House of our God to come to us.
18 So, by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah with his sons and his brethren (eighteen).
19 Also Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, with his brethren, and their sons (twenty).
20 And of the Nethinim whom David had set—and the princes for the service of the Levites—two hundred twenty of the Nethinim, all of which were named by name.
4 Let a man so think of us, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.
2 And as for the rest, it is required of the stewards that everyone be found faithful.
3 As for me, however, it is my least concern to be examined by you, or by mankind. I do not even examine myself.
4 For though I am aware of nothing against myself, I am not thereby justified. But the One who judges me is the Lord.
5 Therefore, judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, Who will enlighten things that are hidden in darkness, and make manifest the counsels of the hearts. And then shall every man have praise of God.
6 Now these things, brothers, I have figuratively applied to my own self and Apollos, for your sakes, that you might learn by us; that no one presumes above that which is written, that no one is puffed up over another.
7 For who separates you? And what do you have, that you have not received? If you have received it, why do you boast as though you had not received it?
8 Now you are full. Now you are made rich. You reign as kings without us. And I would that you did reign, so that we also might reign with you.
9 For I think that God has set us forth, the last Apostles, as men appointed to death. For we are made a spectacle to the world, and to the angels, and to man.
10 We are fools for Christ’s sake; and you, wise in Christ. We are weak, and you strong. You honorable, and we despised.
11 Unto this hour, we both hunger and thirst, and are naked and are buffeted, and have no certain dwelling place;
12 and labor, working with our own hands. We are reviled, and we bless. We are persecuted. We suffer it.
13 We are slandered, and we pray. We are made as the filth of the world, the scum of all things, unto this time.
14 I do not write these things to shame you. But as my beloved children, I admonish you.
15 For though you have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet not many fathers. For in Christ Jesus I have begotten you, through the Gospel.
16 Therefore, I encourage you, be followers of me.
17 For this cause have I sent Timothy to you, who is my beloved son, and faithful in the Lord; who shall put you in remembrance of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every church.
18 Now, some are puffed up, as though I would not come to you.
19 But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, and I will know, not the words of those who are puffed up, but the power.
20 For the kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.
21 What is your will? Shall I come to you with a rod, or in love and in the spirit of meekness?
30 I will magnify You, O LORD. You have exalted me and have not made my foes to rejoice over me.
2 O LORD, my God, I cried to You; and You have restored me.
3 O LORD, You have brought up my soul out of the grave. You have revived me from those who go down into the pit.
4 Sing praises to the LORD, His Saints, and give thanks before the remembrance of His Holiness.
5 For His anger endures but a while. In His favor is life. Weeping may abide at evening, but joy comes in the morning.
6 And in my prosperity, I said, “I shall never be moved.”
7 For You, LORD, from Your goodness, had made my mountain to stand strong. You hid Your face, and I was troubled.
8 Then I cried to You, O LORD, and prayed to my LORD.
9 What profit is there in my blood when I go down to the pit! Shall the dust give thanks to You? Or shall it declare Your Truth?
10 Hear, O LORD; and have mercy upon me. LORD, be my Helper.
11 You have turned my mourning into joy. You have loosened my sackcloth and girded me with gladness.
12 Therefore, my tongue shall praise You, and not cease. O LORD, my God, I will give thanks to You forever. To him who excels: A Psalm of David.
28 Mercy and truth preserve the king. For his throne shall be established with mercy.
29 The beauty of young men is their strength. And the glory of the aged is the gray head.
30 As bruises scour away evil, so do blows to the core of the body.
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