Swika kwa Ezera mu Jerusalema
1 Shule kwe zwithu izwezwi, mu tjibaka tje mbuso wa Atazezasi mambo we Pheshiya, Ezera nkololo wa Seraya ali nkololo wa Azariya, Azariya ali nkololo wa Hilikiya, Hilikiya ali 2 nkololo wa Shalumu, Shalumu ali nkololo wa Zadoki, Zadoki ali nkololo wa Ahitubu, 3 Ahitubu ali nkololo wa Amariya, Amariya ali nkololo wa Meraoti, Meraoti ali 4 nkololo wa Zeraya, Zeraya ali nkololo wa Uzi, Uzi ali nkololo wa Bhuki, Bhuki ali 5 nkololo wa Abishuwa, Abishuwa ali nkololo wa Finihasi, Finihasi ali nkololo wa Eleazari nkololo wa Aroni ntungamili we bapirisiti.
6 Ezera iwoyu wakabe edwa ku Bhabhiloni. Wakabe ali n'diyi, ana luzibo gukulu mu nlayo wa Mushe waakabe aupiwa ndi Yahwe Ndzimu we Iziraela. Mambo bakampa tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaakabe akumbila ngobe Ndzimu wakabe unaye. 7 Bathu bamwe be Baiziraela ne bapirisiti, Balevi, bambi, balisi be mikoba, bashingi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bakaswika ku Jerusalema mu gole le kutendeka le mbuso wa Mambo Atazezasi. 8 Ezera wakaswika mu Jerusalema mu mwedzi we bushanu mu gole le kutendeka le mbuso wa mambo. 9 Gwendo kudwa ku Bhabhiloni gwakatangisa mu zhuba le kutanga le mwedzi wekutanga ngono muzhuba le kutanga le mwedzi we bushanu kaswika mu Jerusalema ngoti tjiazha tje Ndzimu tjakabe tjinaye. 10 Ezera wakabe akazwimisila kuzwidiya, ne kusalashule nlayo wa Yahwe ne kuti kakale adiye ndaulo ne sumikiliso dzawo mu itjaba tje Iziraela.
Lukwalo gwa Mambo Atazezasi ekwalila Ezera
11 Oku ntutshi we lukwalo gwakadwa kuna Mambo Atazezasi guli gwa Ezera mpirisiti, n'diyi we nlayo, nlume wakazwidiya zose zwakalingisana ne milayo ya Yahwe ne ndaulo dzabo ku Iziraela:
12 “Atazezasi mambo wa bomambo, kuna Ezera we mpirisiti, n'diyi we nlayo we Ndzimu we kudzimu: Dumiliso.
13 “Ndolaula kuti, bose bathu be Iziraela kene bapirisiti ne Balevi bamu mbuso wangu, banoshaka kuyenda nawe ku Jerusalema ungayenda nabo. 14 Imi ne hadzasha dzangu dzili kutendeka, tokutuma kuti unoshakisisa tjimo ku Jerusalema ne Juda kuti nlayo we Ndzimu uwo, umu maboko awo unosagwa shule. 15 Kakale utole siliva ne golide zwakadusiwa ndi mambo ne hadzasha dzabo bezwidusila Ndzimu we Iziraela iwo unogala mu Jerusalema, 16 utole siliva yose ne golide zwa unowobe wawana mu ntuthu we Bhabhiloni kose ne zwipo zwe moyo ntjena zwe bathu ne bapirisiti zwidusigwa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wabo mu Jerusalema.
17 “Mari iyawa uwashingise nge njele, utenge mikono ne nyundo ne pkhwizana, kose ne zwinopisiwa nazo, zwipo zwe mathunde ne zwe tjing'o, ngono uzwipise mu tjibeso tjinopisigwa zwibhayilo tje Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wenyu mu Jerusalema. 18 Ungashingisa siliva ne golide ne tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaunobona tjakalulwama, iwe ne bashingidzani nawe, nge kuda kwe Ndzimu wenyu. 19 Uyise zwija zose zwawakapiwa kuti zwishingisiwe mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, ku Ndzimu we Jerusalema. 20 Koga zwija zwimwe zwinoshakika zwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu uwo, zwawakafanila kuishakila, uzwilipe nge mari e dula la mambo.
