Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
1 Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron.
6-7 Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Moses. Because Ezra had the blessing of the Lord his God, the emperor gave him everything he asked for. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workers. 8-9 They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. 10 Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.
The Document Which Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra
11 Emperor Artaxerxes gave the following document to Ezra, the priest and scholar, who had a thorough knowledge of the laws and commands which the Lord had given to Israel:
12 “From Emperor Artaxerxes to the priest Ezra, scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven.
13 “I command that throughout my empire all the Israelite people, priests, and Levites that so desire be permitted to go with you to Jerusalem. 14 I, together with my seven counselors, send you to investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the Law of your God, which has been entrusted to you, is being obeyed. 15 You are to take with you the gold and silver offerings which I and my counselors desire to give to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. 16 You are also to take all the silver and gold which you collect throughout the province of Babylon and the offerings which the Israelite people and their priests give for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 “You are to spend this money carefully and buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine and offer them on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. 18 You may use the silver and gold that is left over for whatever you and your people desire, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 You are to present to God in Jerusalem all the utensils that have been given to you for use in the Temple services. 20 And anything else which you need for the Temple, you may get from the royal treasury.
21 “I command all the treasury officials in West-of-Euphrates Province to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven, everything he asks you for, 22 up to a limit of 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as needed. 23 You must be careful to provide everything which the God of Heaven requires for his Temple, and so make sure that he is never angry with me or with those who reign after me. 24 You are forbidden to collect any taxes from the priests, Levites, musicians, guards, workers, or anyone else connected with this Temple.
25 “You, Ezra, using the wisdom which your God has given you, are to appoint administrators and judges to govern all the people in West-of-Euphrates who live by the Law of your God. You must teach that Law to anyone who does not know it. 26 If any disobey the laws of your God or the laws of the empire, they are to be punished promptly: by death or by exile or by confiscation of their property or by imprisonment.”
Ezra Praises God
27 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 28 By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the Lord my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me.”
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.”
