Ezira 7
1 Shure kwaizvozvo, panguva yokutonga kwaAtazekisesi mambo wePezhia, Ezira mwanakomana waSeraya, mwanakomana waAzaria, mwanakomana waHirikia,
[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 mwanakomana waSharumi, mwanakomana waZodhaki, mwanakomana waAhitubhi,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 mwanakomana waAmaria, mwanakomana waAzaria, mwanakomana waMerayoti,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 mwanakomana waZerahia, mwanakomana waUzi, mwanakomana waBhuki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 mwanakomana waAbhishua, mwanakomana waFinehasi, mwanakomana waEreazari, mwanakomana waAroni muprista mukuru,
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 Ezira uyu akauya kubva kuBhabhironi. Akanga ari mudzidzisi aiziva kwazvo Murayiro waMozisi, wakanga wapiwa naJehovha, Mwari waIsraeri. Mambo akanga amupa zvose zvaakanga akumbira, nokuti ruoko rwaJehovha Mwari wake rwakanga rwuri pamusoro pake.
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 Vamwe vavaIsraeri, vaisanganisira vaprista, vaRevhi, vaimbi, varindi vamasuo navaranda vomutemberi, vakauyawo kuJerusarema mugore rechinomwe rokutonga kwaMambo Atazekisesi.
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 Ezira akasvika muJerusarema mumwedzi wechishanu wegore rechinomwe ramambo.
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 Akanga atanga rwendo rwake kubva kuBhabhironi zuva rokutanga romwedzi wokutanga akasvika muJerusarema pazuva rokutanga romwedzi wechishanu, nokuti ruoko rwenyasha rwaMwari wake rwakanga rwuri pamusoro pake.
10 Nokuti Ezira akanga akazvipira kunzvera nokutevera Murayiro waJehovha, uye nokudzidzisa mitemo nemirayiro yawo muIsraeri.
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 Aya ndiwo mashoko etsamba yaMambo Atazekisesi yaakapa Ezira muprista nomudzidzisi, murume akanga akadzidza pamusoro pezvemirayiro nemitemo yaJehovha kuIsraeri:
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 Atazekisesi mambo wamadzimambo, kuna Ezira muprista nomudzidzisi woMurayiro waMwari wokudenga: Kwaziwa.
[“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 Ini ndinotema chirevo kuti ani naani muIsraeri ari muumambo hwangu, kusanganisira vaprista navaRevhi, avo vanoda zvavo kuenda newe kuJerusarema, ngavaende.
“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 Uri kutumwa namambo navapi vake vamazano vanomwe kundobvunzisisa pamusoro peJudha neJerusarema maererano noMurayiro waMwari wako, uri muruoko rwako.
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 Pamusoro pezvo unofanira kutora sirivha negoridhe rakapiwa namambo namakurukota ake nokuda kwavo kuna Mwari waIsraeri, iye agere muJerusarema,
[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 pamwe chete nesirivha negoridhe rose raungawana kubva kudunhu reBhabhironi, pamwe chetewo nezvipo zvavanhu zvavachapa nokuda kwavo nezvavaprista, zvetemberi yaMwari wavo muJerusarema.
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 Nemari iyi unofanira kutenga hando, makondobwe, namakwayana makono, pamwe chete nezvipiriso zvazvo zvezviyo nezvinonwiwa, uye mugozvibayira paaritari yetemberi yaMwari muJerusarema.
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 Ipapo iwe nehama dzako vaJudha mungaita zvenyu zvose zvamunoona zvakafanira nesirivha negoridhe rose rinenge rasara maererano nokuda kwaMwari wenyu.
“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 Ipai midziyo yose kuna Mwari weJerusarema iyo yamakapiwa kuti mushumire nayo mutemberi yaMwari wenyu.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Uye zvimwe zvose zvinodiwa patemberi yaMwari wako zvaunofanira kuendesa kutemberi, unofanira kuzvitora kubva papfuma yamambo.
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 Zvino ini, Mambo Atazekisesi, ndinorayira vabati vose vehomwe dzemari mhiri kwaYufuratesi kuti mupe nokushingairira zvose zvingakumbirwa naEzira muprista nomudzidzisi woMurayiro waMwari wokudenga,
“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 kusvikira pamatarenda esirivha zana, nezviyero zana zvezviyo namabhati zana ewaini, namabhati zana amafuta amaorivhi, uye nomunyu wose unodiwa.
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 Chinhu chipi nechipi chakarayirwa naMwari wokudenga, ngachiitwe nokushingaira kutemberi yaMwari wokudenga. Ko, ushe hwamambo nohwavanakomana vake huchatsamwireiko?
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 Ndinokuzivisaiwo kuti hamufaniri kuripisa mitero, nemhando dzose dzemitero, mutero womunhu mumwe nomumwe, kana mutero wokumuganhu kwenyika, kuvaprista, vaRevhi, vaimbi, varindi vemikova, navaranda vomutemberi kana vamwe vashandi vapaimba yaMwari.
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 Uye iwe, Ezira, maererano nouchenjeri hwaMwari wako, hwaunahwo, ugadze vaongorori vemhosva, navatongi kuti vatonge nokururamisira vanhu vose vari mhiri kwaYufuratesi, vose vanoziva mirayiro yaMwari wako. Uye unofanira kudzidzisa vose vasingaizivi.
“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 Ani naani asingateereri murayiro waMwari wako uye nomurayiro wamambo, zvirokwazvo anofanira kurangwa norufu, kana kudzingwa, kana kutorerwa pfuma, kana kuiswa mutorongo.
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 Jehovha ngaarumbidzwe, Mwari wamadzibaba edu, uyo akaisa izvi mumwoyo mamambo, kuti auyise kukudzwa kuimba yaJehovha muJerusarema nenzira yakadai,
[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 uye akandiitira nyasha dzake dzakanaka pamberi pamambo namakurukota ake namachinda ake ose ane simba. Nokuti ruoko rwaJehovha Mwari wangu rwakanga rwuri pamusoro pangu, ndikashinga uye ndikakoka varume vaikudzwa pakati pavaIsraeri kuti vaende neni.
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.”