21 “Ngwenu imi Mambo Atazezasi ndolaula kuti babhati be mari e matula e bushe mu Golombedzo le Yufuratesi bape Ezera we mpirisiti, n'diyi we nlayo we Ndzimu u kudzimu, tjimwe ne tjimwe tjaanomukumbila tjishingwe kwakamusiwa meya. 22 Mumpe kunoswika zwiwulu zwili zwitatu ne mazana ali manna (3 400) e seme dze siliva ne masaka e korong ali mazana manna (400) ne dzilitha dze nkumbi we zhambi dzili zwiwulu zwibili ne mazana ali mabili (2 200) ne dzilitha dze mafuta e ntoba dzili zwiwulu zwibili zwina mazana mabili ne mwenyu nnjinji usina tjilizanyo. 23 Tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakalebgwa nge Ndzimu u kudzimu tjishingwe kwakamusiwa meya, tjishingigwa Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ukudzimu, kusajalo bushongola gowowila mbuso wa mambo ne bagalithaka babe. 24 Kakale muzibe kuti amuna simba le kudusisa bapirisiti, Balevi kene bambi kene balisi be mikoba ne bashingi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu likhetho ne ndilo ya Nzinda kene mimwiso.
25 “Ngono iwe Ezera mu butjenjedu gwawakapiwa nge Ndzimu, shalula basumikilisi ndizo babone kuti ndulamo inobepo mu bathu bose be golombedzo le Yufuratesi, bose banoziba milayo ye Ndzimu. Ngono udiye mmwe ne mmwe usingaizibe. 26 Ani kene ani usingatobele nlayo we Ndzimu uwo ne nlayo wa mambo wakafanila kuti alobgwe shamu ye lufu kene atatiwe, atolegwe thundu kene alongwe mu ng'umba ye busungwa.”
Ezera unokudza Ndzimu
27 Gudzo libe kuna Yahwe, Ndzimu wa bobatategulu bedu, ibo bakakulonga mu moyo wa mambo kuti Ng'umba ya Yahwe itetiwe mu Jerusalema nge zila iyeyi. 28 Ibo bakapitshila ludo gwabo kundili mbeli kwa mambo ne hadzasha dzidze. Ngekuti tjiazha tja Yahwe Ndzimu wangu tjakabe tjinami, ndakasimisa moyo akubunganya balume be batungamili mu Iziraela kuti bayende nami.
Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
1-6 Much later, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra came to Jerusalem from Babylonia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah. His other ancestors were Hilkiah, Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub, Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth, Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki, Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, and Aaron, the high priest.
Ezra was an expert in the Law that the Lord God of Israel had given to Moses, and the Lord made sure that the king gave Ezra everything he asked for.
7 Other Jews, including priests, Levites, musicians, the temple guards, and servants, came to Jerusalem with Ezra. This happened during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king.
8-9 God helped Ezra, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month of that seventh year, after leaving Babylonia on the first day of the first month. 10 Ezra had spent his entire life studying and obeying the Law of the Lord and teaching it to others.
Artaxerxes Gives a Letter to Ezra
11 Ezra was a priest and an expert in the laws and commands that the Lord had given to Israel. One day King Artaxerxes gave Ezra a letter which said:
12 Greetings from the great King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and expert in the teachings of the God of heaven.
13-14 Any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom may go with you to Jerusalem if they want to. My seven advisors and I agree that you may go to Jerusalem and Judah to find out if the laws of your God are being obeyed.
15 When you go, take the silver and gold that I and my advisors are freely giving to the God of Israel, whose temple is in Jerusalem. 16 Take the silver and gold that you collect from everywhere in Babylonia. Also take the gifts that your own people and priests have so willingly contributed for the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
17 Use the money carefully to buy the best bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine. Then sacrifice them on the altar at God's temple in Jerusalem. 18 If any silver or gold is left, you and your people may use it for whatever pleases your God. 19 Give your God the other articles that have been contributed for use in his temple. 20 If you need to get anything else for the temple, you may have the money you need from the royal treasury.
21 Ezra, you are a priest and an expert in the laws of the God of heaven, and I order all treasurers in Western Province to do their very best to help you. 22 They will be allowed to give as much as 3.4 tons of silver, 10 tons of wheat, 2,000 liters of wine, 2,000 liters of olive oil, and all the salt you need.
23 They must provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his temple, so that he won't be angry with me and with the kings who rule after me. 24 We want you to know that no priests, Levites, musicians, guards, temple servants, or any other temple workers will have to pay any kind of taxes.
25 Ezra, use the wisdom God has given you and choose officials and leaders to govern the people of Western Province. These leaders should know God's laws and have them taught to anyone who doesn't know them. 26 Everyone who fails to obey God's Law or the king's law will be punished without pity. They will either be executed or put in prison or forced to leave their country, or have all they own taken away.
Ezra Praises God
27 Because King Artaxerxes was so kind, Ezra said:
Praise the Lord God of our ancestors! He made sure that the king honored the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. 28 God has told the king, his advisors, and his powerful officials to treat me with kindness. The Lord God has helped me, and I have been able to bring many Jewish leaders back to Jerusalem.