For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.
preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.
but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.
“And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God. And those who do not know them, you shall teach.
The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;
They shall teach Jacob your rules and Israel your law; they shall put incense before you and whole burnt offerings on your altar.
O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, our fathers, keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people, and direct their hearts toward you.
O Lord, you hear the desire of the afflicted; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear
this Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.
I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day. Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies, for it is ever with me. I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, for I keep your precepts.
and I shall walk in a wide place, for I have sought your precepts.
My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast! I will sing and make melody!
And Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So they ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the Lord, the God of their fathers.
Nevertheless, some good is found in you, for you destroyed the Asheroth out of the land, and have set your heart to seek God.”
and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.
And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
And Samuel said to all the house of Israel, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your heart, then put away the foreign gods and the Ashtaroth from among you and direct your heart to the Lord and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,
And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood.
You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
“If you prepare your heart, you will stretch out your hands toward him.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.