Ezra 7
1 Kalpasan dagitoy a banbanag, kabayatan ti panagturay ni Ari Artaxerxes, dagiti kapuonan ni Ezra ket da Seraias, Azarias, Hilkias,
[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 Sallum, Zadok, Ahitub,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 Amarias, Azarias, Merayot,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 Zerahias, Uzzi, Bukki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 Abisua, Finees, Eleazar, kalpasanna ni Aaron a kangatoan a padi—
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 Pimmanaw ni Ezra manipud Babilonia. Nalaing isuna nga eskriba iti linteg ni Moises nga inted ni Yahweh a Dios ti Israel. Inted ti ari kenkuana ti aniaman a dinawatna agsipud ta adda kenkuana ti ima ni Yahweh.
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 Iti maikapito a tawen a panagturay ni Ari Artaxerxes, simmang-at met idiay Jerusalem dagiti sumagmamano a kaputotan ni Israel ken dagiti padi, dagiti Levita, dagiti kumakanta iti templo, dagiti mangbanbantay iti ruangan, ken dagiti nadutokan nga agserbi iti templo.
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 Nakadanon isuna idiay Jerusalem iti maikalima a bulan iti isu met laeng a tawen.
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 Pimmanaw isuna idiay Babilonia iti umuna nga aldaw iti umuna a bulan. Simmangpet isuna idiay Jerusalem idi umuna nga aldaw iti maikalima a bulan, agsipud ta adda kenkuana ti naimbag nga ima ti Dios.
10 Impapuso ni Ezra a nang-adal, nangaramid, ken nangisuro dagiti annuroten ken dagiti naipaulog a linteg ni Yahweh.
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 Daytoy ti naipaulog a linteg nga inted ni Ari Artaxerxes kenni Ezra a padi ken eskriba dagiti bilin ken alagaden ni Yahweh para iti Israel:
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 “Manipud iti Ari dagiti ari a ni Artaxerxes, nga agpaay kenni Ezra a padi, nga eskriba ti linteg ti Dios ti langit:
[“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 Ibilbilinko a siasinoman iti pagariak ti naggapu idiay Israel, agraman dagiti papadida ken dagiti Levita nga agtartarigagay a mapan idiay Jerusalem, ket mabalin a sumurot kenka.
“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 Siak, nga ari, ken dagiti pito a mammagbagak, ibaonkayo amin a mangsukimat ti maipapan iti Juda ken Jerusalem, a maiyannurot iti linteg ti Dios a naawatanyo,
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 ket tapno maiyegyo ti pirak ken balitok nga indatonda iti Dios ti Israel idiay Jerusalem, ti pagtaenganna.
[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 Itedyo amin a pirak ken balitok nga inted dagiti amin a taga-Babilonia agraman ti inted dagiti tattao ken dagiti padi para iti balay ti Dios idiay Jerusalem.
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 Isu a gumatangka kadagiti baka, kalakian ken urbon a karnero, trigo ken daton a mainom. Idatonyo dagitoy iti rabaw ti altar iti balay ti Diosyo idiay Jerusalem.
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 Aramidem ken dagiti kakabsatmo a lallaki ti ammom a nasayaat para iti natidda a pirak ken balitok, tapno maay-ayo ti Diosyo.
“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 Idatagmo dagiti alikamen a siwawaya a naited kenka iti sangoananna para iti panagserbi iti balay ti Diosyo idiay Jerusalem.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Aniaman a masapul para iti balay ti Diosyo a kasapulam, alaem ti bayadna manipud iti pagiduldulinan ti gamengko.
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 Siak ni Artaxerxes nga Ari, nangaramidak iti bilin kadagiti amin a tesorero iti ballasiw ti Karayan, nga aniaman a dawaten ni Ezra kadakayo ket nasken nga itedyo a naan-anay
“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 agingga iti sangagasut a talento a pirak, sangagasut a kasukat a trigo, sangagasut a bat nga arak, ken sangagasut a bat ti lana kasta met ti aglaplapusanan nga asin.
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 Aniaman a bilin manipud ti Dios iti Langit, aramidenyo daytoy a naan-anay para iti balayna. Ta apay koma nga umay ti pungtotna iti pagariak ken kadagiti annakko a lallaki?
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 Ipakpakaammomi kadakuada a saankayo a mangsingsingir iti aniaman a buwis iti siasinoman kadagiti padi, kadagiti Levita, kadagiti kumakanta, kadagiti mangbanbantay iti ruangan, wenno kadagiti tattao a nadutokan nga agserbi iti templo ken kadagiti adipen iti daytoy balay ti Dios.
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 Sika Ezra, babaen iti sirib nga inted kenka ti Dios, masapul a mangdutokka kadagiti ukom ken nasirib a tattao nga agserbi kadagiti amin a tattao iti ballasiw ti Karayan, ken agserbi iti siasinoman a makaammo ti linteg ti Diosmo. Masapul met a suroam dagiti saan a makaamo iti linteg.
“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 Dusaem ti siasinoman a saan a naan-anay nga agtultulnog iti linteg ti Dios wenno iti linteg ti ari, uray babaen iti pannakapapatay, iti pannakaibelleng, iti pannakasamsam dagiti sanikuada, wenno pannakaibalud.”
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 Kinuna ni Ezra “Madaydayaw ni Yahweh a Dios dagiti kapuonantayo, a nangtignay iti puso ti ari tapno mangdayaw iti balay ni Yahweh idiay Jerusalem
[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 ken ti nangipaay ti kinapudnona iti tulagna kaniak iti sangoanan ti ari, dagiti mammagbagana, ken dagiti amin a mannakabalin nga opisialna. Napabilegak babaen iti ima ni Yahweh a Diosko, ket inummongko dagiti mangidadaulo manipud iti Israel tapno kumuyog kaniak.”
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.”
