Esdras 7
1 Después de estas cosas, en el reinado de Artajerjes, rey de Persia, Esdras, hijo de Seraías, hijo de Azarías, hijo de Hilcías,
[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 hijo de Salum, hijo de Sadoc, hijo de Ahitob,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 hijo de Amarías, hijo de Azarías, hijo de Meraiot,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 hijo de Zeraías, hijo de Uzi, hijo de Buqui,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 hijo de Abisúa, hijo de Finees, hijo de Eleazar, hijo de Aarón, el primer sacerdote:
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 Esdras subió de Babilonia, donde era escriba diestro de la Ley de Moisés dada por Yavé ʼElohim de Israel. El rey le concedió toda su petición, porque la mano de Yavé su ʼElohim estaba sobre él.
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 El año séptimo del rey Artajerjes también subieron a Jerusalén algunos de los hijos de Israel, los sacerdotes y levitas, los cantores y porteros y los sirvientes.
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 El mes quinto del año séptimo del rey, [Esdras] llegó a Jerusalén.
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 Pues el primero del mes primero fue el inicio del regreso de Babilonia, y el primero del mes quinto llegó a Jerusalén, según la bondadosa mano de su ʼElohim sobre él.
10 Porque Esdras determinó en su corazón escudriñar la Ley de Yavé, practicarla y enseñar sus Estatutos y Preceptos en Israel.
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 Esta es la copia de la carta que el rey Artajerjes dio al sacerdote Esdras, escriba dedicado a escribir los Mandamientos de Yavé y sus Estatutos acerca de Israel:
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 Artajerjes, rey de reyes, al sacerdote Esdras, escriba erudito de la Ley del ʼElohim del cielo. [Paz] perfecta. Y ahora:
[“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 Por mí es dado decreto para que todo aquel del pueblo de Israel, sus sacerdotes y levitas que quiera ir contigo a Jerusalén, vaya.
“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 Porque tú eres enviado de parte del rey y de sus siete consejeros a inspeccionar Judea y Jerusalén, según la Ley de tu ʼElohim que está en tu mano,
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 y a llevar la plata y el oro que el rey y sus consejeros ofrecieron voluntariamente al ʼElohim de Israel, cuya morada está en Jerusalén,
[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 junto con toda la plata y el oro que halles en toda la provincia de Babilonia, con las ofrendas voluntarias del pueblo y de los sacerdotes para el Templo de su ʼElohim que está en Jerusalén.
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 Por tanto, con este dinero comprarás con toda diligencia becerros, carneros, corderos, sus ofrendas vegetales y sus libaciones. Los ofrecerás en el altar del Templo de tu ʼElohim que está en Jerusalén.
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 Con el resto de la plata y el oro, haz lo que parezca bien a ti y a tus hermanos. Pueden hacerlo según la voluntad de su ʼElohim.
“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 Restituirás al ʼElohim de Jerusalén los utensilios sagrados que te son entregados para el servicio del Templo de tu ʼElohim.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Pagarás del tesoro del rey el resto de las cosas necesarias para el Templo de tu ʼElohim.
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 Y por mí, el rey Artajerjes, es dada orden a todos los tesoreros de Mas Allá del Río, para que todo lo que les pida el sacerdote Esdras, erudito de la Ley del ʼElohim del cielo, sea dado con toda diligencia:
“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 hasta 3.300 kilogramos de plata, 3.3 toneladas de trigo, 2.200 litros de vino, 2.200 litros de aceite y sal sin medida.
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 Todo lo que sea ordenado por el ʼElohim del cielo sea hecho diligentemente para el Templo del ʼElohim del cielo, pues ¿por qué se encenderá su ira contra el reino del rey y de sus hijos?
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 A ustedes les informamos que no les es lícito imponer tributo, contribución o peaje a alguno de los sacerdotes, levitas, cantores, porteros o servidores de Templo de ʼElohim.
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 Y tú, Esdras, según la sabiduría que te da tu ʼElohim, establece magistrados y jueces que juzguen a todo el pueblo de Más Allá del Río, a todos los que conocen la Leyes de tu ʼElohim. Puedes enseñarlas a cualquiera que las ignore.
“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 todo el que no cumpla la Ley de tu ʼElah y la ley del rey, que le sea ejecutado estrictamente un juicio, ya sea para muerte, destierro, confiscación de bienes o prisión.
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 ¡Bendito sea Yavé, ʼElohim de nuestros antepasados, que puso tales cosas en el corazón del rey para honrar el Templo de Yavé que está en Jerusalén,
[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 y extendió hacia mí su misericordia ante el rey, sus consejeros y los poderosos gobernadores del rey! Así la mano de Yavé mi ʼElohim me fortaleció para que reuniera a los jefes de Israel a fin de que subieran conmigo.
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.”
