The People Who Returned from Exile
1 This is the list of the heads of the clans who had been in exile in Babylonia and who returned with Ezra to Jerusalem when Artaxerxes was emperor:
2-14 Gershom, of the clan of PhinehasDaniel, of the clan of IthamarHattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of DavidZechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family lines)Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 menShecaniah son of Jahaziel, of the clan of Zattu, with 300 menEbed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 50 menJeshaiah son of Athaliah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 menZebadiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 80 menObadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 218 menShelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani, with 160 menZechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 menJohanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 menEliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 60 men (they returned at a later date)Uthai and Zaccur, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 men
Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple
15 I assembled the entire group by the canal that runs to the town of Ahava, and we camped there three days. I found that there were priests in the group, but no Levites. 16 I sent for nine of the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for two teachers, Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 I sent them to Iddo, head of the community at Casiphia, to ask him and his associates, the Temple workers, to send us people to serve God in the Temple. 18 Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli; and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him. 19 They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives. 20 In addition there were 220 Temple workers whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed by name.
Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer
21 There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions. 22 I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him. 23 So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
The Gifts for the Temple
24 From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others. 25 Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests. 26-27 This is what I gave them:
silver - 25 tons100 silver utensils - 150 poundsgold - 7,500 pounds20 gold bowls - 270 ounces2 fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls
28 I said to them, “You are sacred to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings. 29 Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms weigh them and turn them over to the leaders of the priests and of the Levites, and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. Our God was with us and protected us from enemy attacks and from ambush as we traveled. 32 When we reached Jerusalem, we rested three days. 33 Then on the fourth day we went to the Temple, weighed the silver, the gold, and the utensils, and turned them over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.
35 All those who had returned from exile then brought offerings to be burned as sacrifices to the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs; they also offered 12 goats to purify themselves from sin. All these animals were burned as sacrifices to the Lord. 36 They also took the document the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of West-of-Euphrates Province, who then gave their support to the people and the Temple worship.
Olweendo laava va enda pamwe naEsra
1 Ovakulunhu vomapata neshikulafano laava va enda pamwe naame mefimbo lepangelo lohamba Artasasta, va dja muBabilon: 2 vomovana vaPinehas: Gersom. Vomovana vaItamar: Daniel. Vomovana vaDavid: Hattus, 3 vomovana vaSekanja; vomoludalo laParos: Sakaria, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu efele nomilongo nhano va shangelwa meshikulafano. 4 Vomovana vaPahat-Moab: Eljehoenai yaSerahia, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omafele avali; 5 vomovana vaSattu: Sekanja yaJahasiel, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omafele atatu; 6 ndele vomovana vaAdin: Ebed yaJonatan, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omilongo nhano; 7 ndele vomovana vaElam: Jesaja yaAtalia, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omilongo heyali; 8 ndele vomovana vaSefatja: Sebadja yaMikael, ndelenee pamwe naye ovalumenhu omilongo hetatu; 9 ndele vomovana vaJoab: Obadja, omona waJehiel, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omafele avali nomulongo navahetatu; 10 ndele vomovana vaBani: Selomit yaJosifiya, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu efele nomilongo hamano; 11 ndele vomovana vaBebai: Sakaria yaBebai, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu omilongo mbali navahetatu; 12 ndele vomovana vaAsgad: Johanan yaHakkatan, ndele pamwe naye ovalumenhu efele nomulongo; 13 ndele vomovana vaAdonikam, ou e uya konima, nomadina avo oyaa: Elifelet, Jehuel naShemaia, ndele pamwe navo ovalumenhu omilongo hamano; 14 ndele vomovana vaBigvai: Utai naSakkur, ndele pamwe navo ovalumenhu omilongo heyali.
Ovalevi tava yongolwa
15 Ndele ame nde va ongela pomulonga tau kungulukile kuAhava, ndele oko twa kala monhanda omafiku atatu. Ndele eshi nda tala ovanhu novapristeli, inandi mona mo Omulevi nande umwe. 16 Onghee hano nda tuma ovakulunhu Elieser, Ariel, Shemaia naElnatan naJarib naElnatan naNatan naSakaria naMesullam novalongi Jojarib naElnatan, 17 ndele nde va lombwela va ye komukulunhu Iddo momukunda Kasifja. Ndele nda paka eendjovo momakanya avo, odo ve noku di lombwela Iddo novayakuli ovakwao votembeli momukunda Kasifja, opo ve tu tumine ovayakuli vongulu yaKalunga ketu. 18 Ndele shaashi eke liwa laKalunga la li kombada yetu, ove tu tumina ovalumenhu ovanaendunge vomovana vaMahli yaLevi yaIsrael nokutya, Serebja pamwe novana vaye novamwaina ovalumenhu omulongo navahetatu; 19 naHasabja, ndele pamwe naye Jesaja womovana vaMerari novamwaina novana ovamati omilongo mbali. 20 Ndele movayakuli votembeli, ovo David novakulunhu va yandja kOvalevi, va yakule, mwa dja ovayakuli votembeli omafele avali nomilongo mbali, vo aveshe va tumbulwa omadina.
