Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
1After all these things had happened, Ezra came up to Jerusalem from Babylon. It was during the rule of Artaxerxes. He was king of Persia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah. Seraiah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Hilkiah. 2Hilkiah was the son of Shallum. Shallum was the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Ahitub. 3Ahitub was the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Azariah. Azariah was the son of Meraioth. 4Meraioth was the son of Zerahiah. Zerahiah was the son of Uzzi. Uzzi was the son of Bukki. 5Bukki was the son of Abishua. Abishua was the son of Phinehas. Phinehas was the son of Eleazar. And Eleazar was the son of Aaron the chief priest. 6So Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher who knew the Law of Moses very well. The Lord, the God of Israel, had given Israel that law. The king had given Ezra everything he asked for. That’s because the Lord his God helped him. 7Some of the Israelites came up to Jerusalem too. They included priests, Levites and musicians. They also included the temple servants and those who guarded the temple gates. It was in the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king.
8Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king’s rule. 9Ezra had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month. He arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. That’s because God was gracious to him and helped him. 10Ezra had committed himself to study and obey the Law of the Lord. He also wanted to teach the Lord’s rules and laws in Israel.
King Artaxerxes’s Letter to Ezra
11Ezra was a priest and teacher of the Law. He was an educated man. He knew the Lord’s commands and rules for Israel very well. Here is a copy of a letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra. It said,
12I, Artaxerxes, am writing this letter. I am the greatest king of all.
I have given it to Ezra the priest. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven.
I give you my greetings.
13Ezra, I am giving an order about the Israelites in my kingdom. Any of them who want to go to Jerusalem with you may go. The order also allows priests and Levites to go with you. 14I and my seven advisers are sending you to see how things are going in Judah and Jerusalem. Find out whether the people there are obeying the Law of your God. You have a copy of that law with you. 15I and my advisers have freely given some silver and gold to the God of Israel. He is the God who lives in Jerusalem. Take that silver and gold with you. 16Also take any other silver and gold you can get from the land of Babylon. And take the offerings the people and priests choose to give for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17Make sure you use the money to buy bulls, rams and male lambs. Also buy their grain offerings and drink offerings. Then sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18You and the other Jews can do what you think is best with the rest of the silver and gold. Do what your God wants you to do. 19Give to the God of Jerusalem all the things you are responsible for. Use them for worshiping your God in his temple. 20You might need to supply some other things for the temple of your God. If you do, take them from among the royal treasures.
21I, King Artaxerxes, also give this order. It applies to all those who are in charge of the treasures west of the Euphrates River. Make sure you provide anything Ezra the priest might ask you to give. He is the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven. 22Give Ezra up to three and three-fourths tons of silver. Give him up to 18 tons of wheat. Give him up to 600 gallons of wine and up to 600 gallons of olive oil. And give him as much salt as he needs. 23Work hard for the temple of the God of heaven. Do everything he has required. I don’t want him to be angry with my kingdom and the kingdom of my sons. 24Here is something else I want you to know. You have no authority to collect taxes, gifts or fees from these people. You may not collect them from the priests, Levites or musicians. You may not collect them from those who guard the temple gates. You may not collect them from the temple servants. And you may not collect them from other workers at the house of God in Jerusalem.
25Ezra, appoint judges and other court officials. When you do it, use the wisdom your God gives you. Those you appoint should do what is right and fair when they judge people. They should do it for everyone who lives west of the Euphrates River. They should do it for everyone who knows the laws of your God. And I want you to teach the people who don’t know those laws. 26Anyone who doesn’t obey the law of your God must be punished. The same thing applies to anyone who doesn’t obey my law. The people must be punished in keeping with the laws they have broken. Some of them must be put to death. Others must be forced to leave the places where they live. Others must have their property taken away from them. Still others must be put in prison.
27So here is what I, Ezra, say to you people of Israel. “Give praise to the Lord. He is the God of our people who lived long ago. He has put it in the king’s heart to bring honor to the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem. The king has honored the Lord in his letter. 28The Lord has been kind to me. He has caused the king and his advisers to be kind to me. In fact, all the king’s powerful officials have been kind to me. The strong hand of the Lord my God helped me. That gave me new strength. So I gathered together leaders from Israel to go up to Jerusalem with me.”
