Ezra 7
1 Hae tiah oh pacoeng, Persia siangpahrang Artaxerxes dung nathuem ah, Ezara ih capa loe Seraiah, anih loe Azariah ih capa, anih loe Hilkiah ih capa,
[Many/Fifty years] later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, I, Ezra came from Babylon here to Jerusalem. I am the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah.
2 anih loe Shallum ih capa, anih loe Zadok ih capa, anih loe Ahitub ih capa,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 anih loe Amariah ih capa, anih loe Azariah ih capa, anih loe Meriaoth ih capa,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 anih loe Zerahiah ih capa, anih loe Uzzi ih capa, anih loe Bukki ih capa,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 anih loe Abishua ih capa, anih loe Phinehas ih capa, anih loe Eleazar ih capa, anih loe kalen koek qaima Aaron ih capa ah oh;
who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the [first] Supreme Priest.
6 Hae Ezra loe Babylon hoiah angzoh; anih loe ca tarikkung ah oh moe, Israel Angraeng Sithaw mah paek ih, Mosi ih daan panoek bit kami ah oh: angmah ih Angraeng Sithaw loe anih nuiah oh pongah, a hnik sarui hmuen to siangpahrang mah anih hanah paek.
I am a man who knows very well the laws that Moses [wrote]. Those were the laws that Yahweh, the God whom we Israeli people ([worship/belong to]), had given to us Israeli people. When I arrived in Jerusalem, Yahweh my God was kind to me, and as a result the [people] gave me everything that I had requested the king to [tell them to] give to me.
7 Thoemto Israel kaminawk, qaimanawk, Levinawk, laasah kaminawk, khongkha toep kaminawk hoi im ah toksah tamnanawk loe, Artaxerxes siangpahrang ah ohhaih saning sarihto naah, Jerusalem ah caeh o tahang.
Some of the priests, some [other] descendants of Levi, [some] singers, [some] (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple), and [some] men who worked in the temple, and some other [Israeli] people came up with me here to Jerusalem. That was during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia].
8 Ezra loe siangpahrang toksakhaih saning sarihto haih, khrah pangato naah, Jerusalem ah phak.
We left Babylon on April 8, which was the first day of the Jewish year. Because God was very kind to us, we arrived [safely] in Jerusalem on August 4 of that year.
9 Anih loe khrah tangsuekhaih niah Babylon hoiah caeh moe, angmah ih Sithaw tahmenhaih anih nuiah oh pongah, khrah pangato haih, ni tangsuek naah Jerusalem vangpui to a phak.
10 Ezra loe Sithaw ih daan pazui hanah, kahoih ah amtuk moe, Israel kaminawk patuk hanah poekhaih a tawnh.
During my entire life, I devoted myself to studying the laws of Yahweh, and how to obey those laws. I had also taught those laws and all their regulations to the Israeli people [for many years].
11 Hae ca loe Artaxerxes siangpahrang mah qaima, ca tarikkung Ezra khaeah paek ih tarik pakong ih kawpi ca ah oh; anih loe Israel kaminawk zaehhoihhaih daan, Angraeng mah paek ih loknawk tarikkung ah oh.
King Artaxerxes [knew that] I am a priest who knows the Jewish laws very well. [He knew that for many years] I had studied those laws and had taught all the rules and regulations of those laws to the Israeli people. [So before I left Babylon to come to Jerusalem, ] he wrote a letter, and gave a copy to me. [This is what he wrote]:
12 Siangpahrangnawk ih siangpahrang Artaxerxes mah, van Sithaw ih daan patukkung, qaima Ezra khaeah, monghaih om nasoe, tiah vaihi ca ka tarik.
[“This letter is] from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. [I am giving it] to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God [who is/rules] in heaven [gave to the Israeli people].
13 Ka prae thungah kaom, qaimanawk, Levinawk hoi Israel kaminawk boih, mi kawbaktih doeh Jerusalem ah caeh koeh kami loe, nangmah hoi nawnto caeh o nasoe, tiah lok takroekhaih ka sak boeh.
“Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israeli people in my kingdom who want to are allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who will work in the temple] who want to go.
14 Vaihi na ban ah kaom, na Sithaw ih patukhaih daan baktih, Judah hoi Jerusalem kawng to dueng hanah, siangpahrang hoi poekhaih kahoih paekkung sarihto mah, ang patoeh baktih toengah;
I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in [other towns in] Judah. You are taking with you [MTY] a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.
15 siangpahrang hoi poekhaih kahoih paekkungnawk mah, Jerusalem ah kaom, Israel Sithaw khaeah azom ah paek ih sui hoi sumkanglungnawk,
[We are also saying that] you should take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it to be an offering to the God who [rules] the Israeli people and who lives in Jerusalem.
