ou not to lay any
treacherous imposition, or any tributes, upon their priests or Levites,
or sacred singers, or porters, or sacred servants, or scribes of the
temple. And do thou, O Esdras, appoint judges according to the wisdom
[given thee] of God, and those such as understand the law, that they may
judge in all Syria and Phoenicia; and do thou instruct those also which
are ignorant of it, that if any one of thy countrymen transgress the law
of God, or that of the king, he may be punished, as not transgressing it
out of ignorance, but as one that knows it indeed, but boldly despises
and contemns it; and such may be punished by death, or by paying fines.
Farewell."

2. When Esdras had received this epistle, he was very joyful, and began
to worship God, and confessed that he had been the cause of the king's
great favor to him, and that for the same reason he gave all the thanks
to God. So he read the epistle at Babylon to those Jews that were there;
but he kept the epistle itself, and sent a copy of it to all those of
his own nation that were in Media. And when these Jews had understood
what piety the king had towards God, and what kindness he had for
Esdras, they were all greatly pleased; nay, many of them took their
effects with them, and came to Babylon, as very desirous of going down
to Jerusalem; but then the entire body of the people of Israel remained
in that country; wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe
subject to the Iomans, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till
now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.
Now there came a great number of priests, and Levites, and porters, and
sacred singers, and sacred servants to Esdras. So he gathered those that
were in the captivity together beyond Euphrates, and staid there three
days, and ordained a fast for them, that they might make their prayers
to God for their preservation, that they might suffer no misfortunes by
the way, either from their enemies, or from any other ill accident;
for Esdras had said beforehand that he had told the king how God would
preserve them, and so he had not thought fit to request that he would
send horsemen to conduct them. So when they had finished their prayers,
they removed from Euphrates on the twelfth day of the first month of the
seventh year of the reign of Xerxes, and they came to Jerusalem on the
fifth month of the same year. Now Esdras presented the sacred money to
the treasurers,