Esdras 7
1 Pasadas 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, 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 Este Esdras subió de Babilonia, el cual era escriba diligente en la ley de Moisés, que dio el SEÑOR Dios de Israel; y le concedió el rey, según la mano del SEÑOR su Dios sobre él, todo lo que pidió.
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 Y subieron con él a Jerusalén de los hijos de Israel, y de los sacerdotes, y levitas, y cantores, y porteros, y netineos, en el séptimo año del rey Artajerjes.
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 Y llegó a Jerusalén en el mes quinto, el año séptimo del rey.
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 Porque el día primero del primer mes fue el principio de la partida de Babilonia, y al primero del mes quinto llegó a Jerusalén, según la buena mano de su Dios sobre él.
10 Porque Esdras había preparado su corazón para buscar la ley del SEÑOR, y para hacer y para enseñar a Israel sus mandamientos y juicios.
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 Y éste es el traslado de la carta que dio el rey Artajerjes a Esdras, sacerdote escriba; escriba de las palabras mandadas del SEÑOR, y de sus estatutos sobre 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 los reyes, a Esdras sacerdote, escriba perfecto de la ley del Dios del cielo y a Cheenet:
[“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 mandamiento, que cualquiera que quisiere en mi reino, del pueblo de Israel y de sus sacerdotes y levitas, 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 de parte del rey y de sus siete consultores eres enviado a visitar ( para reformar y corregir ) a Judea y a Jerusalén, conforme a la ley de tu Dios 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 consultores voluntariamente ofrecen al Dios 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 y toda la plata y el oro que hallares en toda la provincia de Babilonia, con las ofrendas voluntarias del pueblo y de los sacerdotes, que de su voluntad ofrecieren para la casa de su Dios 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 diligencia comprarás con esta plata becerros, carneros, corderos, y sus presentes y sus libaciones, y los ofrecerás sobre el altar de la casa de vuestro Dios 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 Y lo que tu y tus hermanos quisieren hacer con la otra plata y oro, hacedlo conforme a la voluntad de vuestro Dios.
“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 Y los vasos que te son entregados para el servicio de la Casa de tu Dios, los restituirás delante de Dios en Jerusalén.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Y lo demás necesario para la Casa de tu Dios que te fuere menester dar, lo darás de la casa de los tesoros del rey.
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 dado mandamiento a todos los tesoreros que están al otro lado del río, que todo lo que os demandare Esdras sacerdote, escriba de la ley del Dios del cielo, se le conceda luego,
“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 cien talentos de plata, y hasta cien coros de trigo, y hasta cien batos de vino, y hasta cien batos de aceite; y sal sin tasa.
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 es mandado por el Dios del cielo, sea hecho prestamente para la Casa del Dios del cielo; pues, ¿por qué habría de ser 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 Y a vosotros os hacemos saber, que a todos los sacerdotes y levitas, cantores, porteros, netineos y ministros de la casa de éste Dios, ninguno pueda imponerles tributo, o pecho, o renta.
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, conforme a la sabiduría de tu Dios que tienes, pon por jueces y gobernadores, que gobiernen a todo el pueblo que está al otro lado del río, a todos los que tienen noticia de las leyes de tu Dios; y al que no la tuviere le enseñaréis.
“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 Y cualquiera que no hiciere la ley de tu Dios, y la ley del rey, prestamente sea juzgado, o a muerte, o a desarraigo, o a pena de la hacienda, o a 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 el SEÑOR, Dios de nuestros padres, que puso tal cosa en el corazón del rey, para honrar la Casa del SEÑOR 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 sobre mí extendió misericordia delante del rey y de sus consultores, y de todos los príncipes poderosos del rey. Y yo, confortado según la mano de mi Dios sobre mí, junté los principales de Israel para que subiesen 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.”
