Bathu bakabuya kutapiwa
1 Aba misholo ye misha ne bakazwikwalisa kuzha nami kudwa ku Bhabhiloni mu tjibaka tje mbuso wa Mambo Atazezasi:
2 Zwizekugwana zwa Finihasi ndi Geshomu, zwizekugwana zwa Ithamari ndi Daniyele, zwizekugwana zwa Dafite ndi Hatushi, 3 zwizekugwana zwa Shekaniya, zwizekugwana zwa Paroshi, kuna Zekariya kwakabe kwa zwikwalisa balume bali zana ling'ompela lina bali makumi mashanu (150); 4 zwizekugwana zwa Pahatimoabu, Elihoenayi nkololo wa Zeraya iye wakabe ana balume bali mazana mabili (200); 5 zwizekugwana zwa Shekaniya nkololo wa Jahaziele iye wakabe ana balume bali mazana matatu (300); 6 zwizekugwana zwa Adini, Ebedi nkololo wa Jonatani iye wakabe ana balume bali makumi mashanu (50); 7 zwizekugwana zwa Elamu, Jeshaya nkololo wa Ataliya iye wakabe ana balume bali makumi ali kutendeka (70); 8 zwizekugwana zwa Shefatiya, Zebadiya nkololo wa Mikaele iye wakabe ana balume bali makumi ali zhanakadzi (80); 9 zwizekugwana zwa Joabu, Obhadiya nkololo wa Jehiele iye wakabe ana balume bali mazana mabili ana bali gumi lina zhanakadzi (218); 10 zwizekugwana zwa Bhani, Shelomiti nkololo wa Josifiya iye wakabe ana balume bali zana ling'ompela lina bali makumi ali tathatu (160); 11 zwizekugwana zwa Bhebayi, Zekariya nkololo wa Bhebayi iye wakabe ana balume bali makumi mabili ana bali zhanakadzi (28); 12 zwizekugwana zwa Azagadi, Johanani nkololo wa Hakatani iye wakabe ana balume bali zana ling'ompela lina bali gumi (110); 13 zwizekugwana zwa Adonikamu, be bupelo yakabe ili Elifeleti, Jeyele na Shemaya ibo bakabe bana balume bali makumi ali tathatu (60); 14 zwizekugwana zwa Bhigivayi, Uthayi na Zakhuri ibo bakabe bana balume bali makumi ali kutendeka (70).
Ezera unowana Balevi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
15 Ndakabakubunganya pa gwizi gunowungila ku Ahava, ngono takagala ipapo tjibaka tje mazhuba matatu. Ndakati ndilinga mu bathu ne bapirisiti awana ili kuti akuna Balevi mubali. 16 Ipapo ayisa thumi kuna Eliezeri, Ariele, Shemaya, Elinathani, Jaribu, Elinathani, Nathani, Zekariya na Meshulamu bakabe bali batungamili na Joyaribu na Elinathani balume bakabe bana zibo hwulu kuti badaniwe, 17 ngono ndakabatuma kuna Ido ntungamili ku Kasifiya. Ndakababudza kuti baswike balebe beitini kuna Ido ne banung'una babe neku bashingi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu ku Kasifiya, kuti ndizo batitumilile bathu bangazha beshinga mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu. 18 Se tjiazha tje Ndzimu wedu tjakabe tjinaswi, bakatitumila nlume unohwisisa, edwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Mahili nkololo wa Levi, nkololo wa Iziraela unodang'wa Sherebiya ana bakololo babe ne makamu awe bali gumi lina zhanakadzi, (18) 19 na Hashabiya kose na Jeshaya kudwa mu zwizekugwana zwa Merari ne makamu awe ne bakololo babo ali makumi mabili. 20 Kakale bakazha ne bashingi be Ng'umba ye Ndzimu bali mazana mabili ana makumi mabili (220) bakabe bashalugwa ndi Dafite ne makulukota awe kuti babhatshe Balevi. Bose bakadang'wa nge mazina.
Ezera unotungamila bathu mu kuzwinyima zojiwa
21 Pa gwizi gwe Ahava ndakazibisa mmwe ne mmwe kuti tizwinyime zojiwa kuti ndizo tizwiyise pasi mbeli kwe Ndzimu wedu kuti utipe gwendo gubuyanana ne bana bedu kose ne thundu yedu. 22 Ndakabe ndina shoni dze kukumbila mambo kuti batipe babhayani ne batathi be mbizi kuti batibakilile mu zwita zwatingashangana nazo mu zila, ngobe ndakabe ndabudza mambo kuti ngoni dze Ndzimu wedu dzina mmwe ne mmwe unolinga kuwuli, ngono simba ne bushongola gwawo zowila bose banousiya. 23 Takazwinyima zojiwa ngono tikakumbila Ndzimu wedu ngekwa ikoku. Ngono wakadabila mitembezelo yedu.
Zwipo zwe Ng'umba ye Ndzimu
24 Kudwapo ndakashalula bapirisiti banolaula bali gumi lina babili Sherebiya na Hashabiya ne banung'una babo bali gumi. 25 Kudwapo ndakabayelela siliva ne golide ne zwija ne zwipo zwakabe zwadusiwa ndi mambo ne hadzasha dzidze ne makulukota awe, zwakashangana ne zwakabe zwadusiwa nge tjaba ye Iziraela kuti zwishingisiwe mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu abapa izo. 26 Ndakayela abapa mu maboko abo talenta dze siliva dzili mazana ali tathatu ana dzili makumi ali mashanu (650) ne zwija zwakathamiwa nge siliva zwili zana ling'ompela (100) ne talenta dze golide dzili zana ling'ompela (100) ne 27 ndilo hwulo dzili makumi mabili (20) dzakathamwa nge golide dze themba ye tjiwulu tji ng'ompela (1 000) tje dzidarisi ne zwija zwe phangula zwili zwibili zwakanaka zwinga golide.
