Ezra 7:17

Verse

With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.

American Standard Version (1901)

therefore thou shalt with all diligence buy with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meal-offerings and their drink-offerings, and shalt offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Bible in Basic English

So with this money get with care oxen, sheep, and lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Take freely, and buy diligently with this money, calves, rams, lambs, with the sacrifices and libations of them, and offer them upon the altar of the temple of your God, that is in Jerusalem.

Free Bible Version

You are to use this money first to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as necessary, along with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and present them on the altar at the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.

Geneva Bible 1599

That thou mayest bye speedily with this siluer, bullocks, rammes, lambes, with their meate offrings and their drinke offrings: and thou shalt offer them vpon the altar of the house of your God, which is in Ierusalem.

King James (Authorized) Version

That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Translation for Translators

With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar outside the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

Unlocked Literal Bible

So buy in full the oxen, rams and lambs, and grain and drink offerings. Offer them on the altar that is in the house of your God in Jerusalem.

Noah Webster Bible

That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat-offerings and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

World English Bible

Therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Young's Literal Translation

therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that [is] in Jerusalem,

Context

Artaxerxes’ Letter for Ezra

¹⁶together with all the silver and gold you may find in all the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests to the house of their God in Jerusalem.¹⁷With this money, therefore, you are to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as needed, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and offer them on the altar at the house of your God in Jerusalem.¹⁸You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.

Summary

In Ezra 7:17, King Artaxerxes instructs Ezra to use the silver and gold given by the king and his counselors for the house of God in Jerusalem. This verse highlights the divine providence and favor that Ezra receives from the king, enabling him to lead a group of exiles back to Jerusalem to restore the temple. It showcases how God can work through earthly rulers to accomplish His purposes and demonstrates the importance of financial support for the work of God's kingdom. Ultimately, Ezra 7:17 underscores the sovereignty of God in orchestrating events for the benefit of His people and the advancement of His kingdom.

Commentary

John Gill

John Gill Bible Commentary

The vessels also that were given thee for the service of the house of thy God,.... These were vessels of silver, basins of gold, and vessels of fine copper; not what formerly belonged to the temple, they were delivered by Cyrus to Sheshbazzar; but what the present king and his counsellors freely offered at this time, see Ezr 8:25, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem; perfect and complete, the full number of them, as the word signifies (t); meaning not to be delivered before him, or in his presence, as a witness thereof, but that they should be dedicated and devoted to his service, who was worshipped in the temple at Jerusalem, and by the inhabitants of it; he seems as if he thought him a topical deity, the God of that particular place, which was the notion of the Heathens, see Kg1 20:23, though he also speaks of him as the God of heaven. (t) "integra et pleno numero redde", Michaelis.