And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
And you, Ezra, using the wisdom of your God that you possess, appoint government officials and judges who can make decisions for all the people living beyond the Euphrates River—all those who know God's laws. And teach those who don't know these laws yet.
God is giving Ezra authority to establish a justice system and teach God's laws to all the people in the region.
📚 Historical Context
This verse is part of a letter from Persian King Artaxerxes to Ezra around 458 BC, giving him official authority to lead the Jewish people who had returned from Babylonian exile. The Persian Empire allowed local peoples to govern themselves according to their own laws, and Ezra was being commissioned to establish Jewish law and leadership in the region 'beyond the river' (west of the Euphrates, including Judah).
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