What follows ¹  is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priestly scribe. ²  Ezra was ³  a scribe in matters pertaining to the commandments of the Lord and his statutes over Israel:

They discovered written in the law that the LORD had commanded through ¹  Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month,

I will walk in ¹  the way of integrity. When will you come to me? I will conduct my business with integrity in the midst of my palace. ² 

I tried ¹  to understand, examine, and comprehend ²  the role of ³  wisdom in the scheme of things, ⁴  and to understand the stupidity of wickedness ⁵  and the insanity of folly. ⁶ 

Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

And he said to them, “Take care about what you hear. The measure you use will be the measure you receive, ¹  and more will be added to you.

who said by the Holy Spirit through ¹  your servant David our forefather, ²  ‘Why do the nations ³  rage, ⁴  and the peoples plot foolish ⁵  things?

As Paul ¹  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ²  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ³  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!”

I ¹  was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my nation, ²  and was ³  extremely zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ⁴ 

And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your ¹  minds ²  as expressed through ³  your evil deeds,

rooted ¹  and built up in him and firm ²  in your ³  faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you.

It must be with him constantly and he must read it as long as he lives, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and observe all the words of this law and these statutes and carry them out.

This law scroll must not leave your lips! ¹  You must memorize it ²  day and night so you can carefully obey ³  all that is written in it. Then you will prosper ⁴  and be successful. ⁵ 

I have asked the Lord for one thing – this is what I desire! I want to live ¹  in the Lord’s house ²  all the days of my life, so I can gaze at the splendor ³  of the Lord and contemplate in his temple.

I decided ¹  to carefully ²  and thoroughly examine ³  all that has been accomplished on earth. ⁴  I concluded: ⁵  God has given people ⁶  a burdensome task ⁷  that keeps them ⁸  occupied. ⁹ 

You are tired out from listening to so much advice. ¹  Let them take their stand – the ones who see omens in the sky, who gaze at the stars, who make monthly predictions – let them rescue you from the disaster that is about to overtake you! ² 

I will say, ¹  ‘My dear children of Israel, ²  keep in mind the road you took when you were carried off. ³  Mark off in your minds the landmarks. Make a mental note of telltale signs marking the way back. Return, my dear children of Israel. Return to these cities of yours.

in the first year of his reign ¹  I, Daniel, came to understand from the sacred books ²  that, according to the word of the LORD ³  disclosed to the prophet Jeremiah, the years for the fulfilling of the desolation of Jerusalem ⁴  were seventy in number.

So let us acknowledge him! ¹  Let us seek ²  to acknowledge ³  the Lord! He will come to our rescue as certainly as the appearance of the dawn, as certainly as the winter rain comes, as certainly as the spring rain that waters the land.”