Esra wá sí Jerusalẹmu
1Lẹ́yìn nǹkan wọ̀nyí, ní àkókò ìjọba ọba Artasasta ní Persia, Esra ọmọ Seraiah, ọmọ Asariah, ọmọ Hilkiah, 2Ọmọ Ṣallumu, ọmọ Sadoku, ọmọ Ahitubu, 3ọmọ Amariah, ọmọ Asariah, ọmọ Meraioti, 4ọmọ Serahiah, ọmọ Ussi, ọmọ Bukki, 5ọmọ Abiṣua, ọmọ Finehasi, ọmọ Eleasari, ọmọ Aaroni olórí àlùfáà— 6Esra yìí sì gòkè wá láti Babeli. Olùkọ́ tí ó ní ìmọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀ nípa òfin Mose, èyí tí Olúwa, Ọlọ́run Israẹli, ti fi fún wọn. Ọba sì fi gbogbo ohun tí ó béèrè fún un, nítorí ọwọ́ Olúwa Ọlọ́run wà lára rẹ̀. 7Ní ọdún keje ọba Artasasta díẹ̀ lára àwọn ọmọ Israẹli, àwọn àlùfáà, àwọn ọmọ Lefi, àwọn akọrin, àwọn aṣọ́nà àti àwọn tí ń ṣiṣẹ́ nínú tẹmpili náà gòkè wá sí Jerusalẹmu.
8Ní oṣù karùn-ún ọdún keje ọba yìí ni Esra dé sí Jerusalẹmu. 9Ó bẹ̀rẹ̀ ìrìnàjò rẹ̀ láti Babeli ní ọjọ́ kìn-ín-ní oṣù kìn-ín-ní, ó sì dé Jerusalẹmu ní ọjọ́ kìn-ín-ní oṣù karùn-ún nítorí ọwọ́ àánú Ọlọ́run rẹ̀ wà ní ara rẹ̀. 10Esra ti fi ara rẹ̀ jì fún kíkọ́ àti pípa òfin Olúwa mọ́, ó sì ń kọ́ òfin àti ìlànà Mose ní Israẹli.
Ọba Artasasta kọ lẹ́tà sí Esra
11Èyí ni ẹ̀dà lẹ́tà ti ọba Artasasta fún àlùfáà Esra olùkọ́ni, ẹni tó ní ìmọ̀ ìjìnlẹ̀ nínú àkọsílẹ̀ òfin àti ìlànà Olúwa fún Israẹli:
12Artasasta, ọba àwọn ọba,
Sí àlùfáà Esra, olùkọ́ òfin Ọlọ́run ọ̀run:
Àlàáfíà.
13Mo pàṣẹ pé ẹnikẹ́ni nínú àwọn ọmọ Israẹli, àwọn àlùfáà àti àwọn Lefi, ti ó wà ní abẹ́ ìṣàkóso ìjọba mi, tí ó bá fẹ́ láti bá ọ lọ sí Jerusalẹmu lè tẹ̀lé ọ lọ. 14Ọba àti àwọn ìgbìmọ̀ rẹ̀ méjèèje rán ọ lọ láti wádìí nípa òfin Ọlọ́run rẹ tí ó wà ní ọwọ́ rẹ nípa Juda àti Jerusalẹmu. 15Síwájú sí i, kí ìwọ kí ó kó fàdákà àti wúrà lọ pẹ̀lú rẹ èyí tí ọba àti àwọn ìgbìmọ̀ rẹ fi tọkàntọkàn fún Ọlọ́run Israẹli, ẹni tí ibùjókòó rẹ̀ wà ní Jerusalẹmu, 16pẹ̀lú gbogbo fàdákà àti wúrà tí ìwọ lè rí ní agbègbè ìjọba Babeli àti àwọn ọrẹ àtinúwá àwọn ènìyàn àti ti àwọn àlùfáà fún tẹmpili Ọlọ́run wọn ní Jerusalẹmu. 17Pẹ̀lú owó yìí, rí i dájú pé ó ra àwọn akọ màlúù, àwọn àgbò àti akọ ọ̀dọ́-àgùntàn, pẹ̀lú ọrẹ ohun jíjẹ, àti ọrẹ ohun mímu, kí ìwọ kí ó fi wọ́n rú ẹbọ lórí pẹpẹ tẹmpili Ọlọ́run rẹ ní Jerusalẹmu.
