Ezra 7:26 (ASV)

Passage

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.

Nearby Context

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;

Ezra 7:28 and hath extended lovingkindness unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king`s mighty princes. And I was strengthened according to the hand of Jehovah my God upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "whosoever", "king", "judgment", "executed", "upon", "diligence", "whether", and "death". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "whosoever" and "king", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 25's "And thou Ezra after the wisdom of..." into verse 27's "Blessed be Jehovah the God of our...", so "whosoever" and "king" 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 "whosoever" and "king" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.