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,
And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah,
2 Shalumu, Sadoki, Ahitubu,
son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub,
3 Amaria, Azaria, Merayothi,
son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth,
4 Zerahia, Uzi, Buki,
son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki,
5 Abishaua, Fineasi, Eliazari ambaye ni mtoto wa Haruni kuhani mkuu.
son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the head 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.
Ezra himself hath come up from Babylon, and he [is] a scribe ready in the law of Moses, that Jehovah God of Israel gave, and the king giveth to him — according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him — all his request.
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 there go up of the sons of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Naye akafika Yerusalem mwezi wa tano kama mwaka huo.
And he cometh in to Jerusalem in the fifth month, that [is in] the seventh year of the king,
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 on the first of the month he hath founded the ascent from Babylon, and on the first of the fifth month he hath come in unto Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him,
10 Ezra alikuwa ametoa moyo wake kusoma, kutenda, na kufundisha maagizo na sheria za Yahwe.
for Ezra hath prepared his heart to seek the law of Jehovah, and to do, and to teach in Israel statute and judgment.
11 Hii ndio amri ambayo mfalme Artashasta alimpa Ezra kuhani na mwandishi wa sheria za Yahwe na maagizo kwa Israeli.
And this [is] a copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commands of Jehovah, and of His statutes on Israel:
12 Mfalme wa wafalme Artashasta, kwa kuhani Ezra, mwandishi wa sheria za Mungu wa mbinguni.
'Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, a perfect scribe of the law of the God of heaven, and at such a time:
13 Ninatoa amri kwamba mtu yeyote Israel katika ufalme wangu pamoja na makuhani na walawi ambao wanatamani kwenda Yerusalem, wanaweza kwenda pamoja na wewe.
By me hath been made a decree that every one who is willing, in my kingdom, of the people of Israel and of its priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem with thee, doth go;
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 that from the king and his seven counsellors thou art sent, to inquire concerning Judah and concerning Jerusalem, with the law of God that [is] in thy hand,
15 Itakupasa kuleta Dhahabu na fedha ambazo walitoa kwa ajili ya Mungu wa Israel, ambaye makazi yake ni Yerusalem.
and to carry silver and gold that the king and his counsellors willingly offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle [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.
and all the silver and gold that thou findest in all the province of Babylon, with the free-will offerings of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly, for the house of their God that [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.
therefore thou dost speedily buy with this money, bullocks, rams, lambs, and their presents, and their libations, and dost bring them near to the altar of the house of your God that [is] in Jerusalem,
18 Fanya hivyo pamoja na sehemu ya fedha na dhahabu, vyovyote utakavyoona inakupendeza wewe na ndugu zako, kumpendeza Mungu.
and that which to thee and to thy brethren is good to do with the rest of the silver and gold, according to the will of your God ye do.'
19 Viweke vitu vilivyotolewa kwa hiari mbele yako kwa ajili ya huduma ya nyumba ya Mungu Yerusalem.
'And the vessels that are given to thee, for the service of the house of thy God, make perfect before the God of Jerusalem;
20 Kitu chochote kingine ambacho kinahitajika kwenye nyumba ya Mungu wako ambacho unahitaji, Gharama yake itatoka kwenye hazina yangu.
and the rest of the needful things of the house of thy God, that it falleth to thee to give, thou dost give from the treasure-house of the king.
21 Mimi mfalme Artashasta, natoa amri kwa wotunza hazina wote mjini ngambo ya mto, chochote Ezra atakachoomba kwenu anapaswa kupewa chote,
'And by me — I Artaxerxes the king — is made a decree to all treasurers who [are] beyond the river, that all that Ezra the priest, scribe of the law of the God of heaven, doth ask of you, be done speedily:
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.
Unto silver a hundred talents, and unto wheat a hundred cors, and unto wine a hundred baths, and unto oil a hundred baths, and salt without reckoning;
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?
all that [is] by the decree of the God of heaven, let be done diligently for the house of the God of heaven; for why is there 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.
'And to you we are making known, that upon any of the priests and Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, and servants of the house of God, tribute and custom there is no authority to lift up.
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 thou, Ezra, according to the wisdom of thy God, that [is] in thy hand, appoint magistrates and judges who may be judges to all the people who are beyond the river, to all knowing the law of thy God, and he who hath not known ye cause to know;
26 Toa adhabu kwa yeyote asiyetii sheria ya Mungu au sheria ya mfalme, ikiwezekana kwa kifo, kuhamishwa, kuchukuliwa mali zake au kufungwa.
and any who doth not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, speedily is judgment done upon him, whether to death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of riches, and to bonds.'
27 Atukuzwe, Yahwe, Mungu wa watangulizi wetu, ambaye aliweka ndani ya moyo wa mfalme ili kutuza Nyumba ya Yahwe Yerusalem,
Blessed [is] Jehovah, God of our fathers, who hath given such a thing as this in the heart of the king, to beautify the house of Jehovah that [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 unto me hath stretched out kindness before the king and his counsellors, and before all the mighty heads of the king: and I have strengthened myself as the hand of Jehovah my God [is] upon me, and I gather out of Israel heads to go up with me.
