Esidrasi 7
1 Sima na makambo oyo, tango Aritakizerisesi azalaki mokonzi ya Persi, Esidrasi, mwana mobali ya Seraya, mwana mobali ya Azaria, mwana mobali ya Ilikia,
[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 mwana mobali ya Shalumi, mwana mobali ya Tsadoki, mwana mobali ya Ayitubi,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 mwana mobali ya Amaria, mwana mobali ya Azaria, mwana mobali ya Merayoti,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 mwana mobali ya Zerakia, mwana mobali ya Uzi, mwana ya Buki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 mwana mobali ya Abishuwa, mwana mobali ya Pineasi, mwana mobali ya Eleazari, mwana mobali ya Aron, mokonzi ya Banganga-Nzambe,
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 alongwaki na Babiloni. Esidrasi yango azalaki molakisi malamu ya mibeko mpe ayebaki penza malamu Mobeko ya Moyize oyo Yawe, Nzambe ya Isalaele, apesaki na bato na Ye. Bongo lokola loboko ya Yawe, Nzambe na ye, ezalaki likolo na ye, mokonzi apesaki ye biloko nyonso oyo asengaki.
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 Kati na bana ya Isalaele, Banganga-Nzambe, Balevi, bayembi, bakengeli bikuke mpe basali ya Tempelo, ndambo bazongaki na Yelusalemi na mobu ya sambo ya mokonzi Aritakizerisesi.
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 Esidrasi mpe akomaki elongo na bango na Yelusalemi na sanza ya mitano ya mobu ya sambo ya mokonzi.
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 Alongwaki na Babiloni na mokolo ya liboso ya sanza ya liboso mpe akomaki na Yelusalemi na mokolo ya liboso ya sanza ya mitano, pamba te loboko ya ngolu ya Nzambe na ye ezalaki likolo na ye,
10 mpo ete Esidrasi amipesaki ye moko penza, na motema na ye mobimba, mpo na koyekola mpe kotia na misala mibeko ya Yawe mpe mpo na kolakisa na bana ya Isalaele bikateli mpe mitindo ya mibeko yango.
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 Tala mokanda oyo mokonzi Aritakizerisesi apesaki epai ya Esidrasi, Nganga-Nzambe mpe molakisi ya Mobeko, oyo ayebaki penza malamu makambo oyo etali mitindo mpe bikateli ya Yawe mpo na Isalaele:
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 « Aritakizerisesi, mokonzi ya bakonzi; Epai ya Esidrasi, Nganga-Nzambe mpe molakisi ya Mobeko ya Nzambe ya Likolo: Mbote na yo!
[“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 Napesi mitindo ete, kati na bokonzi na ngai, moto nyonso kati na bato ya Isalaele, kati na Banganga-Nzambe mpe Balevi na bango, oyo alingi kokende na Yelusalemi akende elongo na yo.
“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 Ngai, mokonzi elongo na bapesi toli na ngai sambo, totindi yo koluka koyeba makambo oyo ezali koleka na Yuda mpe na Yelusalemi, kolanda Mobeko ya Nzambe na yo, oyo ezali na maboko na yo,
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 mpe komema palata mpe wolo oyo mokonzi mpe bapesi toli na ye bapesi bango moko wuta na mokano ya mitema na bango, epai ya Nzambe ya Isalaele, oyo Ndako na Ye ezali na Yelusalemi;
[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 elongo na palata mpe wolo nyonso oyo okozwa na etuka ya Babiloni, makabo oyo bato mpe Banganga-Nzambe bakataki bango moko kopesa wuta na mokano ya mitema na bango, mpo na Tempelo ya Nzambe na bango kati na Yelusalemi.
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 Boye, okosala keba ete osomba bangombe, bameme ya mibali mpe bana meme elongo na nyonso oyo esengeli mpo na makabo na yango ya gato mpe ya masanga, mpe okobonza yango na etumbelo ya Nzambe na bino kati na Yelusalemi.
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 Na palata mpe wolo oyo etikali, yo mpe bandeko na yo, Bayuda, bokoki kosala nyonso oyo bokomona ete ezali malamu kolanda mokano ya Yawe, Nzambe na bino.
“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 Okopesa epai ya Nzambe ya Yelusalemi, biloko nyonso oyo bakopesa yo mpo na mosala ya Tempelo ya Nzambe na yo.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Na nzela ya bomengo ya mokonzi, okoki kozwa biloko nyonso mosusu oyo okozala na yango na bosenga mpo na misala ya Ndako ya Nzambe na yo.
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 Sik’oyo, ngai, mokonzi Aritakizerisesi, napesi mitindo epai ya babateli bomengo nyonso ya mokonzi kati na etuka ya ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate, ete bopesa na lombangu eloko nyonso oyo Esidrasi, Nganga-Nzambe mpe molakisi ya Mobeko ya Nzambe ya Likolo, akosenga bino
“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 kino na kilo ya palata nkoto misato na nkama mitano, kilo ya ble nkoto tuku minei na mitano, balitele ya vino nkoto minei na nkama mitano, balitele ya mafuta nkoto minei na nkama mitano mpe kilo ya mungwa oyo bakoki kotanga te.
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 Tika ete makambo nyonso oyo Nzambe ya Likolo atindi mpo na Tempelo na Ye esalema ndenge kaka atindi yango, mpo ete kanda na Ye ekitela te mokili ya mokonzi mpe bana na ye ya mibali.
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 Bosengeli lisusu koyeba ete bozali lisusu na ndingisa te ya kosenga na Nganga-Nzambe nyonso, Molevi nyonso, moyembi nyonso, mokengeli nyonso ya ekuke, mosali nyonso ya Tempelo, mpe na mosali nyonso mosusu ya Ndako ya Nzambe ete afuta mpako ya mokonzi, mpako ya mabele mpe mpako ya nzela.
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 Bongo yo, Esidrasi, kolanda bwanya ya Nzambe na yo, oyo ozali na yango, pona bilombe mpe basambisi mpo na mosala ya kokata makambo ya bato nyonso oyo, kati na etuka ya ngambo ya weste ya ebale Efrate, bayebi mibeko ya Nzambe na yo; mpe lakisa yango na bato oyo bayebi yango te.
“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 Moto nyonso oyo akotosa te Mobeko ya Nzambe na yo mpe mobeko ya mokonzi asengeli bongo kozwa etumbu ya kufa to kokende na bowumbu to kokaba bomengo na ye mpo ete babotola yango to mpe kokota na boloko. »
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 Tika ete Yawe, Nzambe ya batata na biso, akumisama, Ye oyo atiaki makanisi ya lolenge oyo na motema ya mokonzi, mpo ete akoka kopesa lokumu na Tempelo ya Yawe kati na Yelusalemi,
[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 mpe oyo asaleli ngai bolamu na Ye liboso ya mokonzi, ya bapesi toli na ye mpe ya bakalaka na ye nyonso, pamba te loboko ya Yawe, Nzambe na ngai, ezalaki likolo na ngai! Boye, nazwaki makasi mpe nasangisaki bakambi ya Isalaele mpo ete bazonga elongo na ngai.
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.”