16 Jerusalem ah kaom, angmacae ih Sithaw im hanah, kaminawk hoi qaimanawk mah azom ah paek ih, Babylon prae thung hoiah hak ih sui hoi sumkanglungnawk boih doeh sin ah;
You should also take any silver and gold that the people in the entire Babylonia province give to you, and the money that the priests and [other] Israeli people have happily said that they would give to you to be offerings for building the temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 hae phoisa hoiah maitaw taenawk, tuu taenawk, tuu caanawk, paek han koi canghumnawk hoi naek han koi tuinawk to qan ah loe, Jerusalem ih na Sithaw hmaicam ah tathlang ah.
With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar [outside] the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 Nangmah hoi nam nawkamyanawk mah, sak han hoih, tiah na poek o ih baktih toengah, sui hoi sumkanglung to na Sithaw koehhaih baktiah patoh oh.
“If there is any silver or gold that remains [you have bought all those things], you and your companions/colleagues are permitted to use it to [buy] whatever you desire, but buy only things that [you know that] God wants you to buy.
19 Na Sithaw ih im ah toksak haih hanah, nang khaeah kang paek ih laom sabaenawk doeh, Jerusalem Sithaw hmaa ah paek boih ah.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Na Sithaw im han kangaih hmuen, paek han koi kalah hmuennawk om vop nahaeloe, siangpahrang ih phoisa hoiah paek ah.
If you need any other things for the temple, you are permitted to get the money for those things from the building here where my government’s money is kept/stored.
21 Van Sithaw ih lokpaekhaih ca tarikkung, qaima Ezra mah hnik ih hmuennawk boih to, paek hanah vaihi kai, Artaxxerxes siangpahrang mah, vapui yaeh ah kaom hmuenmae pakuemkungnawk khaeah,
“And I, King Artaxerxes, command this to all the treasurers in the province west of the [Euphrates] River: 'Give to Ezra, the priest who has studied very well the laws of the God [who is/rules] in heaven, everything that he requests, and give it to him quickly.
22 sumkanglung talent cumvaito, cang kor cumvaito, misurtui bath cumvaito, olive situi bath cumvaito hoi noek ai ah paloi to paek o hanah, lok ka paek boeh.
The most that you should give to him is (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and 550 gallons of [olive] oil, but give to him all the salt that they need.
23 Siangpahrang hoi a caanawk nuiah palungphui han ai ah, van Sithaw mah hnik ih hmuen boih, van Sithaw ih im hanah tha pathok oh loe, paek oh;
Be sure that you provide whatever their God requires for his temple, because we certainly do not [RHQ] want him to be angry with me or with my descendants who will later be kings.
24 to pacoengah qaimanawk, Levinawk, laasah kaminawk, khongkha toep kaminawk, Nethinims tiah kawk ih im thungah toksah kaminawk hoi kalah im toksah tamnanawk khaeah, tamut na cong o mak ai, tiah panoek sak han ka koeh.
We are also commanding that none of the priests, descendants of Levi, musicians, temple guards, or other men who work in the temple, will be required to pay any kind of taxes.'
25 Nang Ezra doeh, Sithaw palunghahaih na tawnh baktih toengah, vapui yaeh ah kaom kaminawk mah, toenghaih hoi lokcaek o thaih moe, na Sithaw mah paek ih lok to patuk hanah, ukkungnawk hoi lokcaekkungnawk to suem ah.
“Ezra, your God has enabled you to become very wise. Using that wisdom, appoint men in the province west of the [Euphrates] River who will judge cases involving the people, and men who will judge cases involving the government. You must appoint men who know the laws of your God. All of you must teach God’s laws to others who do not know them.
26 Mi kawbaktih doeh na Sithaw patukhaih koeh ai moe, siangpahrang lok tahngai ai kami loe humhaih, haekhaih, hmuenmae lomh paehaih, thongim thungah pakhrakhaih to karangah paek oh, tiah tarik ih lok to ca thungah oh.
Everyone who does not obey God’s laws or the laws of my government must be punished severely. Some of them will be executed, some will be put in prison, some will be sent out of the country or have all their property taken away from them.”
27 Aicae ampanawk ih Angraeng Sithaw loe tahamhoihaih om nasoe, Angraeng mah Jerusalem ih im kranghoisak hanah, siangpahrang palungthin thungah toksak pae;
[Because King Artaxerxes was very kind like that, I said], “Praise Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped/belonged to]! He has caused the king to want to honor the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
28 Angraeng mah ni a tahmenhaih to siangpahrang khaeah, poekhaih kahoih paek kaminawk hoi thacak siangpahrang ih angraengnawk boih hmaa ah amtuengsak. Ka Angraeng Sithaw ih ban ka nuiah oh pongah, tha ka cak moe, kai hoi nawnto caeh hanah Israel thung ih kacoehtanawk to amkhuengsak.
Because God was very kind to me, the king and all his advisors and all his powerful officials have also been kind to me. So, because God has helped me, I have become encouraged, and I have [been able to] persuade some of the Israeli leaders to go up to Jerusalem with me.”
