Ezra Comes to Jerusalem
1-6 Much later, when Artaxerxes was king of Persia, Ezra came to Jerusalem from Babylonia. Ezra was the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah. His other ancestors were Hilkiah, Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub, Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth, Zerahiah, Uzzi, Bukki, Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, and Aaron, the high priest.
Ezra was an expert in the Law that the Lord God of Israel had given to Moses, and the Lord made sure that the king gave Ezra everything he asked for.
7 Other Jews, including priests, Levites, musicians, the temple guards, and servants, came to Jerusalem with Ezra. This happened during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was king.
8-9 God helped Ezra, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month of that seventh year, after leaving Babylonia on the first day of the first month. 10 Ezra had spent his entire life studying and obeying the Law of the Lord and teaching it to others.
Artaxerxes Gives a Letter to Ezra
11 Ezra was a priest and an expert in the laws and commands that the Lord had given to Israel. One day King Artaxerxes gave Ezra a letter which said:
12 Greetings from the great King Artaxerxes to Ezra the priest and expert in the teachings of the God of heaven.
13-14 Any of the people of Israel or their priests or Levites in my kingdom may go with you to Jerusalem if they want to. My seven advisors and I agree that you may go to Jerusalem and Judah to find out if the laws of your God are being obeyed.
15 When you go, take the silver and gold that I and my advisors are freely giving to the God of Israel, whose temple is in Jerusalem. 16 Take the silver and gold that you collect from everywhere in Babylonia. Also take the gifts that your own people and priests have so willingly contributed for the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
17 Use the money carefully to buy the best bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine. Then sacrifice them on the altar at God's temple in Jerusalem. 18 If any silver or gold is left, you and your people may use it for whatever pleases your God. 19 Give your God the other articles that have been contributed for use in his temple. 20 If you need to get anything else for the temple, you may have the money you need from the royal treasury.
21 Ezra, you are a priest and an expert in the laws of the God of heaven, and I order all treasurers in Western Province to do their very best to help you. 22 They will be allowed to give as much as 3.4 tons of silver, 10 tons of wheat, 2,000 liters of wine, 2,000 liters of olive oil, and all the salt you need.
23 They must provide whatever the God of heaven demands for his temple, so that he won't be angry with me and with the kings who rule after me. 24 We want you to know that no priests, Levites, musicians, guards, temple servants, or any other temple workers will have to pay any kind of taxes.
25 Ezra, use the wisdom God has given you and choose officials and leaders to govern the people of Western Province. These leaders should know God's laws and have them taught to anyone who doesn't know them. 26 Everyone who fails to obey God's Law or the king's law will be punished without pity. They will either be executed or put in prison or forced to leave their country, or have all they own taken away.
Ezra Praises God
27 Because King Artaxerxes was so kind, Ezra said:
Praise the Lord God of our ancestors! He made sure that the king honored the Lord's temple in Jerusalem. 28 God has told the king, his advisors, and his powerful officials to treat me with kindness. The Lord God has helped me, and I have been able to bring many Jewish leaders back to Jerusalem.
Esira la seyoo ka naa Yerusalaamu
1 Ñiŋ kuwolu koolaa, Perisiya mansa Atasasita la mansayaa waatoo kono, Esira, Seraya dinkewo naata. Seraya mu Asariya dinkewo le ti. Asariya mu Hilikiya dinkewo le ti. 2 Hilikiya mu Sallumu dinkewo ti, Sallumu mu Sadoki dinkewo ti, Sadoki mu Ahitubu dinkewo ti, 3 Ahitubu mu Amariya dinkewo ti, Amariya mu Asariya dinkewo ti, Asariya mu Merayoti dinkewo ti, 4 Merayoti mu Serahiya dinkewo ti, Serahiya mu Usi dinkewo ti, Usi mu Buki dinkewo ti, 5 Buki mu Abisuwa dinkewo ti, Abisuwa mu Pineha dinkewo ti, Pineha mu Eleyasa dinkewo ti, Eleyasa mu Haaruna dinkewo le ti, meŋ mu piriisi* kuntii baa ti. 6 Ñiŋ Esira le naata ka bo Babiloni. Luwaa karammoo* le mu a ti, meŋ ye londoo soto baake Luwaa to, Yaawe*, Banisirayila la Alla ye meŋ dii Musa la. Esira suulata feŋ-wo-feŋ na, mansa ye a bee le dii a la, kaatu a ye neemoo soto le ka bo Yaawe, a la Alla bulu.
7 Banisirayilankoo doolu, ka taa piriisoolu, Lewi lasiloo, suukuulaalaalu, dundaŋ daa kantalaalu, aniŋ Alla Batudulaa Buŋo* to dookuulaalu, fanaa naata Yerusalaamu le. Wo waatoo Mansa Atasasita be a la mansayaa sanji woorowulanjaŋo le kono.
8 Esira futata Yerusalaamu, mansa la maraloo sanji woorowulanjaŋo kari luulunjaŋo le kono. 9 A ye a la taamasiloo dati naŋ Babiloni bankoo kaŋ kari foloo tili foloo le la, aduŋ a futata Yerusalaamu kari luulunjaŋo tili foloo le la, kaatu a ye maakoyiroo soto le ka bo a la Alla bulu. 10 Meŋ ye wo saabu wo le mu, ate ye a hamoo ke ñiŋ ne ti, ka Yaawe la Luwaa karaŋ, ka baara a la, aniŋ ka Banisirayilankoolu karandi a tunkuŋolu niŋ a yaamaroolu la.
