After the house for the Lord God was built at Jerusalem,

 

 

a man named Ezra, who knew God’s words real good, wanted to go to Jerusalem to teach the people about the Lord God and what He says.

 

The new king said, I make a rule that anyone in my kingdom who wants to go with Ezra to Jerusalem may go.

 

 

 

 

 

 

And take gifts and presents to give to the Lord God of heaven

 

 

 

to make His house at Jersalem beautiful.

 

 

 

The king gave Ezra everything he asked for because God’s hand was on Ezra because Ezra had set his heart to seek the Lord and his ways and teach them to the people.

The king said, Whatever is set by the God of heaven, let it be done strongly out of the kings treasury. Why should the Lord God not be pleased with me and my sons?

The king told Ezra to set rulers and judges over all the people the king was in charge over on the other side of the river, men that know and do the ways of the Lord God of heaven.

 

 

And whatever man won’t do the Lord God’s ways will be sent away

 

 

 

 

or put in prison,

 

 

 

 

 

and all his stuff will be taken away.

Ezra said, Happy with special happiness is the Lord God of our fathers because he set it in the king's heart to make beautiful the Lord’s house at Jerusalem and gave such good help to me right in front of the king and all his strong princes.

 

 

The Lord’s God’s hand on Ezra made Ezra strong and Ezra gathered the people to go with him.

 

 

God’s good hand was on the people as they got ready to go back to God’ special land for them

 

and He brought them just the right people that He had given special help to do the work at the house of God and to teach the people.

 

Ezra was embarrassed to ask for soldiers to guard the people

 

 

 

 

and the big treasures they carried from the many bad ones they would pass by on the way home.

 

 

Since Ezra had told the king that God’s hand is on everyone for good who seek Him.

 

 

 

 

 

But His power and anger is against everyone who turns away from Him.

 

 

 

So the people got real quiet with God for a long time

 

 

 

and asked the Lord God to be their shield and protection

 

 

 

from everything bad on their path back to Israel.

 

 

 

 

And the Lord God listened to them

 

and was their shield and protection on the way home from the bad ones who waited by the road to hurt them and steal their treasures.

 

They got to Jerusalem safely and took all the treasures and people and animals and counted them at the house of God

 

 

 

and gave the papers with the king’s orders to the king’s leaders

 

 

 

 

on the other side of the river.