< Ezra 7 >
1 [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.
Mgbe nke a gasịrị, nʼoge ọchịchị Ataksekses bụ eze Peshịa. Ezra bụ nwa Seraya nwa Azaraya, Azaraya nwa Hilkaya,
2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
bụ nwa Shalum, nwa Zadọk, nwa Ahitub,
3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
nwa Amaraya, nwa Azaraya, nwa Meraiot,
4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
Meraiot nwa Zerahaya; Zerahaya nwa Uzi, Uzi nwa Buki;
5 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.
Buki nwa Abishua, Abishua nwa Finehaz; Finehaz nwa Elieza, Elieza nwa Erọn onyeisi nchụaja.
6 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.
Ezra a si Babilọn bịarute. Ọ bụ onye ọka nʼihe gbasara iwu ahụ Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel nyere Mosis. Eze nyere ya ihe niile nke ọ rịọrọ, nʼihi na aka Onyenwe anyị Chineke ya dịkwasịrị nʼahụ ya.
7 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].
Ụfọdụ ndị Izrel, ndị nchụaja, ndị Livayị, ndị ọbụ abụ, ndị nche na ndị na-eje ozi nʼụlọnsọ, soro ya jee Jerusalem nʼafọ asaa nke ọchịchị eze Ataksekses.
8 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.
Ezra bịaruru Jerusalem nʼọnwa nke ise, nke afọ asaa nke ọchịchị eze.
Ọ hapụrụ Babilọn nʼabalị mbụ nke ọnwa mbụ, rute Jerusalem nʼabalị mbụ nke ọnwa ise nʼihi na Chineke nọnyeere ya.
10 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].
Nke a mere nʼihi na Ezra kpebiri nʼobi ya ịmụ, na idebe iwu Onyenwe anyị, na ịbụ onye ozizi nke okwu Chineke nye ụmụ Izrel.
11 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]:
Nke a bụ ndepụta akwụkwọ ozi eze, bụ Ataksekses degaara Ezra onye nchụaja, na onye ozizi, na onye ọka nʼihe gbasara iwu na ụkpụrụ nke Onyenwe anyị nyere Izrel:
12 [“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].
Ataksekses, eze na-achị ndị eze ọzọ, na-edegara Ezra akwụkwọ, bụ onye nchụaja, bụrụkwa onye nkuzi okwu Chineke nke eluigwe. Ndeewo!
13 “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.
Ugbu a, ana m enye iwu ka onye Izrel ọbụla bi nʼalaeze m, ma ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị, ndị wepụtara onwe ha ị soro gị gaa Jerusalem, ha nwere ike ịga.
14 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.
Eze na mmadụ asaa ndị na-adụ ya ọdụ na-eziga gị Juda na Jerusalem ka ị gaa leba anya nʼiwu Chineke nke dị gị nʼaka.
15 [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.
Ọzọkwa, ịga e were onyinye ọlaedo na ọlaọcha ndị a eze na ndị ndụmọdụ ya ji afọ ofufu nye Chineke nke Izrel, onye ebe obibi ya dị na Jerusalem.
16 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.
Tinyere ọlaedo na ọlaọcha nke i nwere ike ịnata nʼala ahụ niile nʼakụkụ niile nke Babilọn, tinyekwara onyinye ihuọma si nʼaka ndị mmadụ, na ndị nchụaja niile, maka ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke ha dị na Jerusalem.
17 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.
Ị ga-eji ego niile ndị a zụọ oke ehi, na ebule, na atụrụ, na onyinye mkpụrụ ọka, na onyinye ihe ọṅụṅụ, e ji achụ aja nʼebe ịchụ aja nke ụlọnsọ Chineke dị na Jerusalem.
18 “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.
Ọ bụrụ na ego amapụta nʼime ya, gị na ụmụnne gị ga-eji ya mee ihe unu maara bụ uche Chineke unu.
19 We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
Ngwongwo niile e bunyere gị maka ije ozi nʼụlọnsọ Chineke, buru ha buruo nʼihu Chineke nke Jerusalem.
20 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.
Ma ihe ndị ọzọ nke fọdụrụ nʼihi ụlọnsọ Chineke gị, nke kwesiri na i mere, ị nwere ike site nʼụlọakụ eze mee ha.
21 “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.
Mụ, bụ Ataksekses, na-eziga iwu a nye ndị na-elekọta ego nʼọdịda anyanwụ osimiri Yufretis sị ha, ihe ọbụla Ezra, onye nchụaja, na onye nkuzi okwu Chineke nke eluigwe chọrọ site nʼaka unu, unu nye ya.
22 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.
Ọ bụladị ruo ọlaọcha dị otu narị talenti, ya na narị akpa ọka wiiti ise, na narị galọọnụ mmanya vaịnị isii, na narị efa nke mmanụ oliv na nnu nʼọtụtụ ọbụla, dịka ọ chọrọ ya.
23 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.
Ihe ọbụla ọzọ, nke Chineke nke eluigwe chọrọ, ka e mee ha nʼụzọ kwesiri nye maka owuwu ụlọnsọ Chineke nke eluigwe. Nʼihi gịnị ka iwe Chineke ga-eji dakwasị eze na ụmụ ya ndị ikom?
24 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.'
Ana m enyekwa iwu na ndị nchụaja niile, ndị Livayị niile, ndị ọbụ abụ niile, ndị nche niile, ndị ozi ụlọnsọ niile, na ndị ọzọ niile na-arụrụ Chineke ọrụ, agaghị atụ ụtụ ọbụla.
25 “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.
“Ugbu a, Ezra, ị ga-eji amamihe Chineke gị nyere gị họpụta ndị ikpe, na ndịisi, ndị ga-achị obodo niile dị nʼọdịda anyanwụ nke osimiri Yufretis. Ọ bụrụ na ha amazighị iwu Chineke nke ọma, ị ga-akụziri ha.
26 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.”
Ahụhụ ga-adịrị onye ọbụla jụrụ idebe iwu Chineke, na iwu eze, ga-abụ ọnwụ, maọbụ nchụpụ site nʼala ya gaa mba ọzọ, maọbụ ịnakọrọ ya ihe niile o nwere, maọbụ ịtụba ya nʼụlọ mkpọrọ.”
27 [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.
Otuto dịrị Onyenwe anyị Chineke nna nna anyị ha, onye mere ka eze kpebie ime ka ụlọnsọ Onyenwe anyị dị na Jerusalem dị mma ile anya.
28 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.”
Keleekwa Chineke onye nyere m ihuọma nʼihu ndị ndụmọdụ ya, na nʼihu ụmụ eze, bụ ndịisi ọchịchị dị ike. Nʼihi na aka Onyenwe anyị Chineke m nọnyeere m. Eji m obi ike chịkọta ndịisi site nʼIzrel ka ha soro m gaa.