Ezra comes to Jerusalem
1After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest – 6this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. 7Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
8Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. 9He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. 10For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
King Artaxerxes’ letter to Ezra
11This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:
12Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
13Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14You are sent by the king and his seven advisors to enquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisors have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, 16together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. 17With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. 19Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
21Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you – 22up to a hundred talents7:22 That is, about 3.4 metric tons of silver, a hundred cors7:22 That is, probably about 16 metric tons of wheat, a hundred baths7:22 That is, about 2,200 litres of wine, a hundred baths7:22 That is, about 2,200 litres of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? 24You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
25And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates – all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. 26Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.
27Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honour to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28and who has extended his good favour to me before the king and his advisors and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.
Ezara Gũũka Jerusalemu
17:1 2Ath 25:18Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa maũndũ macio, rĩrĩa Aritashashita mũthamaki wa Perisia aathamakaga, Ezara mũrũ wa Seraia, mũrũ wa Azaria, mũrũ wa Hilikia, 27:2 1Ath 1:8; Ezek 40:46; Neh 11:11mũrũ wa Shalumu, mũrũ wa Zadoku, mũrũ wa Ahitubu, 3mũrũ wa Amaria, mũrũ wa Azaria, mũrũ wa Meraiothu, 4mũrũ wa Zerahia, mũrũ wa Uzi, mũrũ wa Buki, 57:5 1Maũ 6:4mũrũ wa Abishua, mũrũ wa Finehasi, mũrũ wa Eleazaru, mũrũ wa Harũni mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene, 67:6 Neh 12:36; 2Ath 25:28; Ezar 5:5Ezara ũcio nĩambatire oimĩte Babuloni. Aarĩ mũrutani mũũgĩ mũno ũhoro-inĩ wa Watho wa Musa, ũrĩa Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli aaheanĩte. Mũthamaki nĩamũheete indo ciothe iria aahooete kũrĩ we, tondũ guoko kwa Jehova Ngai wake kwarĩ hamwe nake. 77:7 Ezar 8:1Andũ amwe a Isiraeli, hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na Alawii, na aini a nyĩmbo, na aikaria a ihingo, na ndungata cia hekarũ o nao nĩmambatire magĩũka Jerusalemu mwaka wa mũgwanja wa wathani wa Aritashashita.
8Ezara aakinyire Jerusalemu mweri wa gatano wa mwaka wa mũgwanja wa mũthamaki. 9Aambĩrĩirie rũgendo rwake rwa kuuma Babuloni mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa mbere, na aakinyire Jerusalemu mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa gatano, tondũ guoko kwa ũtugi kwa Ngai wake kwarĩ hamwe nake. 10Nĩgũkorwo Ezara nĩerutĩire gũthoma na kũrũmia Watho wa Jehova, na kũrutana watho wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mawatho maguo kũu Isiraeli.
Marũa ma Mũthamaki Aritashashita kũrĩ Ezara
11Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa Mũthamaki Aritashashita aaheete Ezara ũcio mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mũrutani, mũndũ warĩ mũũgĩ maũndũ-inĩ makoniĩ maathani na mawatho ma kũrũmĩrĩrwo ma Jehova harĩ Isiraeli:
127:12 Ezek 26:7; Dan 2:377:12 Gĩchunjĩ gĩkĩ kĩandĩkirwo na rũthiomi rwa Asuriata rũrĩa rwatũmagĩrwo nĩ mabũrũri hĩndĩ ĩyo.Aritashashita, mũthamaki wa athamaki,
Kũrĩ Ezara ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mũrutani wa Watho wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ:
Nĩndakũgeithia.
13Rĩu-rĩ, nĩndaruta watho atĩ andũ a Isiraeli othe arĩa marĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wakwa, hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii, arĩa mangĩenda gũthiĩ nawe kũu Jerusalemu, no mathiĩ. 147:14 Esit 1:14Wee ũtũmĩtwo nĩ mũthamaki na ataari ake mũgwanja, ũthiĩ ũgatuĩrie ũhoro wa Juda na wa Jerusalemu, o ta ũrĩa Watho wa Ngai waku ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo guoko-inĩ gwaku ũtariĩ. 157:15 2Maũ 6:2O na ningĩ ũkuue betha na thahabu, iria mũthamaki na ataari ake maheanĩte na kwĩyendera kũrĩ Ngai wa Isiraeli ũrĩa ũtũũraga Jerusalemu, 16hamwe na betha na thahabu ciothe iria ingĩheanwo kuuma bũrũri wa Babuloni, o na mĩhothi ya kwĩyendera kuuma kũrĩ andũ na athĩnjĩri-Ngai, nĩ ũndũ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wao ĩrĩa ĩrĩ Jerusalemu. 177:17 Ndar 15:5-12; Gũcook 12:5-11Menyerera wone atĩ mbeeca ici nĩciagũra ndegwa, na ndũrũme na tũtũrũme, hamwe na maruta ma ngano na ma kũnyuuo, irutwo igongona hau kĩgongona-inĩ kĩa hekarũ ya Ngai waku kũu Jerusalemu.
