And whatever seems good to you and your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.
Parallel translations
- WEB Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that according to the will of your God.
- KJV And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God.
- BSB You and your brothers may do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God.
- NKJV And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.
- NLT Any silver and gold that is left over may be used in whatever way you and your colleagues feel is the will of your God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Ezra and his brothers may use any remaining silver and gold according to God's will. The king defers the surplus to the wisdom of God's people.
Overview
Remarkably, Artaxerxes leaves the disposal of leftover funds to Ezra and his colleagues 'according to the will of your God.' Such freedom shows the king's confidence in Ezra and, behind it, God's favor on His servant. The phrase reminds believers that all decisions, even practical ones, are to be governed by seeking God's will.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 4
- 2 Kgs 22:7However there was no accounting made with them of the money that was delivered into their hand; for they dealt faithfully.”
- 2 Kgs 12:15Moreover they didn’t demand an accounting from the men into whose hand they delivered the money to give to those who did the work; for they dealt faithfully.
- Ezra 7:26Whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed on him with all diligence, whether it is to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
- Eph 5:17Therefore don’t be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
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Christ at the center
The return from exile and the rebuilt altar keep alive the hope of a greater restoration — the true return from our deeper exile of sin accomplished by Christ.
How Ezra 7:18 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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