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 te uya kuJerusalem
1 Ndele konima yoinima oyo mepangelo laArtasasta, ohamba yaPersia, Esra yaSeraja yaAsaria yaHilkia 2 yaSallum yaSadok yaAhitub 3 yaAmarja yaAsaria yaMerajot 4 yaSerahia yaUssi yaBukki 5 yaAbisua yaPinehas yaEliaser yaAron, omupristeli omukulunhu, 6 Esra oye tuu ou, a fikama a dja muBabilon. Ye okwa li omunongo womishangwa, omukoneki womhango yaMoses, oyo ya yandjwa kOmwene, Kalunga kaIsrael. Nohamba ye mu pa ashishe ye e shi hala, shaashi eke lOmwene, Kalunga kaye, la li kombada yaye. 7 Movana vaIsrael yo nomovapristeli nomOvalevi nomovaimbi nomovanangeli vopoivelo nomovayakuli votembeli mwa fikama vamwe okuya kuJerusalem momudo omutiheyali wohamba Artasasta. 8 Nove uya muJerusalem mohani onhinhano momudo omutiheyali wohamba. 9 Osheshi va dja muBabilon mefiku lotete mohani yotete, ndele mefiku lotete mohani onhinhano ova fika muJerusalem, shaashi eke liwa laKalunga kaye la li kombada yaye. 10 Osheshi Esra a paka omutima waye mokukonakona omhango yOmwene noku i shikula nokulonga Ovaisraeli eenghedimhango nomalombwelo ayo.
Onhumwafo yohamba Artasasta
11 Neshangululo lonhumwafo oyo ohamba Artasasta ya yandja kuEsra, omupristeli nomunongo womishangwa, ou a li omukoneki weendjovo doipango neenghedimhango dOmwene e di pa Ovaisraeli, olo ngaha: 12 “Artasasta, ohamba yeehamba, komupristeli Esra, omunongo womishangwa womhango yaKalunga komeulu. 13 Pashipango shange keshe umwe womoshiwana shaIsrael novapristeli vasho nOvalevi, ovo ve li moshilongo shange ndele va hala okuya kuJerusalem, nava ye pamwe naave; 14 osheshi ohamba novapukululi vayo vaheyali tave ku tumu, u konakone Juda naJerusalem pamhango yaKalunga i li meke loye; 15 ndele u twale ko oisiliveli noingoldo oyo ya yandjwa kehalo liwa kohamba nokovapukululi vayo ve i pa Kalunga kaIsrael, ongulu yaye i li muJerusalem. 16 Nosho yo oisiliveli noingoldo aishe to i mono moshitukulwalongo ashishe shaBabilon neeshali dehalo liwa, ovanhu novapristeli tave i yandje kongulu yaKalunga kavo muJerusalem. 17 Onghee hano noimaliwa ei paliudo loye u nokulanda eengobe deemhedi, eedi deemhedi, oudjona, neendjayambo noikunwayambo yado noku i yamba koaltari yongulu yaKalunga muJerusalem. 18 Oisiliveli noingoldo oyo tai xupu ko nye novakweni tamu i longifa pahalo laKalunga keni. 19 Ndelenee oinima we i pewa i longifwe moshilonga shomongulu yaKalunga koye, u noku i yandja moipafi yaKalunga muJerusalem. 20 Neemhumbwe dimwe dongulu yaKalunga ove to pumbwa vali oku di yandja, ove to dulu oku di pewa kelimba lomamona ohamba.
21 “Ndele ame ohamba Artasasta, ohandi lombwele ovapashukili aveshe vomalimba omamona vombinga yokouninginino waEufrat, nokutya, ashishe osho omupristeli Esra, omunongo womishangwa domhango yaKalunga komeulu, te mu pula, osho shi nokuwanifwa shili, 22 shi fike peekilograma omayovi atatu nomafele ane doshisiliveli neekilograma omayovi omulongo doilya, neelita omayovi avali domaviinyu, neelita omayovi avali domaadi, nomongwa itau valwa. 23 Ashishe Kalunga komeulu te shi mu lombwele, shi nokuwanifilwa shili naanaa ongulu yaKalunga komeulu, osheshi omolwashike ehandu li uye ngeno kombada yoshilongo shohamba novana vayo ovalumenhu. 24 Ndele ohatu mu shiivifile nokutya kaku na ou ta dulu okufendelifa ovapristeli nOvalevi aveshe novaimbi novanangeli poivelo novayakuli votembeli ile ovapiya vongulu ei yaKalunga: oimaliwa ile oilya ile efuto longaba.
25 “Ndele ove Esra, paunongo waKalunga ou u li meke loye, tula ovapashukili novatokoli okutokola ovanhu aveshe vokombinga yokouninginino waEufrat, aveshe ovo va shiiva omhango yaKalunga koye. Ndele ovo vehe i shii, ve noku i longwa. 26 Ndele keshe umwe, ou ita wanifa omhango yaKalunga, ye e nokuhokololifwa, nokutokolelwa efyo ile okutewa mo ile okufuta oimaliwa ile odolongo.”
27 Ndele Esra a tya: “Omwene Kalunga kootate na hambelelwe, ou e shi tula momutima wohamba nokutya, yo i nokuwapaleka ongulu yOmwene muJerusalem, 28 ou a fila nge onghenda koshipala shohamba nomoipafi yovakulunhu vayo nomoipafi yomalenga aeshe omanaenghono ohamba.
“Ndele ame onde linyatipaleka, shaashi eke laKalunga kange la li kombada yange, ndele ame nda ongela ovakulunhu vomuIsrael va ende pamwe naame.”
