Esdræ 7
1 post haec autem verba in regno Artarxersis regis Persarum Ezras filius Saraiae filii Azariae filii Helciae
[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 filii Sellum filii Sadoc filii Achitob
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 filii Amariae filii Azariae filii Maraioth
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 filii Zaraiae filii Ozi filii Bocci
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 filii Abisue filii Finees filii Eleazar filii Aaron sacerdotis ab initio
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 ipse Ezras ascendit de Babylone et ipse scriba velox in lege Mosi quam dedit Dominus Deus Israhel et dedit ei rex secundum manum Domini Dei eius super eum omnem petitionem eius
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 et ascenderunt de filiis Israhel et de filiis sacerdotum et de filiis Levitarum et de cantoribus et de ianitoribus et de Nathinneis in Hierusalem anno septimo Artarxersis regis
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 et venerunt in Hierusalem mense quinto ipse est annus septimus regis
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 quia in primo die mensis primi coepit ascendere de Babylone et in primo mensis quinti venit in Hierusalem iuxta manum Dei sui bonam super se
10 Ezras enim paravit cor suum ut investigaret legem Domini et faceret et doceret in Israhel praeceptum et iudicium
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 hoc est autem exemplar epistulae edicti quod dedit rex Artarxersis Ezrae sacerdoti scribae erudito in sermonibus et praeceptis Domini et caerimoniis eius in Israhel
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 Artarxersis rex regum Ezrae sacerdoti scribae legis Dei caeli doctissimo salutem
[“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 a me decretum est ut cuicumque placuerit in regno meo de populo Israhel et de sacerdotibus eius et de Levitis ire in Hierusalem tecum vadat
“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 a facie enim regis et septem consiliatorum eius missus es ut visites Iudaeam et Hierusalem in lege Dei tui quae est in manu tua
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 et ut feras argentum et aurum quod rex et consiliatores eius sponte obtulerunt Deo Israhel cuius in Hierusalem tabernaculum est
[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 et omne argentum et aurum quodcumque inveneris in universa provincia Babylonis et populus offerre voluerit et de sacerdotibus qui sponte obtulerint domui Dei sui quae est in Hierusalem
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 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 Hierusalem
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 sed et si quid tibi et fratribus tuis placuerit de reliquo argento et auro ut faciatis iuxta voluntatem Dei vestri facite
“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 vasa quoque quae dantur tibi in ministerium domus Dei tui trade in conspectu Dei Hierusalem
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 sed et cetera quibus opus fuerit in domo Dei tui quantumcumque necesse est ut expendas dabis de thesauro et de fisco regis
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 et a me ego Artarxersis rex statui atque decrevi omnibus custodibus arcae publicae qui sunt trans Flumen ut quodcumque petierit a vobis Ezras sacerdos scriba legis Dei caeli absque mora detis
“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 usque ad argenti talenta centum et usque ad frumenti choros centum et usque ad vini batos centum et usque ad batos olei centum sal vero absque mensura
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 omne quod ad ritum Dei caeli pertinet tribuatur diligenter in domo Dei caeli ne forte irascatur contra regnum regis et filiorum eius
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 vobisque notum facimus de universis sacerdotibus et Levitis cantoribus ianitoribus Nathinneis et ministris domus Dei huius ut vectigal et tributum et annonas non habeatis potestatem inponendi super eos
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 tu autem Ezras secundum sapientiam Dei tui quae est in manu tua constitue iudices et praesides ut iudicent omni populo qui est trans Flumen his videlicet qui noverunt legem Dei tui sed et inperitos docete libere
“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 et omnis qui non fecerit legem Dei tui et legem regis diligenter iudicium erit de eo sive in mortem sive in exilium sive in condemnationem substantiae eius vel certe in carcerem
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 benedictus Dominus Deus patrum nostrorum qui dedit hoc in corde regis ut glorificaret domum Domini quae est in Hierusalem
[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 et in me inclinavit misericordiam coram rege et consiliatoribus eius et universis principibus regis potentibus et ego confortatus manu Domini Dei mei quae erat in me congregavi de Israhel principes qui ascenderent mecum
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.”
