Ezera 7
1 Awo oluvannyuma lw’ebyo, mu biro eby’obufuzi bwa Alutagizerugizi kabaka w’e Buperusi, Ezera mutabani wa Seraya, muzzukulu wa Azaliya, muzzukulu wa Kirukiya,
[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 muzzukulu wa Sallumu, muzzukulu wa Zadooki, muzzukulu wa Akitubu,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 muzzukulu wa Amaliya, muzzukulu wa Azaliya, muzzukulu wa Merayoosi,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 muzzukulu wa Zerakiya, muzzukulu wa Uzzi, muzzukulu wa Bukki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 muzzukulu wa Abisuwa, muzzukulu wa Finekaasi, muzzukulu wa Eriyazaali, muzzukulu wa Alooni kabona asinga obukulu,
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 n’ava e Babulooni. Yali munnyonnyozi w’amateeka mukugu mu mateeka, Mukama Katonda wa Isirayiri ge yawa Musa. Kabaka n’amuwa buli kintu kye yasaba kubanga omukono gwa Mukama Katonda we gwali wamu naye.
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 Abamu ku bantu ba Isirayiri, omwo nga mwe muli bakabona, n’Abaleevi, n’abayimbi, n’abaakuumanga wankaaki, n’abaaweerezanga mu yeekaalu, ne bagenda wamu naye e Yerusaalemi mu mwaka ogw’omusanvu ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka Alutagizerugizi.
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 N’atuuka mu Yerusaalemi mu mwezi ogwokutaano ogw’omwaka ogw’omusanvu ogw’obufuzi bwa kabaka oyo.
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 Yasitula okuva e Babulooni ku lunaku olw’olubereberye olw’omwezi ogw’olubereberye, n’atuuka e Yerusaalemi ku lunaku olw’olubereberye olw’omwezi ogwokutaano, kubanga omukono gwa Katonda we omulungi gwali wamu naye.
10 Ezera yali amaliridde mu mutima gwe okusoma n’okukuuma Etteeka lya Mukama, era n’okuyigirizanga amateeka n’ebiragiro byalyo mu Isirayiri.
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 Eno ye kopi ey’ebbaluwa kabaka Alutagizerugizi gye yawa Ezera kabona era omusomesa, omusajja eyali omukugu mu nsonga ez’amateeka n’ebiragiro bya Mukama eri Isirayiri.
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 Alutagizerugizi, kabaka wa bakabaka, Eri Ezera kabona era omunnyonnyozi w’amateeka ga Katonda w’eggulu: Nkulamusizza.
[“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 Nteeka etteeka nga buli muntu ow’omu ggwanga lya Isirayiri, omwo nga mwe muli bakabona n’Abaleevi, awulira okugenda e Yerusaalemi naawe, ayinza okugenda.
“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 Otumiddwa kabaka n’abakungu be omusanvu ab’oku ntikko okugenda okunoonyereza ku bikwata ku Yuda ne Yerusaalemi nga mugoberera etteeka lya Katonda wammwe, lye mumanyi obulungi.
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 Bwe muba nga mugenda mutwale effeeza ne zaabu kabaka n’abakungu be bye bawaddeyo ku bwabwe eri Katonda wa Isirayiri, atuula mu Yerusaalemi,
[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 awamu n’effeeza ne zaabu yonna gye muliggya mu ssaza lya Babulooni, n’ebiweebwayo eby’obuwa abantu ne bakabona bye baliwaayo ku lwa yeekaalu ya Katonda waabwe mu Yerusaalemi.
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 Ensimbi ezo mulizikozesa okugula ente ennume, n’endiga ennume, n’abaana b’endiga, n’ebiweebwayo byako eby’obutta, n’ebiweebwayo byako ebyokunywa era munaabiweerangayo ku kyoto eky’omu yeekaalu ya Katonda wammwe mu Yerusaalemi.
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 Ggwe ne baganda bo Abayudaaya, kye mulisiima okukolamu effeeza ne zaabu erifikkawo kiriva gye muli ng’okusiima kwa Katonda wammwe bwe kuli.
“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 Ebintu byonna ebibaweereddwa okukozesa mu yeekaalu ya Katonda wammwe mubiwangayo olw’okusinza Katonda wa Yerusaalemi.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 N’ekintu ekirala kyonna kye muliba mwetaaze okukozesa mu yeekaalu ya Katonda wammwe, kinaggyibwanga mu ggwanika lya kabaka.
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 Kaakano, nze kabaka Alutagizerugizi nteeka etteeka nga ndagira abawanika bonna abali mu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati okuwanga Ezera kabona era omunnyonnyozi w’amateeka ga Katonda w’eggulu, by’anaabasabanga
“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 n’okutuusa ku ttani ssatu n’ekitundu eza ffeeza, oba kilo enkumi bbiri mu bibiri ez’eŋŋaano, oba lita enkumi bbiri mu bibiri ez’envinnyo, oba lita enkumi bbiri mu bibiri ez’amafuta, oba n’omunnyo gwe baliba baagala gwonna.
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 Ekintu kyonna ekyalagirwa Katonda w’eggulu, kiribaweebwa mu bungi, ku lwa yeekaalu ya Katonda w’eggulu. Kale kiki ekirimuleetera okusunguwalira kabaka ne batabani be?
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 Ate era mutegeere nga temusaana kuwooza musolo, oba empooza ey’engeri yonna ku kabona yenna newaakubadde Abaleevi newaakubadde abayimbi newaakubadde abakuumi ab’oku nzigi newaakubadde abaweereza ab’omu yeekaalu newaakubadde abaddu abalala ab’omu nnyumba ya Katonda eyo.
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 “Naawe, ggwe Ezera, ng’okozesa amagezi Katonda ge yakuwa, londa abaami n’abalamuzi, abanaalamulanga abantu bonna ab’omu ssaza eriri emitala w’omugga Fulaati, abamanyi amateeka ga Katonda wo, era oyigirize n’abo abatagamanyi.
“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 Omuntu yenna ataligondera tteeka lya Katonda wo, n’etteeka lya Kabaka aliweebwa ekibonerezo kya kuttibwa, oba okugobebwa mu bantu, oba okuggyibwako ebibye, oba okusibibwa mu kkomera.”
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 Mukama Katonda w’abajjajjaffe atenderezebwe ayolesezza kabaka okuwa ennyumba ya Mukama mu Yerusaalemi ekitiibwa,
[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 era ansobozesezza okulaba omukisa mu maaso ga kabaka ne mu maaso g’abawi b’amagezi be ab’oku ntikko, n’abakungu ba kabaka bonna, n’olw’omukono gwa Mukama Katonda wange ogubadde awamu nange, nsobole okukuŋŋaanya abakulembeze ba Isirayiri okugenda nange.
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.”
