ThisEzrawentup from Babylon,and he was a scribeskilledin the lawof Moses,whichthe LORDGodof Israelhad given;and the kinggrantedhim allhe requestedbecause the handof the LORDhis God[was] upon him.
He said,"Your nameshall nolongerbe Jacob,but Israel;for you have strivenwith Godand with menand have prevailed."
But the eyeof their Godwas on the eldersof the Jews,and they did not stopthem untila reportcould cometo Darius,and thena writtenreplybe returnedconcerningit.
And they observedthe Feastof UnleavenedBreadsevendayswith joy,for the LORDhad caused them to rejoice,and had turnedthe heartof the kingof Assyriatowardthem to encouragethem in the workof the houseof God,the Godof Israel.
"I, even I, KingArtaxerxes,issuea decreeto allthe treasurerswhoare [in the provinces] beyondthe River,that whateverEzrathe priest,the scribeof the lawof the Godof heaven,may requireof you, it shall be donediligently,
and has extendedlovingkindnessto me beforethe kingand his counselorsand before allthe king'smightyprinces.Thus I was strengthenedaccording to the handof the LORDmy Godupon me, and I gatheredleadingmenfrom Israelto goup with me.
sonof Abishua,sonof Phinehas,sonof Eleazar,sonof Aaronthe chiefpriest.
For on the firstof the firstmonthhe beganto goup from Babylon;and on the firstof the fifthmonthhe cameto Jerusalem,because the goodhandof his God[was] upon him.
Now theseare the headsof their fathers'[households] and the genealogicalenrollmentof those who wentup with me from Babylonin the reignof KingArtaxerxes:
According to the goodhandof our Godupon us they broughtus a manof insightof the sonsof Mahli,the sonof Levi,the sonof Israel,namely Sherebiah,and his sonsand brothers,18men;
For I was ashamedto requestfrom the kingtroopsand horsemento protectus from the enemyon the way,becausewe had saidto the king,"The handof our Godis favorablydisposedto allthose who seekHim, but His powerand His angerare againstallthose who forsakeHim."
Then we journeyedfrom the riverAhavaon the twelfthof the firstmonthto goto Jerusalem;and the handof our Godwas overus, and He deliveredus from the handof the enemyand the ambushesby the way.
These[served] in the daysof Joiakimthe sonof Jeshua,the sonof Jozadak,and in the daysof Nehemiahthe governorand of Ezrathe priest[and] scribe.
and his kinsmen,Shemaiah,Azarel,Milalai,Gilalai,Maai,Nethanel,Judah[and] Hanani,with the musicalinstrumentsof Davidthe manof God.And Ezrathe scribewent beforethem.
And I arosein the night,I and a fewmenwith me. I did not tellanyonewhatmy Godwas puttinginto my mindto dofor Jerusalemand therewas noanimalwith me exceptthe animalon whichI was riding.
I toldthem howthe handof my Godhad been favorableto me and alsoabout the king'swordswhichhe had spokento me. Then they said,"Let us ariseand build."So they puttheir handsto the good[work].
and a letterto Asaphthe keeperof the king'sforest,that he may giveme timberto makebeamsfor the gatesof the fortresswhichis by the temple,for the wallof the cityand for the houseto whichI will go."And the kinggranted[them] to me because the goodhandof my God[was] on me.
Whenour enemiesheardthat it was knownto us, and that Godhad frustratedtheir plan,then allof us returnedto the wall,eachoneto his work.
And allthe peoplegatheredas onemanat the squarewhichwas in frontof the WaterGate,and they askedEzrathe scribeto bringthe bookof the lawof Moseswhichthe LORDhad givento Israel.
Then on the seconddaythe headsof fathers'[households] of allthe people,the priestsand the Leviteswere gatheredto Ezrathe scribethat they might gaininsightinto the wordsof the law.
Ezrathe scribestoodat a woodenpodiumwhichthey had madefor the purpose.And besidehim stoodMattithiah,Shema,Anaiah,Uriah,Hilkiah,and Maaseiahon his righthand;and Pedaiah,Mishael,Malchijah,Hashum,Hashbaddanah,Zechariah[and] Meshullamon his lefthand.
Then Nehemiah,whowas the governor,and Ezrathe priest[and] scribe,and the Leviteswho taughtthe peoplesaidto allthe people,"Thisdayis holyto the LORDyour God;do not mournor weep."For allthe peoplewere weepingwhen they heardthe wordsof the law.
"Then You camedownon MountSinai,And spokewith them from heaven;You gavethem justordinancesand true laws,Goodstatutesand commandments.
And let them knowthat thisis Your hand;You, LORD,have doneit.
He declaresHis wordsto Jacob,His statutesand His ordinancesto Israel.
My heartoverflowswith a goodtheme;I addressmy versesto the King;My tongueis the penof a readywriter.
Then we shall not turnbackfrom You; Reviveus, and we will callupon Your name.
In allyour waysacknowledgeHim, And He will makeyour pathsstraight.
"Whywas therenomanwhen I came?When I called,[why] was therenoneto answer?Is My handsoshortthat it cannotransom?OrhaveI nopowerto deliver?Behold,I dryup the seawith My rebuke,I makethe riversa wilderness;Their fishstinkfor lackof waterAnd dieof thirst.
Behold,the LORD'Shandis not soshortThat it cannotsave;Noris His earsodullThat it cannothear.
"Howcan you say,'We are wise,And the lawof the LORDis with us'? But behold,the lyingpenof the scribesHas made[it] into a lie.
And Jesus saidto them, "Thereforeeveryscribewho has become a discipleof the kingdomof heavenis likea head of a household,whobringsout of his treasurethings newand old."
saying:"The scribesand the Phariseeshave seated themselvesin the chairof Moses;
teachingthem to observeallthat I commandedyou; and lo,I amwith you always,evento the endof the age."
Whereis the wise man?Whereis the scribe?Whereis the debaterof thisage?Has not Godmade foolishthe wisdomof the world?
NowI make knownto you, brethren,the gospelwhichI preachedto you, whichalsoyou received,in whichalsoyou stand,
"Now it shall be, ifyou diligentlyobeythe LORDyour God,beingcarefulto doallHis commandmentswhichI commandyou today,the LORDyour Godwill setyou highaboveallthe nationsof the earth.
"See,I have taughtyou statutesand judgmentsjustas the LORDmy Godcommandedme, that you should dothusin the landwhereyou are enteringto possessit.
