Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
1-6 Much later, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra came to Jerusalem from Babylonia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah. His other ancestors were Hilkiah, Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub, Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth, Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki, Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, and Aaron, the high priest.
Ezra was an expert in the Law that the Lord God of Israel had given to Moses, and the Lord made sure that the king gave Ezra everything he asked for.
7 Other Jews, including priests, Levites, musicians, the temple guards, and servants, came to Jerusalem with Ezra. This happened during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king.
8-9 God helped Ezra, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month of that seventh year, after leaving Babylonia on the first day of the first month. 10 Ezra had spent his entire life studying and obeying the Law of the Lord and teaching it to others.
Artaxerxes Gives a Letter to Ezra
11 Ezra was a priest and an expert in the laws and commands that the Lord had given to Israel. One day King Artaxerxes gave Ezra a letter which said:
12 Greetings from the great King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and expert in the teachings of the God of heaven.
13-14 Any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom may go with you to Jerusalem if they want to. My seven advisors and I agree that you may go to Jerusalem and Judah to find out if the laws of your God are being obeyed.
15 When you go, take the silver and gold that I and my advisors are freely giving to the God of Israel, whose temple is in Jerusalem. 16 Take the silver and gold that you collect from everywhere in Babylonia. Also take the gifts that your own people and priests have so willingly contributed for the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
17 Use the money carefully to buy the best bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine. Then sacrifice them on the altar at God's temple in Jerusalem. 18 If any silver or gold is left, you and your people may use it for whatever pleases your God. 19 Give your God the other articles that have been contributed for use in his temple. 20 If you need to get anything else for the temple, you may have the money you need from the royal treasury.
21 Ezra, you are a priest and an expert in the laws of the God of heaven, and I order all treasurers in Western Province to do their very best to help you. 22 They will be allowed to give as much as 3.4 tons of silver, 10 tons of wheat, 2,000 liters of wine, 2,000 liters of olive oil, and all the salt you need.
23 They must provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his temple, so that he won't be angry with me and with the kings who rule after me. 24 We want you to know that no priests, Levites, musicians, guards, temple servants, or any other temple workers will have to pay any kind of taxes.
25 Ezra, use the wisdom God has given you and choose officials and leaders to govern the people of Western Province. These leaders should know God's laws and have them taught to anyone who doesn't know them. 26 Everyone who fails to obey God's Law or the king's law will be punished without pity. They will either be executed or put in prison or forced to leave their country, or have all they own taken away.
Ezra Praises God
27 Because King Artaxerxes was so kind, Ezra said:
Praise the Lord God of our ancestors! He made sure that the king honored the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. 28 God has told the king, his advisors, and his powerful officials to treat me with kindness. The Lord God has helped me, and I have been able to bring many Jewish leaders back to Jerusalem.
Esra meya mOjerusalem
1 Kombunda yozombura ozengi, Artakerkes tja ri ombara mOpersie, mwa ri omurumendu wena Esra. Tji wa teza omuhoko we, ooihe mukururume va zire mu Aron, Omupristeri Otjiuru, otja tji pa kongorerere mba: Esra wa ri omuzandu wa Seraja, omuzandu wa Asarja, omuzandu wa Hilkija, 2 omuzandu wa Salum, omuzandu wa Sadok, omuzandu wa Ahitub, 3 omuzandu wa Amarja, omuzandu wa Asarja, omuzandu wa Merajot, 4 omuzandu wa Israkja, omuzandu wa Usi, omuzandu wa Buki, 5 omuzandu wa Abisua, omuzandu wa Pinhas, omuzandu wa Eleasar, omuzandu wOmupristeri Otjiuru Aron.
6 Esra wa ri omuhongwa wanawa nu wa ri onongo mOmatwako Muhona, Ndjambi wa Israel, nga yandjere ku Moses. Esra tjinga a ri nondaya ya Muhona, Ndjambi we, ombara otjaa i mu pe otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe tja ningire. 7 Mombura oitjahambombari youhona wa Artakerkes, Esra wa kumuka mObabilon na i kOjerusalem puna otjimbumba tjOvaisrael mu mwa ri ovapristeri nOvalevi, novaimbure vondjuwo ya Muhona, novatjevere novaungure vayo. 8-9 Owo va sekama mObabilon meyuva etenga komueze omutenga, nave kavaza kOjerusalem puna ombatero ya Ndjambi meyuva etenga komueze outjatano.
10 Esra ngunda e nomuinyo wa kara pokukonḓonona Omatwako wa Muhona kutja e ye ungurise nu a honge omazikamisiro nomihingo vyOmatwako nga kotjiwaṋa tja Israel.
