Ἔσδρας Αʹ 7
1 καὶ μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐν βασιλείᾳ Αρθασασθα βασιλέως Περσῶν ἀνέβη Εσδρας υἱὸς Σαραιου υἱοῦ Αζαριου υἱοῦ Ελκια
[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 υἱοῦ Σαλουμ υἱοῦ Σαδδουκ υἱοῦ Αχιτωβ
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 υἱοῦ Σαμαρια υἱοῦ Εσρια υἱοῦ Μαρερωθ
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 υἱοῦ Ζαραια υἱοῦ Σαουια υἱοῦ Βοκκι
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 υἱοῦ Αβισουε υἱοῦ Φινεες υἱοῦ Ελεαζαρ υἱοῦ Ααρων τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ πρώτου
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 αὐτὸς Εσδρας ἀνέβη ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος καὶ αὐτὸς γραμματεὺς ταχὺς ἐν νόμῳ Μωυσῆ ὃν ἔδωκεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς Ισραηλ καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς ὅτι χεὶρ κυρίου θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ αὐτὸν ἐν πᾶσιν οἷς ἐζήτει αὐτός
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 καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Λευιτῶν καὶ οἱ ᾄδοντες καὶ οἱ πυλωροὶ καὶ οἱ ναθινιμ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ ἐν ἔτει ἑβδόμῳ τῷ Αρθασασθα τῷ βασιλεῖ
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 καὶ ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ πέμπτῳ τοῦτο ἔτος ἕβδομον τῷ βασιλεῖ
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 ὅτι ἐν μιᾷ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου αὐτὸς ἐθεμελίωσεν τὴν ἀνάβασιν τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος ἐν δὲ τῇ πρώτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πέμπτου ἤλθοσαν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ ὅτι χεὶρ θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἀγαθὴ ἐπ’ αὐτόν
10 ὅτι Εσδρας ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ζητῆσαι τὸν νόμον καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν ἐν Ισραηλ προστάγματα καὶ κρίματα
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 καὶ αὕτη ἡ διασάφησις τοῦ διατάγματος οὗ ἔδωκεν Αρθασασθα τῷ Εσδρα τῷ ἱερεῖ τῷ γραμματεῖ βιβλίου λόγων ἐντολῶν κυρίου καὶ προσταγμάτων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ
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 Αρθασασθα βασιλεὺς βασιλέων Εσδρα γραμματεῖ νόμου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τετέλεσται ὁ λόγος καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρισις
[“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 ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ἑκουσιαζόμενος ἐν βασιλείᾳ μου ἀπὸ λαοῦ Ισραηλ καὶ ἱερέων καὶ Λευιτῶν πορευθῆναι εἰς Ιερουσαλημ μετὰ σοῦ πορευθῆναι
“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 ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ συμβούλων ἀπεστάλη ἐπισκέψασθαι ἐπὶ τὴν Ιουδαίαν καὶ εἰς Ιερουσαλημ νόμῳ θεοῦ αὐτῶν τῷ ἐν χειρί σου
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 καὶ εἰς οἶκον κυρίου ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον ὃ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ σύμβουλοι ἡκουσιάσθησαν τῷ θεῷ τοῦ Ισραηλ τῷ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ κατασκηνοῦντι
[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 καὶ πᾶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον ὅ τι ἐὰν εὕρῃς ἐν πάσῃ χώρᾳ Βαβυλῶνος μετὰ ἑκουσιασμοῦ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἱερέων τῶν ἑκουσιαζομένων εἰς οἶκον θεοῦ τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
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 καὶ πᾶν προσπορευόμενον τοῦτον ἑτοίμως ἔνταξον ἐν βιβλίῳ τούτῳ μόσχους κριούς ἀμνοὺς καὶ θυσίας αὐτῶν καὶ σπονδὰς αὐτῶν καὶ προσοίσεις αὐτὰ ἐπὶ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
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 καὶ εἴ τι ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου ἀγαθυνθῇ ἐν καταλοίπῳ τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου ποιῆσαι ὡς ἀρεστὸν τῷ θεῷ ὑμῶν ποιήσατε
“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 καὶ τὰ σκεύη τὰ διδόμενά σοι εἰς λειτουργίαν οἴκου θεοῦ παράδος ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 καὶ κατάλοιπον χρείας οἴκου θεοῦ σου ὃ ἂν φανῇ σοι δοῦναι δώσεις ἀπὸ οἴκων γάζης βασιλέως
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 καὶ ἀπ’ ἐμοῦ ἐγὼ Αρθασασθα βασιλεύς ἔθηκα γνώμην πάσαις ταῖς γάζαις ταῖς ἐν πέρα τοῦ ποταμοῦ ὅτι πᾶν ὃ ἂν αἰτήσῃ ὑμᾶς Εσδρας ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ γραμματεὺς τοῦ νόμου τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἑτοίμως γιγνέσθω
“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 ἕως ἀργυρίου ταλάντων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως πυροῦ κόρων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως οἴνου βάδων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως ἐλαίου βάδων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἅλας οὗ οὐκ ἔστιν γραφή
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 πᾶν ὅ ἐστιν ἐν γνώμῃ θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ γιγνέσθω προσέχετε μή τις ἐπιχειρήσῃ εἰς οἶκον θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μήποτε γένηται ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ
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 καὶ ὑμῖν ἐγνώρισται ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἱερεῦσιν καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις ᾄδουσιν πυλωροῖς ναθινιμ καὶ λειτουργοῖς οἴκου θεοῦ τούτου φόρος μὴ ἔστω σοι οὐκ ἐξουσιάσεις καταδουλοῦσθαι αὐτούς
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 καὶ σύ Εσδρα ὡς ἡ σοφία τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν χειρί σου κατάστησον γραμματεῖς καὶ κριτάς ἵνα ὦσιν κρίνοντες παντὶ τῷ λαῷ τῷ ἐν πέρα τοῦ ποταμοῦ πᾶσιν τοῖς εἰδόσιν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ σου καὶ τῷ μὴ εἰδότι γνωριεῖτε
“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 καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἂν μὴ ᾖ ποιῶν νόμον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ νόμον τοῦ βασιλέως ἑτοίμως τὸ κρίμα ἔσται γιγνόμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐάν τε εἰς θάνατον ἐάν τε εἰς παιδείαν ἐάν τε εἰς ζημίαν τοῦ βίου ἐάν τε εἰς δεσμά
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 εὐλογητὸς κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν ὃς ἔδωκεν οὕτως ἐν καρδίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ δοξάσαι τὸν οἶκον κυρίου τὸν ἐν Ιερουσαλημ
[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 καὶ ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἔκλινεν ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν συμβούλων αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν ἐπηρμένων καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκραταιώθην ὡς χεὶρ θεοῦ ἡ ἀγαθὴ ἐπ’ ἐμέ καὶ συνῆξα ἀπὸ Ισραηλ ἄρχοντας ἀναβῆναι μετ’ ἐμοῦ
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.”