18Ìwọ àti àwọn Júù arákùnrin rẹ lè fi èyí tókù fàdákà àti wúrà ṣe ohunkóhun tí ó bá dára lójú yín, ní ìbámu pẹ̀lú ìfẹ́ Ọlọ́run yín. 19Kó gbogbo ohun èlò tí a fi sí ìkáwọ́ rẹ fún Ọlọ́run Jerusalẹmu fún ìsìn nínú tẹmpili Ọlọ́run rẹ. 20Ohunkóhun mìíràn tí o bá nílò fún tẹmpili Ọlọ́run rẹ tí ó sì ní láti pèsè, o lè mú u láti inú ìṣúra ọba.
21Èmi, ọba Artasasta, pàṣẹ fún gbogbo olùtọ́jú ilé ìṣúra agbègbè Eufurate láìrójú láti pèsè ohunkóhun tí àlùfáà Esra, olùkọ́ni ní òfin Ọlọ́run ọ̀run bá béèrè lọ́wọ́ yín 22tó ọgọ́ọ̀rún kan tálẹ́ǹtì fàdákà, ọgọ́rùn-ún kan òṣùwọ̀n àlìkámà, àti dé ọgọ́rùn-ún bati ọtí wáìnì, àti dé ọgọ́rùn-ún bati òróró olifi, àti ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ iyọ̀. 23Ohunkóhun tí Ọlọ́run ọ̀run bá fẹ́, jẹ́ kí ó di ṣíṣe ní pípé fún tẹmpili Ọlọ́run ọ̀run. Èéṣe tí ìbínú yóò ṣe wá sí agbègbè ọba àti sí orí àwọn ọmọ rẹ̀? 24Ìwọ sì ní láti mọ̀ pé ìwọ kò ní àṣẹ láti sọ sísan owó orí, owó òde tàbí owó bodè di dandan fún àwọn àlùfáà, àwọn Lefi, àwọn akọrin, àwọn aṣọ́nà, àwọn òṣìṣẹ́ tẹmpili tàbí àwọn òṣìṣẹ́ mìíràn nínú ilé Ọlọ́run yìí.
25Ìwọ Esra, ní ìbámu pẹ̀lú ọgbọ́n Ọlọ́run rẹ̀, èyí tí ó ní, yan àwọn adájọ́ àgbà àti àwọn onídàájọ́ láti máa ṣe ìdájọ́ fún àwọn ènìyàn agbègbè Eufurate, gbogbo àwọn tí ó mọ òfin Ọlọ́run rẹ. Ìwọ yóò sì kọ́ ẹnikẹ́ni tí kò mọ̀ àwọn òfin náà. 26Ẹnikẹ́ni tí kò bá ṣe ìgbọ́ràn sí òfin Ọlọ́run rẹ àti sí òfin ọba ní ó gbọdọ̀ kú tàbí kí a lé e jáde tàbí kí a gbẹ́sẹ̀ lé ẹrù rẹ̀ tàbí kí a sọ ọ́ sínú ẹ̀wọ̀n.
27Olùbùkún ni Olúwa, Ọlọ́run àwọn baba wa, ẹni tí ó fi sí ọkàn ọba láti mú ọlá wá sí ilé Olúwa ní Jerusalẹmu ní ọ̀nà yìí. 28Ẹni tí ó jẹ́ kí ojúrere rẹ̀ tàn kàn mí níwájú ọba àti àwọn olùbádámọ̀ràn àti ní iwájú àwọn alágbára ìjòyè ọba. Nítorí ọwọ́ Olúwa Ọlọ́run wà lára mi, mo mú ọkàn le, mo sì kó àwọn olórí jọ láàrín àwọn ènìyàn Israẹli láti gòkè lọ pẹ̀lú mi.
