Ezra 7:25 (ASV)

Passage

And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knoweth them not.

Nearby Context

Ezra 7:23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

Ezra 7:24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, the singers, porters, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll, upon them.

Ezra 7:25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that is in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges, who may judge all the people that are beyond the River, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knoweth them not.

Ezra 7:26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed upon him with all diligence, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.

Ezra 7:27 Blessed be Jehovah, the God of our fathers, who hath put such a thing as this in the king`s heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is in Jerusalem;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "thou", "ezra", "after", "wisdom", "hand", "appoint", "magistrates", and "judges". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "thou" and "ezra", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 24's "Also we certify you that touching any..." into verse 26's "And whosoever will not do the law...", so "thou" and "ezra" belong inside that flow. In Ezra context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "thou" and "ezra" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.