Atasasita ye leetaroo meŋ dii Esira la
11 Esira mu piriisoo aniŋ karammoo le ti, meŋ ye londoo soto Yaawe la yaamaroo niŋ luwaa la kuwo to, Yaawe ye meŋ dii Banisirayilankoolu la. Ñiŋ ne mu leetaroo kumoolu safeeriŋo ti, Mansa Atasasita ye meŋ dii Esira la:
12 Ñiŋ leetaroo bota Atasasita le yaa, mansoolu la mansakewo, a be taa Esira le yaa, piriisoo aniŋ karammoo. Aduŋ a la londoo warata Arijana Maarii la Luwaa la kuwo to le.
M be i kontoŋ na.
13 Bituŋ saayiŋ a felenti m be kaŋo dii la ko, Banisirayilankoolu meŋ-wo-meŋ, aniŋ ì la piriisoolu niŋ Lewi lasiloo, mennu be n na mansamarali bankoo kaŋ, niŋ ì lafita ì niŋ i ye taa Yerusalaamu, ì si taa. 14 Nte, aniŋ n na yaamarilaa woorowuloo le ye i kii ka taa Yerusalaamu niŋ Yahuuda bee la kuwo kisikisi, ka a je fo ali la Alla la Luwaa, meŋ be karafariŋ i ma, ì ye a muta le baŋ. 15 I si kodiforoo niŋ sanoo fanaa samba, nte mansa niŋ n na yaamarilaalu ye mennu dii Banisirayilankoolu la Alla la, meŋ be Yerusalaamu, m̀ faŋolu la lafoo kaŋ. 16 I si ì niŋ kodiforoo niŋ sanoo bee kafu ñoo ma, i ye meŋ soto noo Babiloni mansamarali bankoo kaŋ, ka taa fo moolu niŋ piriisoolu la fankadaŋ sadaalu*, ì ye mennu dii Alla Batudulaa Buŋo la kuwo kamma la, meŋ be Yerusalaamu.
17 Ñiŋ kodoo si taamandi a ñaama ka ninsituuraalu, saajiikotoŋolu aniŋ saajiiriŋolu saŋ, ka taa ì niŋ siimaŋ sadaalu niŋ miŋ feŋ sadaalu mennu ka bondi ñoo la. Ì si bondi sadaa ti ali la Alla Batudulaa Buŋo sadaajanidulaa* kaŋ, meŋ be Yerusalaamu. 18 Bituŋ ite niŋ i baadiŋ dookuuñoolu si kodiforoo niŋ sanoo too taamandi ko a beteyaata ali fee ñaameŋ, ka bo niŋ ali la Alla la lafoo la. 19 Jooraŋolu mennu diita i la, i si ì bee samba Yerusalaamu Alla ye, ka ì ke dookuuraŋolu ti a la Batudulaa Buŋo to. 20 Aduŋ niŋ a ye a tara i be suula la feŋ koteŋ na Batudulaa Buŋo ye i ñanta ka meŋ dii, i si kodoo bondi mansa naafuloo to, i suulata meŋ na.
21 Saayiŋ, nte Mansa Atasasita ye kaŋo dii mansakundaa la naafulu maralaalu bee le la, mennu be Yufurati Baakoo ko: Ali si feŋo bee dii Esira la a ñaama, meŋ mu piriisoo ti aniŋ Arijana Maarii la Luwaa karammoo, a ye ali ñininkaa meŋ na. 22 A si taa fo kodiforoo kilo wuli saba aniŋ keme naani, wiiti* siimaŋo kilo wuli taŋ, wayinoo* liitari wuli fula, olifu* tuloo liitari wuli fula, aniŋ koo hapoo meŋ si kaañaŋ. 23 Arijana Maarii ye feŋ-wo-feŋ yaamaroo dii, a si ke a ñaama a la Batudulaa Buŋo ye, janniŋ a la kamfaa baa be boyi la mansa la jamaanoo niŋ a dinkewolu kaŋ.
24 Ali si ñiŋ loŋ fanaa ko, ali maŋ kaŋo soto ka naamu joo, duwaañi joo, aniŋ kuŋ joo laa piriisoolu kiliŋ-wo-kiliŋ kaŋ, ka taa Lewi lasiloo, suukuulaalaalu, dundaŋ daa kantalaalu, Alla Batudulaa Buŋo to dookuulaalu, aniŋ dookuulaa koteŋolu mennu be Alla la ñiŋ buŋo to.
25 Bituŋ ite Esira, ka bo Alla ye i so ñaameŋo meŋ na, i si kiitindirilaalu tomboŋ. Wolu le be kiitiyo ke la moolu bee teema mennu be Yufurati Baakoo la. Wo le mu ñiŋ ti ko, moolu mennu ka baara ali la Alla la luwaalu la. Aduŋ ì si moolu bee karandi a la, mennu maŋ a loŋ. 26 Aduŋ moo-wo-moo balanta Alla la Luwaa muta la waraŋ mansa la luwaa, i be kiitindi la kendeke le. I be faa la le, waraŋ i ye wudaayindi ka bo i la bankoo kaŋ, waraŋ i la sotofeŋolu bee ye buusi i la, waraŋ i ye soroŋ bunjawoo kono.
Esira ye Alla tentu
27 Bituŋ Esira ko, “Tentoo be Yaawe ye, m̀ mumuñolu la Alla. Ate le ye ñiŋ hakiloo dii mansa la ka Yaawe Batudulaa Buŋo ke dulaa horomariŋo ti Yerusalaamu saatewo kono. 28 Ate le la kanu bambaloo tarata m fee ka mansa niŋ a la yaamarilaalu kaayandi n ye, aniŋ mansakundaa dookuulaa sembemaa baalu bee. N wakiilita ka bo niŋ maakoyiroo la ŋa meŋ soto Yaawe, n na Alla bulu, ŋa ñaatonkoolu kafu ñoo ma ka bo Banisirayilankoolu kono, fo n niŋ ì si taa ñoo la.”
