2 “Thus says Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, the ^cGod of heaven, ^dhas given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and ^ehe has charged me to build him a house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.

12 But because our fathers had angered the God of heaven, ^ohe gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this house and carried away the people to Babylonia.

9 And whatever is needed—bulls, rams, or sheep for burnt offerings to the God of heaven, wheat, salt, wine, or oil, as the priests at Jerusalem require—let that be given to them day by day without fail,

10 that they may offer pleasing sacrifices to the God of heaven and pray for the life of the ^bking and his sons.

12 “Artaxerxes, ^vking of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven. Peace.¹ And now

21 “And I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers in the province Beyond the River: ^aWhatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, requires of you, let it be done with all diligence,

23 Whatever is decreed by the God of heaven, let it be done in full for the house of the God of heaven, lest his wrath be against the realm of the ^bking and his sons.