Ezra 7:18 (DRB)

Passage

And if it seem good to thee, and to thy brethren to do any thing with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

Nearby Context

Ezra 7:16 And all the silver and gold that thou shalt find in all the province of Babylon, and that the people is willing to offer, and that the priests shall offer of their own accord to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,

Ezra 7:17 Take freely, and buy diligently with this money, calves, rams, lambs, with the sacrifices and libations of them, and offer them upon the altar of the temple of your God, that is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:18 And if it seem good to thee, and to thy brethren to do any thing with the rest of the silver and gold, do it according to the will of your God.

Ezra 7:19 The vessels also, that are given thee for the sacrifice of the house of thy God, deliver thou in the sight of God in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:20 And whatsoever more there shall be need of for the house of thy God, how much soever thou shalt have occasion to spend, it shall be given out of the treasury, and the king's exchequer, and by me.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "seem", "good", "thee", "brethren", "rest", "silver", and "gold". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "seem" and "good", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 17's "Take freely and buy diligently with this..." into verse 19's "The vessels also that are given thee...", so "seem" and "good" 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 "seem" and "good" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.