Esdræ 7
1 Post hæc autem verba in regno Artaxerxis regis Persarum, Esdras filius Saraiæ, filii Azariæ, filii Helciæ,
Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 filii Sellum, filii Sadoc, filii Achitob,
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 filii Amariæ, filii Azariæ, filii Maraioth,
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 filii Zarahiæ, filii Ozi, filii Bocci,
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 filii Abisue, filii Phinees, filii Eleazar, filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio.
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—
6 Ipse Esdras ascendit de Babylone, et ipse scriba velox in lege Moysi, quam Dominus Deus dedit Israël: et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei ejus super eum, omnem petitionem ejus.
this Ezra went up from Babylon. He was a skilled scribe in the Torah of Moses, which the LORD, the God of Israel, had given; and the king granted him all his request, according to the LORD his God’s hand on him.
7 Et ascenderunt de filiis Israël, et de filiis sacerdotum, et de filiis Levitarum, et de cantoribus, et de janitoribus, et de Nathinæis, in Jerusalem, anno septimo Artaxerxis regis.
Some of the children of Israel, including some of the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the temple servants went up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Et venerunt in Jerusalem mense quinto, ipse est annus septimus regis.
He came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 Quia in primo die mensis primi cœpit ascendere de Babylone, et in primo die mensis quinti venit in Jerusalem, juxta manum Dei sui bonam super se.
For on the first day of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God on him.
10 Esdras enim paravit cor suum, ut investigaret legem Domini, et faceret et doceret in Israël præceptum et judicium.
For Ezra had set his heart to seek the LORD’s law, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.
11 Hoc est autem exemplar epistolæ edicti, quod dedit rex Artaxerxes Esdræ sacerdoti, scribæ erudito in sermonibus et præceptis Domini, et cæremoniis ejus in Israël.
Now this is the copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, even the scribe of the words of the LORD’s commandments, and of his statutes to Israel:
12 Artaxerxes rex regum Esdræ sacerdoti scribæ legis Dei cæli doctissimo, salutem.
Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the perfect God of heaven. Now
13 A me decretum est, ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Israël, et de sacerdotibus ejus, et de Levitis, ire in Jerusalem, tecum vadat.
I make a decree that all those of the people of Israel and their priests and the Levites in my realm, who intend of their own free will to go to Jerusalem, go with you.
14 A facie enim regis, et septem consiliatorum ejus, missus es, ut visites Judæam et Jerusalem in lege Dei tui, quæ est in manu tua:
Because you are sent by the king and his seven counsellors to enquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of your God which is in your hand,
15 et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex, et consiliatores ejus, sponte obtulerunt Deo Israël, cujus in Jerusalem tabernaculum est.
and to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is in Jerusalem,
16 Et omne argentum et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis, et populus offerre voluerit, et de sacerdotibus quæ sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui, quæ est in Jerusalem,
and all the silver and gold that you will find in all the province of Babylon, with the free will offering of the people and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in Jerusalem.
17 libere accipe, et studiose eme de hac pecunia vitulos, arietes, agnos, et sacrificia, et libamina eorum, et offer ea super altare templi Dei vestri, quod est in Jerusalem.
Therefore you shall with all diligence buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, and shall offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 Sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis, juxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite.
Whatever seems good to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do that according to the will of your God.
19 Vasa quoque, quæ dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui, trade in conspectu Dei in Jerusalem.
The vessels that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 Sed et cetera, quibus opus fuerit in domum Dei tui, quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas, dabitur de thesauro, et de fisco regis,
Whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to give, give it out of the king’s treasure house.
21 et a me. Ego Artaxerxes rex, statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arcæ publicæ, qui sunt trans flumen, ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Esdras sacerdos, scriba legis Dei cæli, absque mora detis,
I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, make a decree to all the treasurers who are beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, requires of you, it shall be done with all diligence,
22 usque ad argenti talenta centum, et usque ad frumenti coros centum, et usque ad vini batos centum, et usque ad batos olei centum, sal vero absque mensura.
up to one hundred talents of silver, and to one hundred cors of wheat, and to one hundred baths of wine, and to one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
23 Omne quod ad ritum Dei cæli pertinet, tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei cæli: ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis, et filiorum ejus.
Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be done exactly for the house of the God of heaven; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Vobis quoque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus, et Levitis, et cantoribus, et janitoribus, Nathinæis, et ministris domus Dei hujus, ut vectigal, et tributum, et annonas non habeatis potestatem imponendi super eos.
Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, custom, or toll on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants, or labourers of this house of God.
25 Tu autem Esdra, secundum sapientiam Dei tui, quæ est in manu tua, constitue judices et præsides, ut judicent omni populo qui est trans flumen, his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui: sed et imperitos docete libere.
You, Ezra, according to the wisdom of your God that is in your hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are beyond the River, who all know the laws of your God; and teach him who doesn’t know them.
26 Et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui, et legem regis, diligenter, judicium erit de eo sive in mortem, sive in exilium, sive in condemnationem substantiæ ejus, vel certe in carcerem.
Whoever will not do the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgement be executed on him with all diligence, whether it is to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum, qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini quæ est in Jerusalem,
Blessed be the LORD, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the LORD’s house which is in Jerusalem;
28 et in me inclinavit misericordiam suam coram rege et consiliatoribus ejus, et universis principibus regis potentibus: et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei, quæ erat in me, congregavi de Israël principes qui ascenderent mecum.
and has extended loving kindness to me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. I was strengthened according to the LORD my God’s hand on me, and I gathered together chief men out of Israel to go up with me.
