Etera 7
1 I muri i enei mea, i te kingitanga o Arataherehe kingi o Pahia, na ko Etera tama a Heraia, tama a Ataria, tama a Hirikia,
[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 Tama a Harumu, tama a Haroko, tama a Ahitupu,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 Tama a Amaria, tama a Ataria, tama a Meraioto,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 Tama a Terahia, tama a Uti, tama a Puki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 Tama a Apihua, tama a Pinehaha, tama a Ereatara, tama a Arona tino tohunga:
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 I haere mai tenei Etera i Papurona; na he karaipi kakama ia ki te ture a Mohi i homai nei e Ihowa, e te Atua o Iharaira. I runga ano i a ia te ringa o Ihowa, o tona Atua, a homai ana e te kingi ki a ia nga mea katoa i tonoa e ia.
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 Na i haere mai ano etahi o nga tama a Iharaira, no nga tohunga hoki, o nga Riwaiti, o nga kaiwaiata, o nga kaitiaki keti, o nga Netinimi, ki Hiruharama i te whitu o nga tau o Kingi Arataherehe.
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 Na kua tae ia ki Hiruharama i te rima o nga marama o te whitu o nga tau o te kingi.
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 No te tuatahi hoki o nga ra o te marama tuatahi i timata ai ia te haere mai i Papurona, a no te tuatahi o nga ra o te rima o nga marama i tae mai ai ki Hiruharama, i runga hoki i a ia te ringa pai o tona Atua.
10 I whakatikaia hoki e Etera tona ngakau ki te rapu i te ture a Ihowa, ki te mahi ano hoki, a ki te whakaako i a Iharaira ki nga tikanga, ki nga whakaritenga.
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 Na ko nga kupu tenei o te pukapuka i homai e Kingi Arataherehe ki te tohunga, ki te karaipi ki a Etera; he karaipi ia no nga kupu o nga whakahau a Ihowa, no ana tikanga hoki ki a Iharaira.
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 Na Arataherehe kingi o nga kingi ki te tohunga, ki a Etera, ki te karaipi o te ture a te Atua o te rangi, he tino tika, he aha atu.
[“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 Ko taku tikanga tenei ka whakatakotoria nei; Na, ko te hunga katoa o te iwi o Iharaira, o ona tohunga hoki, o nga Riwaiti i toku kingitanga e whai ngakau ana kia haere ki Hiruharama, me haere tahi me koe.
“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 He mea unga na hoki koe na te kingi ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro tokowhitu, ki te ui i nga mea o Hura, o Hiruharama, kia rite ai ki te ture a tou Atua i tou ringa na;
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 Ki te kawe ano i te hiriwa, i te koura i hoatu noa nei e te kingi, ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro ki te Atua o Iharaira, kei Hiruharama nei tona nohoanga,
[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 I te hiriwa katoa ano, i te koura e kitea e koe i te kawanatanga katoa o Papurona, i nga mea homai noa ano a te iwi, a nga tohunga, a te hunga e homai noa ana mo te whare o to ratou Atua i Hiruharama.
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 Na kia hohoro koe te hoko ki tenei moni he puru, he hipi toa, he reme, he whakahere totokore, me nga ringihanga, ka whakaeke ai ki runga ki te aata o te whare o to koutou Atua i Hiruharama.
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, ko ta koutou ko ou teina e pai ai mo te toenga o te hiriwa, o te koura, meatia, kia rite ki ta to koutou Atua e pai ai.
“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 A, ko nga oko ka hoatu nei ki a koe mo nga mahi o te whare o tou Atua, me hoatu e koe ki te aroaro o te Atua i Hiruharama.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 A, ko era atu mea e meatia ana e koe mo te whare o tou Atua, e tika ana kia hoatu e koe, hoatu i roto i te whare taonga o te kingi.
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 Na, tenei ahau, a Kingi Arataherehe te whakatakoto nei i te tikanga ki nga kaitiaki taonga katoa i tawahi o te awa, na, ko nga mea katoa e tonoa i a koutou e Etera tohunga, e te karaipi o te ture a te Atua o te rangi, kia hohoro te mea;
“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 Ahakoa kotahi rau taranata hiriwa, ahakoa kotahi rau mehua witi, ahakoa kotahi rau pati waina, ahakoa kotahi rau pati hinu; me te tote ano, e kore tona taimaha e tuhituhia.
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 Ko nga mea katoa e kiia mai ana e te Atua o te rangi, me mahi kia tino rite mo te whare o te Atua o te rangi: he aha oti kia ai ai he riri mai ki te kingitanga o te kingi ratou ko ana tama?
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 Kia mohio ano koutou; ko nga tohunga katoa, ko nga Riwaiti, ko nga kaiwaiata, ko nga kaitiaki keti, ko nga Netinimi, ko nga kaimahi o tenei whare o te Atua, e kore e tika kia tangohia he takoha taonga, he takoha tangata, he takoha huarahi i a ra tou.
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 Na mau, e Etera, kei a koe na hoki te mohio o te Atua, mau e whakarite nga kaiwhakarite, nga kaiwhakarongo totohe, hei whakarite mo nga iwi katoa i tera taha o te awa, hei te hunga katoa e mohio ana ki nga ture a tou Atua: na, ko te hunga kahore e mohio, ma koutou e whakaako.
“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 A, ko te tangata e kore e mahi i te ture a tou Atua, i te ture ano a te kingi, kia hohoro te whakapa o te whiu ki a ia, te whakamate ranei, te pei ranei he whenua ke, me tango ranei ana taonga, me here ranei.
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 Kia whakapaingia a Ihowa, te Atua o o tatou matua, nana nei i homai te whakaaro penei ki te ngakau o te kingi, ara kia whakapaia te whare o Ihowa i Hiruharama;
[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 Nana hoki i whakaputa aroha mai ki ahau i te aroaro o te kingi ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, o nga rangatira rarahi ano a te kingi. Na kua whai kaha ahau; i runga hoki i ahau te ringa o Ihowa, o toku Atua. Na ka huihuia e ahau etahi tino tangata i roto i a Iharaira, hei hoa haere moku ki runga.
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.”
