Ovandu mba kotoka okuza kouhuura
1 Inga owo omana woviuru vyozonganda mbya ri mouhuura mObabilon nu mbya kotoka puna ami Esra kOjerusalem, Artakerkes ngunda e ri ombara:
2 OGersom wonganda ya Pinhas, na Daniel wonganda ya Itamar, na Hatus, omuzandu wa Sekarna, wonganda ya David; 3 na Sekania wonganda ya Paros ovarumendu 150 vonganda ye, mba tjangwa membo romuhoko wawo. 4 Wina oEljoenai, omuzandu wa Israkja wonganda ya Pahat-Moab, puna ovarumendu 200; 5 na Sekania, omuzandu wa Jahasiel, wonganda ya Satu puna ovarumendu 300; 6 na Ebed, omuzandu wa Jonatan, wonganda ya Adin puna ovarumendu 50; 7 na Jesaja, omuzandu wa Atalja, wonganda ya Elam puna ovarumendu 70; 8 na Sebadja omuzandu wa Mikael, wonganda ya Sefatia puna ovarumendu 80; 9 na Obadja, omuzandu wa Jehiel, wonganda ya Joab puna ovarumendu 218; 10 na Selomit, omuzandu wa Josifa, wonganda ya Bani puna ovarumendu 160; 11 na Sakaria, omuzandu wa Bebai, wonganda ya Bebai puna ovarumendu 28; 12 na Johanan, omuzandu wa Katan, wonganda ya Asgad puna ovarumendu 110; 13 na Elifelet na Jeiel na Semaja vonganda ya Adonikam puna ovarumendu 60; owo va kotoka kombunda yanao; 14 na Utai, omuzandu wa Sakur, wonganda ya Bigwai puna ovarumendu 70.
Esra ma paha Ovalevi ve karere mondjuwo ya Muhona
15 Ami mba woronganisira otjimbumba atjihe meṋe yonḓonḓu, ndji pupira kotjihuro Ahava, neṱe twa tona ozondanda nḓo oure womayuva yetatu. Nu mba muna kutja motjimbumba hi mwa ri ovapristeri, nungwari kamwa ri Ovalevi. 16 Mba hinda ovanane muvyu, okutja ooElieser na Ariel na Semaja na Elnatan na Jarib na Elnatan na Natan se Sakaria na Mesulam, novahonge vevari ooJojarib na Elnatan. 17 Ami mbe ve hinda ku Ido, otjiuru ohongora motjirongo Kasifja kutja ve ka ningire ku ye na kovakwao, okutja imba ovaungure vondjuwo ya Muhona, kutja ve tu hindire ovandu mbu mave karere ondjuwo ya Ndjambi wetu.
18 Motjari tja Ndjambi owo ve tu hindira Serebja, omurumendu omusore wonganda ya Makli, omuzandu wa Levi, omuzandu wa Israel puna ovazandu ovazamumwe ve; avehe kumwe va ri ovarumendu omurongo na hambondatu. 19 Wina va hinda Hasabja nomuangu we Jesaja vonganda ya Merari puna ovazamumwe vawo; avehe kumwe va ri ovarumendu omirongo vivari. 20 Puna imba pa ri ovaungure 220 vondjuwo ya Muhona vooihe mukururume mba yandjerwe i ombara David novahongore ve kutja ve vatere Ovalevi. Avehe va tjangwa omana.
Esra ma hongorere otjiwaṋa mokuritjaera kovikurya na mongumbiro
21 Imbo ponḓonḓu Ahava ami mba rakiza kutja atuhe tu ritjaere kovikurya nu tu risusuparise komurungu wa Ndjambi wetu, tu ningire kutja e tu ṱike mouyenda wetu, nu e tu yame puna ovanatje vetu nouini wetu auhe. 22 Ami etje ṱohoṋi andakuzu mba ningira otjira tjovarwe wovita novakavire kombara kutja ve tu tjevere kovanavita ngamwa avehe mouyenda wetu, tjinga amba raerere ombara kutja Ndjambi wetu u yama auhe ngu me riyameke ku ye, nungwari kutja eye ke nohange na imba mbu mave mu pe etambo, nu meve vere. 23 Eṱe otji twe ritjaera kovikurya natu kumbu ku Ndjambi kutja e tu yame, neye we tu zuvira ozongumbiro zetu.
