God.
[17] And the holy vessels of the Lord, which are given thee for the use of the temple of thy God, which is in Jerusalem, thou shalt set before thy God in Jerusalem.
[18] And whatsoever thing else thou shalt remember for the use of the temple of thy God, thou shalt give it out of the king's treasury.
[19] And I king Artexerxes have also commanded the keepers of the treasures in Syria and Phenice, that whatsoever Esdras the priest and the reader of the law of the most high God shall send for, they should give it him with speed,
[20] To the sum of an hundred talents of silver, likewise also of wheat even to an hundred cors, and an hundred pieces of wine, and other things in abundance.
[21] Let all things be performed after the law of God diligently unto the most high God, that wrath come not upon the kingdom of the king and his sons.
[22] I command you also, that ye require no tax, nor any other imposition, of any of the priests, or Levites, or holy singers, or porters, or ministers of the temple, or of any that have doings in this temple, and that no man have authority to impose any thing upon them.
[23] And thou, Esdras, according to the wisdom of God ordain judges and justices, that they may judge in all Syria and Phenice all those that know the law of thy God; and those that know it not thou shalt teach.
[24] And whosoever shall transgress the law of thy God, and of the king, shall be punished diligently, whether it be by death, or other punishment, by penalty of money, or by imprisonment.
[25] Then said Esdras the scribe, Blessed be the only Lord God of my fathers, who hath put these things into the heart of the king, to glorify his house that is in Jerusalem:
[26] And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and his counsellors, and all his friends and nobles.
[27] Therefore was I encouraged by the help of the Lord my God, and gathered together men of Israel to go up with me.
[28] And these are the chief according to their families and several dignities, that went up with me from Babylon in the reign of king Artexerxes:
[29] Of the sons of Phinees, Gerson: of the sons of Ithamar, Gamael: of the sons of David, Lettus the son of Sechenias:
[30] Of the sons of Pharez, Zacharias; and with him were counted an hundred and fifty men:
[31] Of the sons of Pahath Moab, Eliaonias, the son of Zaraias, and with him two hundred men:
[32] Of the sons of Zathoe, Sechenias the son of Jezelus, and with him three hundred men: of the sons of Adin, Obeth the son of Jonathan, and with him two hundred and fifty men:
[33] Of the sons of Elam, Josias son of Gotholias, and with him seventy men:
[34] Of the sons of Saphatias, Zaraias son of Michael, and with him threescore and ten men:
[35] Of the sons of Joab, Abadias son of Jezelus, and with him two hundred and twelve men:
[36] Of the sons of Banid, Assalimoth son of Josaphias, and with him an hundred and threescore men:
[37] Of the sons of Babi, Zacharias son of Bebai, and with him twenty and eight men:
[38] Of the sons of Astath, Johannes son of Acatan, and with him an hundred and ten men:
[39] Of the sons of Adonikam the last, and these are the names of them, Eliphalet, Jewel, and Samaias, and with them seventy men:
[40] Of the sons of Bago, Uthi the son of Istalcurus, and with him seventy men.
[41] And these I gathered together to the river called Theras, where we pitched our tents three days: and then I surveyed them.
[42] But when I had found there none of the priests and Levites,
[43] Then sent I unto Eleazar, and Iduel, and Masman,
[44] And Alnathan, and Mamaias, and Joribas, and Nathan, Eunatan, Zacharias, and Mosollamon, principal men and learned.
[45] And I bade them that they should go unto Saddeus the captain, who was in the place of the treasury:
[46] And commanded them that they should speak unto Daddeus, and to his brethren, and to the treasurers in that place, to send us such men as might execute the priests' office in the house of the Lord.
[47] And by the mighty hand of our Lord they brought unto us skilful men of the sons of Moli the son of Levi, the son of Israel, Asebebia, and his sons, and his brethren, who were eighteen.
[48] And Asebia, and Annus, and Osaias his brother, of the sons of Channuneus, and their sons, were twenty men.
[49] And of the servants of the temple whom David had ordained, and the principal men for the service of the Levites to wit, the servants of the temple two hundred and twenty, the catalogue of whose names were shewed.
[50] And there I vowed a fast unto the young men before our Lord, to desire of him a prosperous journey both for us and them that were with us, for our children, and for the cattle:
[51] For I was ashamed to ask the king footmen, and horsemen, and conduct for safeguard against our adversaries.
[52] For we had said unto the king, that the power of the Lord our God should be with them that seek him, to support them in all ways.
[53] And again we besought our Lord as touching these things, and found him favourable unto us.
[54] Then I separated twelve of the chief of the priests, Esebrias, and Assanias, and ten men of their brethren with them:
[55] And I weighed them the gold, and the silver, and the holy vessels of the house of our Lord, which the king, and his council, and the princes, and all Israel, had given.
[56] And when I had weighed it, I delivered unto them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels of