1 Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, 2 The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, 3 The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, 4 The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, 5 The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest: 6 This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. 7 And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king. 8 And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. 9 For upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. 10 For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the LORD, and to do it , and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
11 ¶ Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the LORD, and of his statutes to Israel. 12 Artaxerxes, king of kings, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace , and at such a time. 13 I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee. 14 Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellors, to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand; 15 And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem, 16 And all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem: 17 That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem. 18 And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after the will of your God. 19 The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of Jerusalem. 20 And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house. 21 And I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily, 22 Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much . 23 Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons? 24 Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, upon them. 25 And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. 26 And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 ¶ Blessed be the LORD God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the LORD which is in Jerusalem: 28 And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the LORD my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
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.