Ezra 7
1 Le nu siawo megbe, le Persia fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu me la, Ezra, Seraya ƒe vi, Azaria ƒe vi, Hilkia ƒe vi,
[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 Salum ƒe vi, Zadok ƒe vi, Ahitub ƒe vi,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 Amaria ƒe vi, Azaria ƒe vi, Merayot ƒe vi,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 Zerahia ƒe vi, Uzi ƒe vi, Buki ƒe vi,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 Abisua ƒe vi, Finehas ƒe vi, Eleaza ƒe vi kple nunɔlagã Aron ƒe vi.
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 Ezra sia tso Babilonia va. Enye sefiala si bi ɖe Mose ƒe Se, si Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu la de la me. Fia la na nu sia nu si wòbiae, elabena Yehowa, eƒe Mawu la ƒe asi nɔ eya amea dzi.
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 Israelviwo dometɔ aɖewo, siwo dome nunɔlawo, Levitɔwo, hadzilawo, agbonudzɔlawo kple gbedoxɔmesubɔla aɖewo nɔ la va Yerusalem le Fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe adrelia me.
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 va ɖo Yerusalem le dzinu atɔ̃lia me le fia la ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe adrelia me.
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 Edze mɔ tso Babilonia le dzinu gbãtɔ ƒe ŋkeke gbãtɔ dzi, eye wòva ɖo Yerusalem le dzinu atɔ̃lia ƒe ŋkeke gbãtɔ dzi, elabena eƒe Mawu la ƒe amenuvevesi nɔ edzi.
10 Ezra tsɔ eɖokui na Yehowa ƒe Se la sɔsrɔ̃ kple emeléle ɖe asi eye nenema kee wòtsɔ eɖokui na eƒe sededewo kple ɖoɖowo fiafia le Israel.
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 Esiae nye agbalẽ si Fia Artazerses ŋlɔ tsɔ na Ezra, nunɔla kple Sefiala, ŋutsu si bi ɖe Yehowa ƒe sededewo kple ɖoɖo siwo wòwɔ na Israel la me:
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 Tso: Artazerses, fiawo dzi fia gbɔ, Na: Nunɔla Ezra, Dziƒo Mawu la ƒe Sefiala: Medo gbe na wò.
[“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 Azɔ la, mele se dem be, ne Israelvi aɖe si le nye fiaɖuƒe me kple nunɔla alo Levitɔ siwo di be yewoayi Yerusalem kpli wò la, woayi faa.
“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 Fia la kple eƒe aɖaŋuɖola adreawoe le dɔwòm be nàyi Yuda kple Yerusalem aɖabia gbe wo tso ale si wolé wò Mawu ƒe Se si le asiwò me la me ɖe asii.
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 Gawu la, tsɔ klosalo kple sika siwo fia la kple eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo na Israel ƒe Mawu la faa la, Mawu si ƒe nɔƒe nye Yerusalem la ɖe asi.
[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 Kpe ɖe klosalo kple sika siwo katã nàkpɔ tso Babilonia nuto la me ŋu, nenema kee nye ameawo kple nunɔlawo ƒe lɔlɔ̃nununanawo na woƒe Mawu ƒe gbedoxɔ le Yerusalem.
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 Kpɔ egbɔ be yetsɔ ga sia ƒle nyitsuwo, agbowo kple alẽviwo kpe ɖe wo ŋuti nuɖuvɔsawo kple nunovɔsawo ŋu, eye nàtsɔ wo asa vɔe le wò Mawu ƒe vɔsamlekpui dzi le gbedoxɔ la me le Yerusalem.
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 Emegbe la, wò kple nɔviwò Yudatɔwo miate ŋu awɔ klosalo kple sika si susɔ la ŋu dɔ ale si dze mia ŋu le miaƒe Mawu la ƒe lɔlɔ̃nu me.
“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 Tsɔ nu siwo katã wode asi na wò hena Yerusalem ƒe Mawu la hena eƒe subɔsubɔ le wò Mawu la ƒe gbedoxɔ la me.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Nu bubu aɖe si hiã na wò Mawu la ƒe gbedoxɔ, si nèdi be yeaƒle la, tsɔe le fia la ƒe nudzraɖoƒe faa.
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 Azɔ la, nye Fia Artazerses, mele gbe ɖem na nudzraɖoƒedzikpɔla siwo katã le Frat tɔsisi la godo be, woatsɔ nu sia nu si nunɔla Ezra, Dziƒo Mawu la ƒe Sefiala, abia mi la nɛ kaba
“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 va se ɖe klosalo “tɔn” etɔ̃ kple afã, lu agba blaeve-vɔ-eve, wain adzafi eve kple afã, amitimi atukpa eve kple afã kple dze agbɔsɔsɔ si sinu wòdi la dzi.
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 Nu sia nu si Dziƒo Mawu la gblɔ da ɖi ko la, wonewɔe kple dzo na Dziƒo Mawu la ƒe gbedoxɔ. Nu ka ŋuti dziku anɔ fia la ƒe fiaɖuƒe kple via ŋutsuwo dzi?
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 Minyae hã be miekpɔ mɔ aɖo nudzɔdzɔ, adzɔ kple mɔtaho nunɔlawo, Levitɔwo, hadzilawo, agbonudzɔlawo, gbedoxɔŋudzɔlawo alo dɔ bubu aɖe wɔla si le Mawu ƒe aƒe sia me la dzi o.
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 Ke wò, Ezra, le wò Mawu ƒe nunya si wòna wò nu la, tia nyadrɔ̃lawo kple ʋɔnudrɔ̃lawo, ame siwo nya wò Mawu la ƒe Sewo nyuie, ne woakpɔ ʋɔnudrɔ̃nyawo gbɔ na ame siwo le Frat tɔsisi la godo. Ke fia se la ame siwo menya Seawo nyuie o.
“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 Ame si mewɔ ɖe wò Mawu la ƒe Sewo dzi alo fia la ƒe sewo dzi o la, ele be woahe to nɛ kple ku alo anyae le dua me, axɔ eƒe nunɔamesiwo le esi loo, alo adee gaxɔ me.
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 Woakafu Yehowa, mía fofowo ƒe Mawu la, ame si tsɔe de fia la ƒe dzi me be wòade bubu Yehowa ƒe aƒe la ŋu le Yerusalem alea,
[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 ame si trɔ eƒe amenuveve kɔ ɖe dzinye le fia la kple eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo kple fia la ƒe dɔnunɔla ŋusẽtɔ mawo ƒe ŋkume. Esi Yehowa, nye Mawu la ƒe asi nɔ dzinye ta la, dzi ɖo ƒonye, eye meƒo ame ŋkuta siwo tso Israel la nu ƒu be woayi kplim.
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.”
