those closest to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven rulers of Persia and Media, who had access to the king's presence, and who sat first in the kingdom):

And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, all such as know the Laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.

Whoever will not observe the Law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed diligently upon him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.

It shall also be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Law in a book, from the one that is before the priests, the Levites.

And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the Words of this Law and these statutes, to do them;

To the Law and to the Testimony! If they do not speak according to this Word, it is because there is no light in them.

Who is there among you of all His people? His God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem which is in Judah, and build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel (He is God), which is in Jerusalem.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which is being built with rolling stones, and timber is being laid in the walls; and this work goes on diligently and prospers in their hands.

And may the God who causes His name to dwell there destroy any king or people who put their hand to alter it, or to destroy this house of God which is in Jerusalem. I, Darius, issue a decree; let it be done diligently.

The king answered Daniel and said, Your God truly is a God of gods and a Lord of kings, and a Revealer of secrets, since you could reveal this secret.

And when he came to the den, he cried with a grieving voice to Daniel. The king spoke and said to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, your God whom you always serve, is He able to deliver you from the lions?

I make a decree, that in every domain of my kingdom there shall be trembling and fear before the God of Daniel. For He is the living God and endures forever, and His kingdom is the one which shall not be destroyed. And His rule shall be to the end.