18Wee na ariũ a thoguo Ayahudi no mwĩke o ũrĩa mũngĩona kwagĩrĩire na matigari ma betha na thahabu, kũringana na wendi wa Ngai wanyu. 197:19 Jer 27:22Twarĩrai Ngai wa Jerusalemu indo ciothe iria mwĩhokeirwo cia kũhũthagĩrwo mahooya-inĩ thĩinĩ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wanyu. 207:20 Ezar 6:4Na kĩndũ kĩngĩ o gĩothe kĩngĩendekana nĩ ũndũ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wanyu, o kĩrĩa ũngĩona mweke wa kũheana, no ũkĩrute kuuma kĩgĩĩna-inĩ kĩa mũthamaki.
21Na rĩrĩ, niĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita, nĩndatha aigi othe a kĩgĩĩna a Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati maheane na kĩyo kĩrĩa gĩothe Ezara ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, na mũrutani wa watho wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ angĩbatario nĩkĩo, 22gĩtakĩrĩte taranda igana rĩmwe7:22 nĩ ta tani ithatũ na robo ithatũ (3.75) cia betha, na kori igana rĩmwe7:22 nĩ ta kilo 3,400 cia ngano, na bathi igana rĩmwe7:22 nĩ ta lita 2,200 cia ndibei, na bathi igana rĩmwe cia maguta ma mĩtamaiyũ, na cumbĩ ũtarĩ gĩthimi. 237:23 Ezar 6:10Ũndũ ũrĩa wothe Ngai wa igũrũ atuĩte, nĩwĩkwo na kĩyo, ũndũ wothe ũkoniĩ hekarũ ya Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ. Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma kũgĩe na mangʼũrĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wa mũthamaki na ariũ ake? 24Ningĩ mũmenye atĩ mũtirĩ na watho wa gwĩtia mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai o wothe, na Alawii, na aini a nyĩmbo, na aikaria a ihingo, na ndungata cia hekarũ, kana andũ arĩa angĩ marutaga wĩra nyũmba-inĩ ĩyo ya Ngai igooti, kana maruta ma mũthamaki o na kana igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ.
257:25 Thaam 18:21, 26; Alaw 10:11Nawe Ezara, kũringana na ũũgĩ wa Ngai waku ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo, thuura aciirithania na atui a ciira nĩguo matuagĩre andũ othe a Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati ciira na kĩhooto, arĩa othe mooĩ watho wa Ngai wanyu. Nao arĩa matooĩ ũmarute. 267:26 Ezar 6:11Mũndũ o wothe ũtarĩathĩkagĩra watho wa Ngai waku na watho wa mũthamaki no nginya aherithio na ũndũ wa kũũragwo, kana aingatwo bũrũri, o na kana indo ciake itahwo, kana ohwo njeera.
277:27 Ezar 1:1; 1Maũ 29:12Jehova arogoocwo, Ngai wa maithe maitũ, ũrĩa wĩkĩrĩte ũndũ ũcio ngoro-inĩ ya mũthamaki, atĩ atĩĩithie nyũmba ya Jehova ĩrĩa ĩrĩ kũu Jerusalemu na njĩra ĩno, 287:28 2Ath 25:28; Ezar 5:5o ũcio ũtũmĩte njĩtĩkĩrĩke mbere ya mũthamaki, na ataarani ake, na anene othe a mũthamaki arĩa marĩ ũhoti. Tondũ guoko kwa Jehova Ngai wakwa kwarĩ hamwe na niĩ, nĩndeyũmĩrĩirie, ngĩcookanĩrĩria atongoria a Isiraeli nĩguo twambate nao.
