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.
Baada ya mambo haya, wakati wa utawala wa Artashasta mfalme wa Uajemi, Ezra mwana wa Seraya, mwana wa Azaria, mwana wa Hilkia,
2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
mwana wa Shalumu, mwana wa Sadoki, mwana wa Ahitubu,
3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
mwana wa Amaria, mwana wa Azaria, mwana wa Merayothi,
4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
mwana wa Zerahia, mwana wa Uzi, mwana wa 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.
mwana wa Abishua, mwana wa Finehasi, mwana wa Eleazari, mwana wa kuhani mkuu Aroni.
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.
Huyu Ezra alipanda kutoka Babeli. Alikuwa mwalimu mwenye ujuzi mzuri katika sheria ya Mose, ambayo Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, alikuwa ametoa. Mfalme alikuwa amempa Ezra kila kitu alichoomba, kwa maana Bwana Mungu wake alikuwa pamoja naye.
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].
Pia baadhi ya Waisraeli, wakiwemo makuhani, Walawi, waimbaji, mabawabu na watumishi wa Hekalu, nao walikuja Yerusalemu mwaka wa saba wa utawala wa Mfalme Artashasta.
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 aliwasili Yerusalemu mwezi wa tano wa mwaka wa saba wa utawala wa Mfalme Artashasta.
Ezra alianza safari yake kutoka Babeli tangu siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa kwanza, naye akawasili Yerusalemu siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa tano, kwa maana mkono wa neema wa Mungu wake ulikuwa juu yake.
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].
Kwa maana Ezra alikuwa amejitoa kwa moyo wote kujifunza na kushika sheria ya Bwana na kuwafundisha watu wa Israeli amri na sheria zake.
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]:
Hii ni nakala ya barua ambayo Mfalme Artashasta alikuwa amempa Ezra aliyekuwa kuhani na mwalimu, mtu aliyeelimika katika mambo yahusuyo maagizo na amri za Bwana kwa Israeli.
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].
Artashasta, mfalme wa wafalme, Kwa Ezra kuhani, mwalimu wa Sheria ya Mungu wa mbinguni: Salamu.
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.
Sasa naamuru kwamba mtu yeyote Mwisraeli katika ufalme wangu, pamoja na makuhani na Walawi, ambaye anataka kwenda Yerusalemu pamoja nawe aweza kwenda.
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.
Unatumwa na mfalme na washauri wake saba kuchunguza kuhusu Yuda na Yerusalemu kulingana na Sheria ya Mungu wako, iliyoko mkononi mwako.
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.
Zaidi ya hayo, uchukue pamoja nawe fedha na dhahabu ambazo mfalme na washauri wake wamempa Mungu wa Israeli kwa hiari, Mungu ambaye maskani yake yako Yerusalemu,
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.
pia fedha na dhahabu zote unazoweza kupata kutoka jimbo la Babeli, pamoja na sadaka za hiari watakazotoa watu na makuhani kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Mungu wao katika Yerusalemu.
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.
Hakikisha kwamba fedha hizi zimetumika kununua mafahali, kondoo dume na wana-kondoo pamoja na sadaka za nafaka na sadaka za vinywaji, uvitoe dhabihu juu ya madhabahu ya Hekalu la Mungu wenu katika Yerusalemu.
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.
Kisha wewe na Wayahudi ndugu zako mnaweza kufanya lolote linaloonekana jema sana kwa fedha na dhahabu zilizosalia, kulingana na mapenzi ya Mungu wenu.
19 We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
Uvitoe kwa Mungu wa Yerusalemu vyombo vyote ulivyokabidhiwa kwa ajili ya ibada katika Hekalu la Mungu wako.
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.
Kitu kingine chochote kinachohitajika kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Mungu wenu ambacho unatakiwa kukitoa, waweza kukitoa kutoka hazina ya mfalme.
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.
Mimi, Mfalme Artashasta, sasa naagiza watunza hazina wote wa Ngʼambo ya Mto Frati kutoa kwa bidii chochote kwa Ezra kuhani na mwalimu wa Sheria ya Mungu wa mbinguni atakachohitaji kwenu,
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.
talanta 100 za fedha, ngano kori 100, divai bathi 100, mafuta ya zeituni bathi 100, na chumvi kiasi chochote.
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.
Chochote ambacho Mungu wa mbinguni ameagiza, kifanyike kwa ukamilifu kwa ajili ya Hekalu la Mungu wa mbinguni. Kwa nini pawepo ghadhabu dhidi ya utawala wa mfalme na wanawe?
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.'
Pia ninyi fahamuni kuwa hamna mamlaka ya kuwatoza kodi, ushuru au ada makuhani, Walawi, waimbaji, mabawabu, watumishi wa Hekalu au wafanyakazi wengine kwenye nyumba ya Mungu.
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.
Nawe Ezra, kufuatana na hekima ya Mungu wenu uliyo nayo, weka mahakimu na waamuzi wote wanaozifahamu sheria za Mungu wenu ili watoe haki kwa watu wote wa Ngʼambo ya Mto Frati. Nawe inakupasa umfundishe yeyote ambaye hazifahamu.
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.”
Yeyote ambaye hataitii sheria ya Mungu wenu pia sheria ya mfalme, hakika lazima aadhibiwe kwa kuuawa, kuhamishwa, kunyangʼanywa mali au kufungwa gerezani.
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.
Sifa ziwe kwa Bwana, Mungu wa baba zetu, Mungu ambaye kwa njia hii ameweka ndani ya moyo wa mfalme kuipa heshima nyumba ya Bwana iliyoko Yerusalemu, kwa namna hii
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.”
ambaye ameniongezea kibali chake mbele ya mfalme, washauri wake na maafisa wote wa mfalme wenye uwezo. Kwa kuwa mkono wa Bwana Mungu wangu ulikuwa pamoja nami, nilijipa moyo nikakusanya watu walio viongozi kutoka Israeli wakwee pamoja nami.