Orutuu rwomatjivisiro Artakerkes ndwa yandja ku Esra
11 Artakerkes wa yandja orutuu rwomatjivisiro ku Esra, omupristeri nomuhongwa wanawa ngwa ri onongo mOmatwako na momazikamisiro Muhona nga yandjere kOvaisrael. Orwo maru tja nai: 12 “Orutuu ndwi maru zu ku Artakerkes, ombara, nu maru i ku Esra, omupristeri nomuhongwa onongo mOmatwako wa Ndjambi weyuru.
13 “Ami me rakiza kutja mouhona wandje Ovaisrael avehe novapristeri nOvalevi mbe nombango okuyenda kOjerusalem ve yende puna ove. 14 Ami, puna ovayandjandunge vandje hambombari, me ku hindi u kakonḓonone ongarero mOjerusalem na mOjuda, nu u katjiwe kutja ovandu, tjiri, ve kara nawa nonḓuviro kOmatwako wa Ndjambi weṋu eye nge mu pa. 15 Ove mo twara oviyandjewa vyongoldo novyosilveri ami novayandjandunge vandje mbi matu vanga okuyandja ku Ndjambi wa Israel, ngwa tura mondjuwo ye mOjerusalem. 16 Wina mo twara osilveri nongoldo aihe, ndji mo wongo morukondwa rwa Babilon, noviyandjewa Ovaisrael novapristeri vawo mbi mave yandjere ondjuwo ya Ndjambi wawo mOjerusalem otja kombango yawo oveni.
17 “Novimariva mbi mo sokuviungurisa nawa nu randa na vyo ozondwezu zozongombe nozozonḓu nozondjona, novikokotwa nomavinu, noviṋa mbi mo punguhire kotjipunguhiro tjondjuwo ya Muhona mOjerusalem. 18 Osilveri nongoldo ndja hupu, ungura na yo ngamwa atjihe ove novakweṋu tji mamu vanga otja kombango ya Ndjambi weṋu. 19 Ovitjuma avihe mbya yandjewa kove okuungura na vyo oviungura vyondjuwo ya Muhona yandja ku Ndjambi mOjerusalem. 20 Noviṋa avihe ovikwao mbi mo hepere ondjuwo ya Muhona mo pewa okuza mombwiko youhona.
21 “Ami me rakiza kovatjevere avehe vombwiko youhona morukondwa rokongurova kwa Eufrat kutja ve yandje tjimanga ku Esra, ingwi omupristeri nonongo mOmatwako wa Ndjambi weyuru, otjiṋa ngamwa atjihe tji ma ningire, 22 nga kosilveri yozokirograma 3 400, novikokotwa vyozokirograma 10,000, nomavinu wozorita 2,000, nomaze womiṋinga wozorita 2,000, nomongwa omuingi otja pu mape hepwa. 23 Ove tjita ouatjiri kutja mo yandja ngamwa atjihe Muhona weyuru tja rakiza otja otjihepwa kondjuwo ye, nu u ṱakamise kutja eye a ha pindikire ami poo imba mbu maave kahonapara kombunda yandje. 24 Eṋe mwa tjaerwa okuwonga otjisuta ngamwa tjouhona movapristeri na mOvalevi na movaimbure na movatjevere na movaungure poo mu ngamwa auhe warwe ngu ri motjiungura tjondjuwo ya Muhona.
25 “Ove, Esra, ungurisa ounongo Ndjambi woye mbwe ku pa, nu u zike ovatye novapangure, ve honaparere ovandu avehe mehi rokongurova kwa Eufrat mbe tjiwa Omatwako wa Ndjambi woye. Honga Omatwako nga ku ngamwa auhe ngu hi nokuyetjiwa. 26 Ngamwa auhe ngu hi nokukara nonḓuviro kOmatwako wa Ndjambi poo omatwako wouhona nga verwe tjimanga, okutja nga ṱe poo nga twarewe kouhuura poo nga yekwe ouini we poo nga tuwe motjovakamburwa.”
Esra ma tanga Ndjambi
27 Esra wa tja nai: “Muhona, Ndjambi wootate mukururume nga tangwe! Eye wa tjita kutja ombara i kare nouvanga wokuyozika ondjuwo ya Muhona mOjerusalem komuhingo mbwi. 28 Motjari tja Ndjambi ami mba muna ondjingonekero kombara na kovayandjandunge ve na kovahongore ve avehe ovanauvara; Muhona, Ndjambi wandje we ndji panḓiparisa, nami mba yenene okuworonganisa oviuru ovingi vyozonganda za Israel kutja vi kotoke puna ami.”
