Ezra 7:17 (LSB)

Passage

with this money, therefore, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and bring them near to the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Nearby Context

Ezra 7:15 and to bring the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem,

Ezra 7:16 and all the silver and gold which you find in the whole province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and of the priests, who offered willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem;

Ezra 7:17 with this money, therefore, you shall with all diligence buy bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and bring them near to the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

Ezra 7:18 And whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, you may do according to the will of your God.

Ezra 7:19 Also the utensils which are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "money", "therefore", "shall", "diligence", "bulls", "rams", "lambs", and "grain". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "money" and "therefore", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 16's "and all the silver and gold which..." into verse 18's "And whatever seems good to you and...", so "money" and "therefore" 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 "money" and "therefore" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.