Ezara 7
1 Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa maũndũ macio, rĩrĩa Aritashashita mũthamaki wa Perisia aathamakaga, Ezara mũrũ wa Seraia, mũrũ wa Azaria, mũrũ wa Hilikia,
[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 mũrũ wa Shalumu, mũrũ wa Zadoku, mũrũ wa Ahitubu,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 mũrũ wa Amaria, mũrũ wa Azaria, mũrũ wa Meraiothu,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 mũrũ wa Zerahia, mũrũ wa Uzi, mũrũ wa Buki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 mũrũ wa Abishua, mũrũ wa Finehasi, mũrũ wa Eleazaru, mũrũ wa Harũni mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene,
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 Ezara ũcio nĩambatire oimĩte Babuloni. Aarĩ mũrutani mũũgĩ mũno ũhoro-inĩ wa Watho wa Musa, ũrĩa Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli aaheanĩte. Mũthamaki nĩamũheete indo ciothe iria aahooete kũrĩ we, tondũ guoko kwa Jehova Ngai wake kwarĩ hamwe nake.
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 Andũ amwe a Isiraeli, hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai, na Alawii, na aini a nyĩmbo, na aikaria a ihingo, na ndungata cia hekarũ o nao nĩmambatire magĩũka Jerusalemu mwaka wa mũgwanja wa wathani wa Aritashashita.
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 Ezara aakinyire Jerusalemu mweri wa gatano wa mwaka wa mũgwanja wa mũthamaki.
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 Aambĩrĩirie rũgendo rwake rwa kuuma Babuloni mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa mbere, na aakinyire Jerusalemu mũthenya wa mbere wa mweri wa gatano, tondũ guoko kwa ũtugi kwa Ngai wake kwarĩ hamwe nake.
10 Nĩgũkorwo Ezara nĩerutĩire gũthoma na kũrũmia Watho wa Jehova, na kũrutana watho wa kũrũmĩrĩrwo na mawatho maguo kũu Isiraeli.
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 Ĩno nĩyo kobi ya marũa marĩa Mũthamaki Aritashashita aaheete Ezara ũcio mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mũrutani, mũndũ warĩ mũũgĩ maũndũ-inĩ makoniĩ maathani na mawatho ma kũrũmĩrĩrwo ma Jehova harĩ Isiraeli:
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 Aritashashita, mũthamaki wa athamaki, Kũrĩ Ezara ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai na mũrutani wa Watho wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ: Nĩndakũgeithia.
[“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 Rĩu-rĩ, nĩndaruta watho atĩ andũ a Isiraeli othe arĩa marĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wakwa, hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii, arĩa mangĩenda gũthiĩ nawe kũu Jerusalemu, no mathiĩ.
“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 Wee ũtũmĩtwo nĩ mũthamaki na ataari ake mũgwanja, ũthiĩ ũgatuĩrie ũhoro wa Juda na wa Jerusalemu, o ta ũrĩa Watho wa Ngai waku ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo guoko-inĩ gwaku ũtariĩ.
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 O na ningĩ ũkuue betha na thahabu, iria mũthamaki na ataari ake maheanĩte na kwĩyendera kũrĩ Ngai wa Isiraeli ũrĩa ũtũũraga Jerusalemu,
[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 hamwe na betha na thahabu ciothe iria ingĩheanwo kuuma bũrũri wa Babuloni, o na mĩhothi ya kwĩyendera kuuma kũrĩ andũ na athĩnjĩri-Ngai, nĩ ũndũ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wao ĩrĩa ĩrĩ Jerusalemu.
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 Menyerera wone atĩ mbeeca ici nĩciagũra ndegwa, na ndũrũme na tũtũrũme, hamwe na maruta ma ngano na ma kũnyuuo, irutwo igongona hau kĩgongona-inĩ kĩa hekarũ ya Ngai waku kũu Jerusalemu.
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 Wee na ariũ a thoguo Ayahudi no mwĩke o ũrĩa mũngĩona kwagĩrĩire na matigari ma betha na thahabu, kũringana na wendi wa Ngai wanyu.
“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 Twarĩrai Ngai wa Jerusalemu indo ciothe iria mwĩhokeirwo cia kũhũthagĩrwo mahooya-inĩ thĩinĩ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wanyu.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Na kĩndũ kĩngĩ o gĩothe kĩngĩendekana nĩ ũndũ wa hekarũ ya Ngai wanyu, o kĩrĩa ũngĩona mweke wa kũheana, no ũkĩrute kuuma kĩgĩĩna-inĩ kĩa mũthamaki.
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 Na rĩrĩ, niĩ Mũthamaki Aritashashita, nĩndatha aigi othe a kĩgĩĩna a Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati maheane na kĩyo kĩrĩa gĩothe Ezara ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, na mũrutani wa watho wa Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ angĩbatario nĩkĩo,
“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 gĩtakĩrĩte taranda igana rĩmwe cia betha, na kori igana rĩmwe cia ngano, na bathi igana rĩmwe cia ndibei, na bathi igana rĩmwe cia maguta ma mĩtamaiyũ, na cumbĩ ũtarĩ gĩthimi.
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 Ũndũ ũrĩa wothe Ngai wa igũrũ atuĩte, nĩwĩkwo na kĩyo, ũndũ wothe ũkoniĩ hekarũ ya Ngai ũrĩa ũrĩ igũrũ. Nĩ kĩĩ kĩngĩtũma kũgĩe na mangʼũrĩ ũthamaki-inĩ wa mũthamaki na ariũ ake?
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 Ningĩ mũmenye atĩ mũtirĩ na watho wa gwĩtia mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai o wothe, na Alawii, na aini a nyĩmbo, na aikaria a ihingo, na ndungata cia hekarũ, kana andũ arĩa angĩ marutaga wĩra nyũmba-inĩ ĩyo ya Ngai igooti, kana maruta ma mũthamaki o na kana igooti rĩa mĩrigo ĩgĩtoonya bũrũri-inĩ.
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 Nawe Ezara, kũringana na ũũgĩ wa Ngai waku ũrĩa ũrĩ naguo, thuura aciirithania na atui a ciira nĩguo matuagĩre andũ othe a Mũrĩmo-wa-Farati ciira na kĩhooto, arĩa othe mooĩ watho wa Ngai wanyu. Nao arĩa matooĩ ũmarute.
“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 Mũndũ o wothe ũtarĩathĩkagĩra watho wa Ngai waku na watho wa mũthamaki no nginya aherithio na ũndũ wa kũũragwo, kana aingatwo bũrũri, o na kana indo ciake itahwo, kana ohwo njeera.
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 Jehova arogoocwo, Ngai wa maithe maitũ, ũrĩa wĩkĩrĩte ũndũ ũcio ngoro-inĩ ya mũthamaki, atĩ atĩĩithie nyũmba ya Jehova ĩrĩa ĩrĩ kũu Jerusalemu na njĩra ĩno,
[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 o ũcio ũtũmĩte njĩtĩkĩrĩke mbere ya mũthamaki, na ataarani ake, na anene othe a mũthamaki arĩa marĩ ũhoti. Tondũ guoko kwa Jehova Ngai wakwa kwarĩ hamwe na niĩ, nĩndeyũmĩrĩirie, ngĩcookanĩrĩria atongoria a Isiraeli nĩguo twambate nao.
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.”
