< Ezra 7 >
1 Mgbe nke a gasịrị, nʼoge ọchịchị Ataksekses bụ eze Peshịa. Ezra bụ nwa Seraya nwa Azaraya, Azaraya nwa Hilkaya,
After all this, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra arrived from Babylon. He was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 bụ nwa Shalum, nwa Zadọk, nwa Ahitub,
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 nwa Amaraya, nwa Azaraya, nwa Meraiot,
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 Meraiot nwa Zerahaya; Zerahaya nwa Uzi, Uzi nwa Buki;
son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 Buki nwa Abishua, Abishua nwa Finehaz; Finehaz nwa Elieza, Elieza nwa Erọn onyeisi nchụaja.
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the high priest.
6 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.
This Ezra arrived from Babylon, and was a scribe who was an expert in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Israel. The king had granted Ezra everything he'd asked for, because the Lord his God was with him.
7 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.
In the seventh year of King Artaxerxes left for Jerusalem, accompanied by some of the people of Israel, and some of the priests and Levites, singers and gatekeepers, and Temple servants.
8 Ezra bịaruru Jerusalem nʼọnwa nke ise, nke afọ asaa nke ọchịchị eze.
Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of King Artaxerxes' reign.
9 Ọ hapụrụ Babilọn nʼabalị mbụ nke ọnwa mbụ, rute Jerusalem nʼabalị mbụ nke ọnwa ise nʼihi na Chineke nọnyeere ya.
He had started the journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, his gracious God going with him.
10 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.
For Ezra had committed himself to gaining insights from the Law of the Lord, wanting to practice it and to teach in Israel its rules and how to live.
11 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:
This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest and scribe, who had studied the Lord's commandments and regulations given to Israel:
12 Ataksekses, eze na-achị ndị eze ọzọ, na-edegara Ezra akwụkwọ, bụ onye nchụaja, bụrụkwa onye nkuzi okwu Chineke nke eluigwe. Ndeewo!
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Greetings.
13 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.
I hereby issue this decree: Any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom who voluntarily decide to go to Jerusalem with you may do so.
14 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.
You are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to investigate the situation in Judah and Jerusalem as it relates to the Law of your God, which you carry with you.
15 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.
We also instruct you to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his counselors have voluntarily donated to the God of Israel, whose lives in Jerusalem,
16 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.
together with all the silver and gold you may receive from the province of Babylon, as well as the voluntary donations of the people and priests to the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 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.
You are to use this money first to buy as many bulls, rams, and lambs as necessary, along with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and present them on the altar at the Temple of your God in Jerusalem.
18 Ọ bụrụ na ego amapụta nʼime ya, gị na ụmụnne gị ga-eji ya mee ihe unu maara bụ uche Chineke unu.
Then you and those with you may decide to use the rest of the silver and gold in whatever way you think best, in accordance with the will of your God.
19 Ngwongwo niile e bunyere gị maka ije ozi nʼụlọnsọ Chineke, buru ha buruo nʼihu Chineke nke Jerusalem.
But the items you have been given for the service of the Temple of your God must be all delivered to the God of Jerusalem.
20 Ma ihe ndị ọzọ nke fọdụrụ nʼihi ụlọnsọ Chineke gị, nke kwesiri na i mere, ị nwere ike site nʼụlọakụ eze mee ha.
If there is anything else required for the Temple of your God that you have to provide, you may charge it to the royal treasury.
21 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.
I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers west of the Euphrates should provide whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require from you, and it must be provided in full,
22 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.
up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred cors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of olive oil, and unrestricted amounts of salt.
23 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?
Make sure you provide in full whatever the God of heaven requires for his Temple, for why should his anger be brought down on the king and his sons?
24 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.
Also be aware that all of the priests, Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Temple servants, or other workers of this Temple are exempt from paying any tax, tribute, or fees, and you are not authorized to charge them.
25 “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.
You, Ezra, are to follow the wisdom of your God which you possess, shall appoint magistrates and judges to provide justice to all the people west of the Euphrates—all those who follow the laws of your God. You are to teach these laws to those who do not.
26 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.”
Anyone who does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, will be severely punished, either by death, banishment, seizure of property, or imprisonment.”
27 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.
Praise the Lord, the God of our forefathers, who put into the king's mind to honor the Lord's Temple in Jerusalem in this way,
28 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.
and who has shown me such kindness by honoring me before the king, his counselors, and all his high officials. Because the Lord my God was with me, I was encouraged and called together the leaders of Israel to return to Jerusalem with me.