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 Arrives in Jerusalem
1 Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron.
6-7 Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Moses. Because Ezra had the blessing of the Lord his God, the emperor gave him everything he asked for. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workers. 8-9 They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. 10 Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.
The Document Which Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra
11 Emperor Artaxerxes gave the following document to Ezra, the priest and scholar, who had a thorough knowledge of the laws and commands which the Lord had given to Israel:
12 “From Emperor Artaxerxes to the priest Ezra, scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven.
13 “I command that throughout my empire all the Israelite people, priests, and Levites that so desire be permitted to go with you to Jerusalem. 14 I, together with my seven counselors, send you to investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the Law of your God, which has been entrusted to you, is being obeyed. 15 You are to take with you the gold and silver offerings which I and my counselors desire to give to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. 16 You are also to take all the silver and gold which you collect throughout the province of Babylon and the offerings which the Israelite people and their priests give for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 “You are to spend this money carefully and buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine and offer them on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. 18 You may use the silver and gold that is left over for whatever you and your people desire, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 You are to present to God in Jerusalem all the utensils that have been given to you for use in the Temple services. 20 And anything else which you need for the Temple, you may get from the royal treasury.
21 “I command all the treasury officials in West-of-Euphrates Province to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven, everything he asks you for, 22 up to a limit of 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as needed. 23 You must be careful to provide everything which the God of Heaven requires for his Temple, and so make sure that he is never angry with me or with those who reign after me. 24 You are forbidden to collect any taxes from the priests, Levites, musicians, guards, workers, or anyone else connected with this Temple.
25 “You, Ezra, using the wisdom which your God has given you, are to appoint administrators and judges to govern all the people in West-of-Euphrates who live by the Law of your God. You must teach that Law to anyone who does not know it. 26 If any disobey the laws of your God or the laws of the empire, they are to be punished promptly: by death or by exile or by confiscation of their property or by imprisonment.”
Ezra Praises God
27 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 28 By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the Lord my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me.”