Oviyandjewa mbya yandjerwa ondjuwo ya Muhona
24 Ami mba toorora ovapristeri ozohongora omurongo na vevari, okutja ooSerebja na Hasabja puna ovakwao omurongo. 25 Tjazumba otji mba saneka osilveri nongoldo novitjuma kotjisanekero mbya yandjerwe i ombara novayandjandunge novahongore vayo nOvaisrael mba ri mbo wina kutja vi ungurisiwe mondjuwo ya Muhona, nu arire tji mbe vi yandja kovapristeri.
26 Oviṋa, mbi mbe ve pa, ovyo mbi: Osilveri yondjinda yozokirograma mangara 19 500, novitjuma esere rimwe vyosilveri yondjinda yozokirograma omirongo hambombari; 27 nongoldo yondjinda yozokirograma 3,000, noviyaha omirongo vivari vyongoldo yondjinda yozokirograma hambondatu, noviyaha vivari vyongoporo ongohoke mbi nonḓengu ndji ṱeki pu indji yoviyaha vyongoldo.
28 Ami mba tja nai kovapristeri mba: “Eṋe oweṋe ovayapuke komurungu wa Muhona, Ndjambi wooiho mukururume, novitjuma avihe vyosilveri novyongoldo mbya etwa ku ye otja oviyandjewa vyombango yeṋu oveni, ovyo oviyapuke wina. 29 Vi tjevereye nawa ngandu ndi tji mwa vaza kondjuwo ya Muhona. Vi sanekeye kotjisanekero momurungu wovapristeri ozohongora nOvalevi noviuru vyomaṱunḓu wOvaisrael mOjerusalem momatuwo wondjuwo ya Muhona.”
30 Ovapristeri nOvalevi otji va toora osilveri nongoldo novitjuma kutja ve vi tware kondjuwo ya Ndjambi wetu mOjerusalem.
Omakotokero kOjerusalem
31 Meyuva oritjamurongo na yevari komueze omutenga otji twa womboroka ponḓonḓu Ahava atu i kOjerusalem. Ndjambi wetu wa ri puna eṱe, neye we tu yama kovanavita na eṱe na kovetuwerereke mba ri mondjira. 32 Tji twa vaza kOjerusalem, twa suva omayuva yetatu. 33 Tjazumba meyuva oritjaine arire tji twa i kondjuwo ya Muhona, atu kasaneka osilveri nongoldo novitjuma natu vi yandja komupristeri Meremot, omuzandu wa Urija. Nu puna ye pa ri Eleasar, omuzandu wa Pinhas, nOvalevi vevari ooJosabad, omuzandu wa Jesua, na Noadja, omuzandu wa Binui. 34 Oviṋa avihe vya varwa, avi sanekwa navi tjangwa nawa membo tjimanga.
35 Imba avehe mba kotokere okuza kouhuura va punguhira Ndjambi wa Israel ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa. Owo va punguhira Ovaisrael avehe ozondwezu zozongombe omurongo na mbari, nozozonḓu omirongo muvyu na hamboumwe, nozondjona omirongo hambombari na hambombari; wina va punguha ozongombo omurongo na mbari ze rire ozombunguhiro zourunde wawo. Ovinamuinyo mbi avihe vya punguhirwa Muhona okurira ozombunguhiro ozoningiririsiwa. 36 Owo wina va toora orutuu, ndu va perwe i ombara, nave keruyandja kozongooneya na kovahongore morukondwa rokongurova kwa Eufrat; nowo wina va yandja ombatero yawo kotjiwaṋa na kondjuwo ya Muhona.