28 Ndakati ku bali, “Imwi koga se zwija izwezwi makayengemala, makapiwa Yahwe. Siliva ne golide zwipo zwe moyo ntjena zwakapiwa Yahwe Ndzimu wa bobatategulu benyu. 29 Muzwitjengete kwazokwazo kuswikila mu zwiyela mbeli kwe bapirisiti banolaula ne Balevi ne misholo ye misha ye Iziraela mu Jerusalema mu Ng'umba ya Yahwe.” 30 Ndizo bapirisiti ne Balevi bakaamutjila siliva ne golide ne zwija zwakabe zwayegwa bezwiyisa ku Ng'umba ye Ndzimu wedu ku Jerusalema.
Kubgwilila ku Jerusalema
31 Mu zhuba le bugumi lina kubili le mwedzi we kutanga takamilika pa gwizi gwe Ahava tilinga ku Jerusalema. Tjiyazha tje Ndzimu tjakabe tjinaswi, Ndzimu wakabe wakati bakilila mu zwita ne mu balalili mu zila. 32 Ngono takaswika mu Jerusalema, tikanyaluluka mazhuba ali matatu. 33 Mu zhuba le bunna mu Ng'umba ye Ndzimu, takayela siliva ne golide ne zwija zwimwe tikazwilonga mu maboko a Meremoti nkololo wa Uriya we mpirisiti, Eleazari nkololo wa Finihasi bana Balevi Jozabadi nkololo wa Jeshuwa na Nowadiya nkololo wa Bhinuyi. 34 Tjimwe ne tjimwe tjakabagwa tjikayegwa, ngono kukakwagwa tjimwe ne tjimwe tjabagwa ne tjayegwa mu tjibaka itjetjo.
35 Ngono batapiwa bakabuya kudwa mu busungwa bakapisila Ndzimu we Iziraela zwibhayilo: mikono ili gumi lina mibili ili milile njudzi dzili gumi lina kubili dze Iziraela, nyundo dzili makumi ali zhanalume ana dzili tathatu (96) ne pkhwizana dzili makumi ali kutendeka ana dzili kutendeka (77) ne mbudzi dzili gumi lina mbili dze tjibhayilo tje jinyo. Ngono ikoko kose kwakapisigwa Yahwe. 36 Kakale bakatola ndaulo ya mambo bakaipa makulukota ne balauli be golombedzo le Yufuratesi. Kudwapo bakabhatsha bathu ne Ng'umba ye Ndzimu.
The People Who Returned from Exile
1 This is the list of the heads of the clans who had been in exile in Babylonia and who returned with Ezra to Jerusalem when Artaxerxes was emperor:
2-14 Gershom, of the clan of PhinehasDaniel, of the clan of IthamarHattush son of Shecaniah, of the clan of DavidZechariah, of the clan of Parosh, with 150 men of his clan (there were records of their family lines)Eliehoenai son of Zerahiah, of the clan of Pahath Moab, with 200 menShecaniah son of Jahaziel, of the clan of Zattu, with 300 menEbed son of Jonathan, of the clan of Adin, with 50 menJeshaiah son of Athaliah, of the clan of Elam, with 70 menZebadiah son of Michael, of the clan of Shephatiah, with 80 menObadiah son of Jehiel, of the clan of Joab, with 218 menShelomith son of Josiphiah, of the clan of Bani, with 160 menZechariah son of Bebai, of the clan of Bebai, with 28 menJohanan son of Hakkatan, of the clan of Azgad, with 110 menEliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, of the clan of Adonikam, with 60 men (they returned at a later date)Uthai and Zaccur, of the clan of Bigvai, with 70 men
Ezra Finds Levites for the Temple
15 I assembled the entire group by the canal that runs to the town of Ahava, and we camped there three days. I found that there were priests in the group, but no Levites. 16 I sent for nine of the leaders: Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, and for two teachers, Joiarib and Elnathan. 17 I sent them to Iddo, head of the community at Casiphia, to ask him and his associates, the Temple workers, to send us people to serve God in the Temple. 18 Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli; and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him. 19 They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives. 20 In addition there were 220 Temple workers whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed by name.
Ezra Leads the People in Fasting and Prayer
21 There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions. 22 I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him. 23 So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
The Gifts for the Temple
24 From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others. 25 Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests. 26-27 This is what I gave them:
silver - 25 tons100 silver utensils - 150 poundsgold - 7,500 pounds20 gold bowls - 270 ounces2 fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls
28 I said to them, “You are sacred to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings. 29 Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms weigh them and turn them over to the leaders of the priests and of the Levites, and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem.” 30 So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Return to Jerusalem
31 It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. Our God was with us and protected us from enemy attacks and from ambush as we traveled. 32 When we reached Jerusalem, we rested three days. 33 Then on the fourth day we went to the Temple, weighed the silver, the gold, and the utensils, and turned them over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui. 34 Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.
35 All those who had returned from exile then brought offerings to be burned as sacrifices to the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs; they also offered 12 goats to purify themselves from sin. All these animals were burned as sacrifices to the Lord. 36 They also took the document the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of West-of-Euphrates Province, who then gave their support to the people and the Temple worship.