Ezra 7
1 Pagkatapos ng mga bagay na ito, sa panahon ng paghahari ni Haring Artaxerxes, si Ezra, na ang kaniyang mga ninuno ay sina Seraias, Azarias, Hilcias,
[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 Sallum, Sadoc, Ahitub,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 Amarias, Azarias, Meraiot,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 Zeraias, Uzzi, Buki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 Abisua, Finehas, Eleazar, at si Aaron na pinakapunong pari -
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 Umalis si Ezra mula sa Babilonia. Isa siyang dalubhasang eskriba sa batas ni Moises na ibinigay ni Yahweh, ang Diyos ng Israel. Ibinigay ng hari sa kaniya ang kahit anong bagay na kaniyang hingin yamang ang kamay ni Yahweh ay kasama niya.
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 Ang ilan sa mga kaapu-apuhan ng Israel at ng mga pari, mga Levita, mga mang-aawit sa templo, mga bantay-pinto, at ang mga itinalaga na maglingkod sa templo ay umakyat sa Jerusalem sa ikapitong taon ni Haring Artaxerxes.
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 Siya ay dumating sa Jerusalem sa ikalimang buwan ng parehong taon.
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 Siya ay umalis ng Babilonia sa unang araw ng unang buwan. Noong unang araw ng ika-limang buwan nang siya ay dumating sa Jerusalem, yamang kasama niya ang mabuting kamay ng Diyos.
10 Pinatatag ni Ezra ang kaniyang puso sa pag-aaral, sa pagsasagawa, at pagtuturo sa mga alituntunin at mga utos ng batas ni Yahweh.
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 Ito ay ang utos na ibinigay ni Haring Artaxerxes kay Ezra na pari at eskriba ng mga kautusan at mga alituntunin ni Yahweh para sa 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 “Ang Hari ng mga haring si Artaxerxes, kay paring Ezra, isang eskriba ng kautusan ng Diyos ng langit:
[“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 Aking iniuutos na ang sinumang mula sa Israel sa aking kaharian, kasama ang kanilang mga pari at mga Levita, na nagnanais na pumunta ng Jerusalem, ay maaring sumama sa iyo.
“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 Ako, ang hari, at ang aking pitong mga tagapayo, ay ipapadala ko kayong lahat upang siyasatin ang tungkol sa Juda at Jerusalem ayon sa batas ng Diyos na inyong naunawaan,
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 at upang dalhin sa Jerusalem, na kaniyang tahanan, ang pilak at ginto na kanilang malayang ihahandog sa Diyos ng Israel.
[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 Ibigay ng libre ang lahat ng pilak at ginto na binigay ng mga taga-Babilonia kasama ang anumang malayang inialay sa pamamagitan ng mga tao at mga pari para sa tahanan ng Diyos sa Jerusalem.
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 Kaya bilhin ninyo sa kabuuan halaga ang baka, mga lalaking tupa at mga batang tupa, at butil at inuming mga handog. Ihandog ninyo ang mga ito sa altar na nasa tahanan ng inyong Diyos sa Jerusalem.
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 Gawin ninyo sa natitirang pilak at ginto ang anumang tingin ninyong mabuti para sa inyo at sa inyong mga kapatid, upang malugod ninyo ang inyong Diyos.
“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 Ilagay ninyo ang mga bagay na malayang ibinigay sa inyo sa harap niya para sa paglilingkod sa tahanan ng inyong Diyos sa Jerusalem.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Anumang bagay na kakailanganin sa tahanan ng inyong Diyos, kunin ninyo ang mga gastos mula sa aking kabang-yaman.
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 Ako, si Haring Artaxerxes, ang gumagawa ng utos sa lahat ng mga ingat-yaman sa ibayong Ilog, na ang kahit anong hingin ni Ezra mula sa inyo ay dapat ninyong maibigay ng buo,
“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 hanggang sa isang daang talentong pilak, isang daang takal ng butil, isang daang malaking sisidlan ng alak, at isang daang malaking sisidlan ng langis, pati asin na walang limitasyon.
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 Anumang nagmula sa utos ng Diyos ng Langit, gawin ninyo ito nang may malasakit para sa kaniyang tahanan. Sapagkat bakit kailangang dumating ang kaniyang poot sa aking kaharian at sa aking mga anak?
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 Ipinababatid namin sa kanila ang tungkol sa iyo hindi upang magpataw ka ng kahit na anong pagkilala o mga buwis sa sinuman sa mga pari, mga levita, mga musikero, mga bantay-pinto, o sa mga taong itinalaga sa paglilingkod sa templo at sa mga tagapaglingkod sa tahanang ito ng Diyos.
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 Ezra, sa karunungang ipinagkaloob sa iyo ng Diyos, ikaw ay dapat magtalaga ng mga hukom at mga lalaking may mahusay na pagpapasya upang maglingkod sa lahat ng tao sa ibayong Ilog, at upang maglingkod sa sinumang nakakaalam sa batas ng Diyos. Ikaw ay dapat ring magturo sa mga hindi pa nakakaalam sa batas.
“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 Parusahan mo ang sinumang hindi buo ang pagsunod sa batas ng Diyos o sa batas ng hari, maging sa pamamagitan ng kamatayan, pagpapalayas, pagsamsam ng kanilang mga kalakal, o pagkakabilanggo.”
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 Sinabi ni Ezra, “Purihin si Yahweh, ang Diyos ng ating mga ninuno, ang siyang naglagay ng lahat ng ito sa puso ng hari para sa kapurihan ng tahanan ni Yahweh sa Jerusalem,
[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 at siyang nagpaabot ng tipan ng katapatan sa akin sa harap ng hari, sa kaniyang mga tagapayo, at sa lahat ng kaniyang makapangyarihang mga opisyal. Ako ay napalakas sa pamamagitan ng kamay ni Yahweh na aking Diyos, at ako ay nagkalap ng mga pinuno mula sa Israel na humayong kasama ko.”
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.”