The Families Who Came Back with Ezra
1 Artaxerxes was king of Persia when I led the following chiefs of the family groups from Babylonia to Jerusalem:
2-14 Gershom of the Phinehas family;Daniel of the Ithamar family;Hattush son of Shecaniah of the David family;Zechariah and 150 other men of the Parosh family, who had family records;Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah with 200 men of the Pahath Moab family;Shecaniah son of Jahaziel with 300 men of the Zattu family; Ebed son of Jonathan with 50 men of the Adin family;Jeshaiah son of Athaliah with 70 men of the Elam family;Zebadiah son of Michael with 80 men of the Shephatiah family;Obadiah son of Jehiel with 218 men of the Joab family;Shelomith son of Josiphiah with 160 men of the Bani family; Zechariah son of Bebai with 28 men of the Bebai family;Johanan son of Hakkatan with 110 men of the Azgad family;Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah who returned sometime later with 60 men of the Adonikam family;Uthai and Zaccur with 70 men of the Bigvai family.
Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple
15 I brought everyone together by the river that flows to the town of Ahava where we camped for three days. Not one Levite could be found among the people and priests. 16 So I sent for the leaders Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam. I also sent for Joiarib and Elnathan, who were very wise counselors. 17 Then I sent them to Iddo, the leader at Casiphia, and I told them to ask him and his temple workers to send people to serve in God's temple.
18 God was kind to us and caused them to send a skillful man named Sherebiah, who was a Levite from the family of Mahli. Eighteen of his relatives came with him. 19 We were also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah from the family of Merari along with 20 of their relatives. 20 In addition, 220 others came to help the Levites in the temple. The ancestors of these workers had been chosen years ago by King David and his officials, and they were all listed by name.
Ezra Asks the People To Go without Eating and To Pray
21 Beside the Ahava River, I asked the people to go without eating and to pray. We humbled ourselves and asked God to bring us and our children safely to Jerusalem with all of our possessions. 22 I was ashamed to ask the king to send soldiers and cavalry to protect us against enemies along the way. After all, we had told the king that our God takes care of everyone who truly worships him, but that he gets very angry and punishes anyone who refuses to obey. 23 So we went without food and asked God himself to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
The Gifts for the Temple
24 I chose twelve of the leading priests—Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their relatives. 25-27 Then I weighed the gifts that had been given for God's temple, and I divided them among the twelve priests I had chosen. There were gifts of silver and gold, as well as the articles that the king, his advisors and officials, and the people of Israel had contributed. In all there were: 22 tons of silver; 100 silver articles weighing 70 kilograms; 3.4 tons of gold; 20 gold bowls weighing over 8 kilograms; and 2 polished bronze articles as valuable as gold.
28 I said to the priests:
You belong to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and these things also belong to him. The silver and gold were willingly given as gifts to the Lord. 29 Be sure to guard them and keep them safe until you reach Jerusalem. Then weigh them inside God's temple in the presence of the chief priests, the Levites, and the heads of the Israelite families.
30 The priests and Levites then took charge of the gifts that had been weighed, so they could take them to the temple of our God in Jerusalem.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Ahava River and started for Jerusalem. Our God watched over us, and as we traveled along, he kept our enemies from ambushing us.
32 After arriving in Jerusalem, we rested for three days. 33 Then on the fourth day we went to God's temple, where the silver, the gold, and the other things were weighed and given to the priest Meremoth son of Uriah. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and the two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was counted, weighed, and recorded.
35 Those who had returned from exile offered sacrifices on the altar to the God of Israel. Twelve bulls were offered for all Israel. Ninety-six rams and 77 lambs were offered on the altar, and 12 goats were sacrificed for the sins of the people. 36 Some of those who had returned took the king's orders to the governors and officials in Western Province. Then the officials did what they could for the people and for the temple of God.
