Ezra 7
1 Sasa baada ya hili, kipindi cha kutawala Artashasta mfalme wa Uajemi, Ezra akaja kutoka Babeli. Watangulizi wa Ezra walikuwa: Seraya, Azaria, Hilkia,
Now after these things, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 Shalumu, Sadoki, Ahitubu,
The son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 Amaria, Azaria, Merayothi,
The son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 Zerahia, Uzi, Buki,
The son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 Abishaua, Fineasi, Eliazari ambaye ni mtoto wa Haruni kuhani mkuu.
The son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest:
6 Ezra akaja kutoka Babeli na alikuwa mtalaam mwandishi wa sheria ya Musa, ambayo Yahwe, Mungu wa Israel aliwapa. Mfalme akampatia kila kitu alichooomba kwa kuwa mkono wa Yahwe ulikuwa pamoja naye.
This Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a scribe, expert in the law of Moses which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given: and the king, moved by the Lord his God, gave him whatever he made request for.
7 Baadhi ya wazao wa Israel, na makuhani, walawi, waimbaji, walinzi, na wale waliochaguliwa kuhudumu katika Hekalu pia wakaenda Yerusalem katika mwaka wa saba wa mfalme Artashasta.
And some of the children of Israel went up, with some of the priests and the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Naye akafika Yerusalem mwezi wa tano kama mwaka huo.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the seventh year of the king's rule.
9 Naye akaondoka Babeli siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa kwanza. Ilikuwa siku ya kwanza ya mwezi wa tano ambapo alifika Yerusalem, kwa kuwa mkono mzuri wa Mungu ulikuwa pamoja naye.
For, starting his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, he came to Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, by the good help of his God.
10 Ezra alikuwa ametoa moyo wake kusoma, kutenda, na kufundisha maagizo na sheria za Yahwe.
For Ezra had given his mind to learning the law of the Lord and doing it, and to teaching his rules and decisions in Israel.
11 Hii ndio amri ambayo mfalme Artashasta alimpa Ezra kuhani na mwandishi wa sheria za Yahwe na maagizo kwa Israeli.
Now this is a copy of the letter which King Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest and the scribe, who put into writing the words of the orders of the Lord, and of his rules for Israel:
12 Mfalme wa wafalme Artashasta, kwa kuhani Ezra, mwandishi wa sheria za Mungu wa mbinguni.
Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, all peace;
13 Ninatoa amri kwamba mtu yeyote Israel katika ufalme wangu pamoja na makuhani na walawi ambao wanatamani kwenda Yerusalem, wanaweza kwenda pamoja na wewe.
And now it is my order that all those of the people of Israel, and their priests and Levites in my kingdom, who are ready and have a desire to go to Jerusalem, are to go with you.
14 Mimi mfalme na washauri wangu saba, tunawatuma wote kwenda kufahamu kuhusu Yuda na Yerusalem kuhusiana na sheria ya Mungu, ambayo iko mkononi mwako.
Because you are sent by the king and his seven wise men, to get knowledge about Judah and Jerusalem, as you are ordered by the law of your God which is in your hand;
15 Itakupasa kuleta Dhahabu na fedha ambazo walitoa kwa ajili ya Mungu wa Israel, ambaye makazi yake ni Yerusalem.
And to take with you the silver and gold freely offered by the king and his wise men to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem,
16 Fedha iliyotolewa kwa hiari na Dhahabu yote iliyotolewa Babeli pamoja na matoleo ya hiari waliotoa watu na makuhani kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu katika Yerusalem.
As well as all the silver and gold which you get from the land of Babylon, together with the offering of the people and of the priests, freely given for the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem:
17 Basi ununue vyote sadaka ya kondoo, beberu, kondoo, unga na kinywaji, uvitoe kwenye madhabahu ambayo ni nyumba ya Mungu wako katika Yerusalem.
So with this money get with care oxen, sheep, and lambs, with their meal offerings and their drink offerings, to be offered on the altar of the house of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 Fanya hivyo pamoja na sehemu ya fedha na dhahabu, vyovyote utakavyoona inakupendeza wewe na ndugu zako, kumpendeza Mungu.
And whatever seems right to you and to your brothers to do with the rest of the silver and gold, that do, as may be pleasing to your God.
19 Viweke vitu vilivyotolewa kwa hiari mbele yako kwa ajili ya huduma ya nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem.
And the vessels which have been given to you for the uses of the house of your God, you are to give to the God of Jerusalem.
20 Kitu chochote kingine ambacho kinahitajika kwenye nyumba ya Mungu wako ambacho unahitaji, Gharama yake itatoka kwenye hazina yangu.
And whatever more is needed for the house of your God, and which you may have to give, take it from the king's store-house.
21 Mimi mfalme Artashasta, natoa amri kwa wotunza hazina wote mjini ngambo ya mto, chochote Ezra atakachoomba kwenu anapaswa kupewa chote,
And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, now give orders to all keepers of the king's money across the river, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, may have need of from you, is to be done with all care,
22 hata zaidi ya talanta mia moja za fedha, vipimo mia vya ngano, bathi mia za divai na bathi mia za mafuta, pia na chumvi isiyo na kikomo.
Up to a hundred talents of silver, a hundred measures of grain, a hundred measures of wine, and a hundred measures of oil, and salt without measure.
23 Chochote ambacho kimeamriwa kutoka kwa Mungu wa mbinguni, kifanye hicho kwa utukufu wa nyumba yake. Kwa nini hasira yake ije kwenye ufalme wangu na watoto wangu?
Whatever is ordered by the God of heaven, let it be done completely for the house of the God of heaven; so that there may not be wrath against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 Tutawapa taarifa wao kuhusu ninyi kwamba wasiwatoze ushuru wowote au kodi kwa kuhani, mlawi, mwimbaji, mlinzi au kwa mtu aliyechaguliwa kwenye huduma ya Hekalu na mtumishi katika nyumba ya Mungu.
In addition, we make it clear to you, that it will be against the law to put any tax or payment in goods or forced payment on any of the priests or Levites, the music-makers, door-keepers, Nethinim, or any servants of this house of God.
25 Ezra, kwa hekima aliyokupa Mungu, inakulazimu kuteua waamuzi na mtu muelewa kuwahudumia watu katika mji ngambo ya mto na kusaidia yeyote anayejua sheria za Mungu wako. Pia inakubidi ufundishe wale ambao hawajui sheria.
And you, Ezra, by the wisdom of your God which is in you, are to put rulers and judges to have authority over all the people across the river who have knowledge of the laws of your God; and you are to give teaching to him who has no knowledge of them.
26 Toa adhabu kwa yeyote asiyetii sheria ya Mungu au sheria ya mfalme, ikiwezekana kwa kifo, kuhamishwa, kuchukuliwa mali zake au kufungwa.
And if anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, take care that punishment is given to him, by death or by driving him from his country or by taking away his goods or by putting him in prison.
27 Atukuzwe, Yahwe, Mungu wa watangulizi wetu, ambaye aliweka ndani ya moyo wa mfalme ili kutuza Nyumba ya Yahwe Yerusalem,
Praise be to the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put such a thing into the heart of the king, to make fair the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;
28 ambaye akaendeleza agano kwangu kwa uaminifu mbele ya mfalme, na washauri wake na wakuu wake wenye mamlaka, nilitiwa nguvu na mikono ya Yahwe, Mungu wangu, nami nikawakusanya viongozi kutoka Israel kwenda pamoja nami.
And has given mercy to me before the king and his government and before all the king's great captains. And I was made strong by the hand of the Lord my God which was on me, and I got together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
