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 te ya kuJerusalem
1 Konima yomimvo odhindji, Artakserkses sho a li omupangeli gwaPersia, okwa li ku na omulumentu edhina lye Esra. Oohekulu oya za momuyambimukuluntu Aaron, ngaashi tashi landula mpaka: Esra olyaSeraia yaAzaria yaHilkia 2 yaShallum yaSadok yaAhitub 3 yaAmaria gaAzaria yaMeraiot 4 gaSerahia yaUssi waBukki 5 yaAbishua yaPinehas yaEleasar lyaAaron.
6-7 Esra okwa li omunongompango a tseya ompango ndjoka Omuwa, Kalunga kaIsrael, a pe Moses. Omupangeli okwe mu pe ashihe a li a pula, oshoka okwa li e na eyambeko lyOmuwa, Kalunga ke. Momumvo omutiheyali gwepangelo lyaArtakserkses, Esra okwa zi muBabilonia u uka kuJerusalem e li nongundu yAaisraeli mu na aayambi, Aalevi, aayimbi motempeli, aalangeli yotempeli naayakuli yomotempeli. 8-9 Oya thigi po Babilonia mesiku lyotango lyomwedhi gwotango, nokekwatho lyaKalunga oya thiki muJerusalem mesiku lyotango lyomwedhi omutitano. 10 Esra okwa li i igandjela okwiilonga ompango yOmuwa, oku yi landula nokulonga Aaisraeli iipango nomautho gayo agehe.
Ontumwafo ya pewa Esra
11 Ndjika oyo ontumwafo Artakserkses e yi pe omuyambi nomunongompango Esra, ngoka a tseya iipango nomautho ngoka Omuwa e ga pe Israel. Ontumwafo otayi ti ngeyi:
12 “Ya zi kuArtakserkses omupangeli, kuEsra omuyambi nomunongompango yaKalunga komegulu.
13 “Ote utha moshilongo shandje ashihe kutya Aaisraeli ayehe, aayambi nAalevi mboka ya hala okuya nangoye kuJerusalem, naa pewe epitikilo. 14 Ngame, pamwe naagandjindunge yandje yaheyali, otatu ku tumu, u konakone onkalo muJerusalem naJuda, opo u mone, nkene ompango yaKalunga koye, ndjoka ye ku inekelelwa, tayi gwanithwa. 15 Faalela ko omayambo goshingoli noshisiliveli ngoka tse naagandjindunge yandje twa hala okupa Kalunga kaIsrael, ngoka otempeli ye yi li muJerusalem. 16 Faalela ko wo oshisiliveli noshingoli ashihe shoka to shi gongele moshitopolwa Babilon nomayambo ngoka oshigwana shaIsrael naayambi yawo taye ga gandjele otempeli yaKalunga kawo muJerusalem.
17 “Dhiginina nawa iimaliwa mbika, u lande oongombe, oonzi oondumentu noonzigona, iilya nomaviinu u yi yambele koshiyambelo shotempeli muJerusalem. 18 Longitha oshihupe shoshisiliveli noshingoli kushoka ngoye nooyakweni tamu tala olyo ehalo lyaKalunga keni. 19 Iikwaniipangitho ayihe mbyoka we yi pewa, u yi longithe melongelokalunga, yi tula motempeli muJerusalem. 20 Ashihe shilwe to shi pumbwa motempeli yaKalunga koye, oto shi pewa moshiketha shuuwa.
21 “Otandi lombwele omalenga agehe gomaliko moshitopolwa shokuuninginino waEufrat, ya pe Esra, omuyambi nomunongompango mompango yaKalunga komegulu, ashihe shoka ta pula, 22 ihe inashi konda ookilograma 3400 dhoshisiliveli, ookilograma 10 000 dhiilya, oolita 2000 dhomaviinu, oolita 2000 dhomagadhi gooholivi nomongwa gwa gwana nawa. 23 Ashihe shoka tashi pumbiwa motempeli yaKalunga komegulu, nashi tsakanithwe naanaa, opo kaa geele ndje nenge mboka taa landula ndje mepangelo. 24 Tseyeni wo kutya omwi indikwa okupula aayambi, Aalevi, aaimbi, aalangeli, aayakuli nenge aaniilonga yalwe motempeli oompale.
25 “Ngoye Esra, longitha owino mboka Kalunga koye e wu ku pa, wu langeke aakwanepangelo naatokolihapu, ya lele aantu ayehe mboka ya tseya ompango yaKalunga koye moshitopolwa shokuuninginino waEufrat. Mboka inaaye yi tseya, yi ya longeni. 26 Ngele oku na ngoka itaa vulika kompango yaKalunga koye nenge kompango yoshilongo, oku na okugeelwa mbalambala: na dhipagwe nenge ta pongekwa nenge eliko lye tali kwatwa po nenge ta tulwa mondjedhililo.”
Esra ta hambelele Kalunga
27 Esra okwa ti: “Omuwa, Kalunga kootatekulu, na hambelelelwe! Okwa tula ehalo momupangeli, opo a simaneke ngeyi otempeli yOmuwa muJerusalem. 28 Kesilohenda lyaKalunga onda mono ohokwe komupangeli, aagandjindunge ye nomalenga ge agehe omanankondo. Omuwa, Kalunga kandje, okwa pe ndje omukumo, nonda vulu okugongela aakuluntu oyendji yomaludhi gaIsrael, ya ye pamwe nangame.”