Elidiliko neeshali dotembeli
21 Opo nee nda shiivifa efimbo lelidiliko pomulonga waAhava, opo tu lininipike koshipala shaKalunga ketu, tu mu indile tu mone elao molweendo letu fye vene novanhu vetu noinima yetu aishe. 22 Osheshi nda li nda fya ohoni okupula kohamba etanga lovakwaita novalondi veenghambe, ve tu kwafe okulwifa ovatondadi mondjila, shaashi twa lombwela ohamba, twa tya: Eke laKalunga oli li kombada yaaveshe ovo have mu kongo, ndelenee eenghono daye nehandu laye li li kombada yaaveshe tave mu liteeka. 23 Osho ngaha hano twe lidilika ndele twa indila Kalunga ketu. Ndele Ye okwe tu uda.
24 Opo nee nda hoolola mo movakulunhu vovapristeli omulongo navavali: Serebja, Hasabja nomulongo vomovamwaina pamwe navo. 25 Ndele ame nde va yelekela oisiliveli noingoldo noinima nokutya, eeshaliyambo dongulu yaKalunga ketu, odo da yandjwa kohamba nokovapukululi vayo nokomalenga ayo nokOvaisraeli aveshe venya va li ko. 26 Ndele momake avo nda yelekela mo eekilograma eetona omilongo mbali nambali doisiliveli neekilograma omilongo heyali doinima oisiliveli, eekilograma omayovi atatu nomafele ane doshingoldo, 27 noiyaxa omilongo mbali oingoldo, ondado yao oimaliwa eyovi limwe, noiyaxa yoshikushu, iwaelela ya fefengwa nawa, ondado yayo ngaashi oshingoldo. 28 Ndele nde va lombwela: Nye mwa yapulilwa Omwene, noinima ya yapulwa, noisiliveli noingoldo oyo eeshali dehalo liwa dOmwene Kalunga kooxo. 29 I pashukileni hano noku i diinina fiyo tamu i yeleke moipafi yovakulunhu vovapristeli novOvalevi nomoipafi yovakulunhu vomapata Ovaisraeli muJerusalem momalimba ongulu yOmwene. 30 Opo nee ovapristeli nOvalevi va tambula oisiliveli noingoldo noinima oyo ya yelekwa, ve i twale kuJerusalem, mongulu yaKalunga ketu.
Olweendo tali fiki kuJerusalem
31 Opo nee twa dja po pomulonga Ahava mefiku etimulongo netivali mohani yotete, tu ye kuJerusalem. Neke laKalunga ketu la li kombada yetu, onghee Ye e tu xupifa mo meke lomutondadi nomomahanyeno mondjila. 32 Ndele fye twa fika kuJerusalem ndele twa kala ko twa mwena omafiku atatu. 33 Ndele mefiku etine oisiliveli noingoldo noinima ya yelekwa mongulu yaKalunga ketu noya yandjwa momake omupristeli Meremot yaUria, ndele puye pwa li Eliaser yaPinehas, ndele puvo pwa li Josabad yaJosua naNoadja yaBinnui, Ovalevi. 34 Ashishe sha yelekwa pauhapu nopaudjuu washo, noudjuu aushe wa shangwa. 35 Eenghwate odo da dja moukwatwa, oda yambela Kalunga kaIsrael omaxwikiloyambo: eengobe omulongo nambali deemhedi molwOvaisraeli aveshe needi deemhedi omilongo omugoi, noudjona omilongo heyali navaheyali, oikombo omulongo naivali etimbayambo, oyo aishe exwikiloyambo kOmwene. 36 Ndele va yandja onhumwafo omo mwa shangwa oshipango shohamba kovapangeli vohamba nokomalenga ombinga yokouninginino waEufrat, ndele vo ova kwafa ovanhu nongulu yaKalunga.
