Ezra 7
1 Hathnukkhu, Persia siangpahrang Artaxerxes a bawi lahun nah Ezra teh Babilon hoi a tho. Seraiah teh Azariah capa doeh, Azariah teh Hilkiah capa doeh.
[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 Hilkiah teh Shallum capa doeh, Shallum teh Zadok capa doeh, Zadok teh Ahitub capa doeh.
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 Ahitub teh Amariah capa doeh, Amariah teh Azariah capa doeh. Azariah teh Meraioth capa doeh.
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 Meraioth teh Zerahiah capa doeh, Zerahiah teh Uzzi capa doeh, Bukki teh Abishua capa doeh, Abishua teh Phinehas capa doeh.
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 Phinehas teh Eleazar capa doeh, Eleazar teh vaihma bawi Aron capa doeh.
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 Babilon hoi ka tho e cakathutkung Ezra teh Isarel BAWIPA Cathut ni Mosi koe poe e kâlawknaw kathoum poung e lah ao. Ahnie lathueng vah BAWIPA Cathut ni a kut hoi a okhai e patetlah siangpahrang ni a hei e naw pueng hah a poe.
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 Hahoi, siangpahrang Artaxerxes a bawinae kum 7 nah, Isarel catoun tangawn, vaihma tangawn, Levih catoun tangawn, la kasaknaw tangawn, longkha karingkungnaw tangawn, Nethinim taminaw tangawn teh Jerusalem lah a ceitakhang awh.
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 Hahoi siangpahrang a bawinae kum 7 thapa yung 5 nah, Ezrah teh Jerusalem vah a pha.
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 Thapa yung apasuek apasuek hnin vah Babilon hoi a tâco teh Cathut ni ahni koe a okhai teh, thapa ayung panga, apasuek hni vah Jerusalem vah a pha.
10 Bangkongtetpawiteh, Ezra ni Cathut e lawk a tawng teh tarawi hane hoi Isarelnaw phunglam hoi hringnuen cangkhai hanelah a lungthin hoi a kâcai.
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 Hethateh, siangpahrang Artaxerxes ni vaihma Ezra, ca kathutkung, BAWIPA e kâpoelawknaw hoi Isarelnaw hanelah, phunglawknaw kathoum e tami koe a patawn e ca doeh.
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 Siangpahrangnaw e siangpahrang Artaxerxes ni vaihma Ezra, kalvan e Cathut e kâlawk ka thut e koe kakuep e roumnae awm lawiseh.
[“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 ram thung kaawm e Isarelnaw, vaihmanaw hoi Levihnaw hah Jerusalem lah cei hane ka ngai e tami pueng nang koe cei hanelah kâ ka poe.
“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 Na sin e Cathut e kâlawk patetlah Judah ram hoi Jerusalem e kong teh rip hane lah,
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 Jerusalem kaawm e Isarel Cathut dawk lungthoungnae lahoi siangpahrang hoi lawkcengkungnaw ni poe e tangka hoi suinaw ceikhai hanelah siangpahrang hoi lawkcengkung 7 touh a patoun e doeh.
[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 Babilon ramnaw dawk na hmu e naw pueng sui ngun ma lungthonae lahoi taminaw hoi vaihmanaw ni a poe e Jerusalem e Cathut im hanelah lunghawicalah poe e naw doeh.
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 Hahoi hote sui ngun hoi maitotan thoseh, tutan thoseh, tuca thoseh ca hane hoi nei kawi thueng nahanelah, tawngtang na ran awh han. Telah pawiteh Jerusalem vah kaawm e nangmae Cathut im dawk e khoungroe dawk na thueng awh han.
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 Sui ngun hai kacawie naw pueng teh na Cathut a hnâbo e patetlah nang hoi na hmaunawnghanaw hoi ahawi na ti awh e patetlah na kâdei awh han.
“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 Cathut im thawtawknae dawk hnopai poe e naw pueng teh Jerusalem e Cathut im dawk na tâ awh han.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Na Cathut e im saknae dawk panki e alouke awm pawiteh siangpahrang e hnopai na hno awh han.
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 Kai siangpahrang Artaxerxes ni tui namran lae hnopai kakhoumkungnaw teh, vaihma Ezra, kalvan Cathut e kâlawk kathutkung ni a hei e naw pueng hah,
“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 ngun talen 100, cakang hmuen 100, misurtui um 100, satuium 100, palawi naw poe awh loe telah kâ ka poe.
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 Kalvan Cathut ni kâ poe naw pueng, hot patetlah kalvan Cathut e im hanelah sak naseh, lungkhueknae teh siangpahrang hoi a canaw e lathueng bangkongmaw khuet ao han vaw.
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 Vaihmanaw hoi Levih miphunnaw, la kasaknaw hoi longkha karingkungnaw hoi Nethinimnaw, hete Cathut e im dawk thaw katawknaw heh tamuk thoseh, hnopai phu thoseh, laikawk phu thoseh na cawi sak awh mahoeh telah na thaisak awh.
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, na tawn e Cathut ni lungangnae na poe e patetlah tui namran lah kaawmnaw lawkceng pouh hane kahrawikungnaw hoi lawkcengkungnaw hoi Cathut e kâlawk kapanueknaw hah thaw poe awh, ka panuek hoeh e naw hah pâtu awh.
“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 Na Cathut e kâlawk hoi siangpahrang e kâlawk ka ngai hoeh e tami teh a due totouh thoseh, ram thung hoi pâlei totouh thoseh, hnopai la pouh e totouh thoseh, thongim paung e totouh thoseh, lawkcengnae ao han, telah a ti.
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 Jerusalem e BAWIPA im ahawi nahanelah siangpahrang heh, hettelah e lungthin ka tawn sakkung hoi, lawkcengkungnaw hmalah hoi siangpahrang kalen min kamthang katang naw e hmalah kai lathueng lungmanae kamnueksakkung mintoenaw e Jehovah Cathut teh, pholen lah awmseh.
[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 Hottelah kaie Cathut BAWIPA bawilennae kecu dawk, kai teh ka thao teh, kai hoi cungtalah kâbang hane Isarel kacuenaw hah ka kamkhuengsak.
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.”
