Ezra Arrives in Jerusalem
1 Many years later, when Artaxerxes was emperor of Persia, there was a man named Ezra. He traced his ancestors back to Aaron, the High Priest, as follows: Ezra was the son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, 2 son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, 3 son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraioth, 4 son of Zerahiah, son of Uzzi, son of Bukki, 5 son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron.
6-7 Ezra was a scholar with a thorough knowledge of the Law which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given to Moses. Because Ezra had the blessing of the Lord his God, the emperor gave him everything he asked for. In the seventh year of the reign of Artaxerxes, Ezra set out from Babylonia for Jerusalem with a group of Israelites which included priests, Levites, Temple musicians, Temple guards, and workers. 8-9 They left Babylonia on the first day of the first month, and with God's help they arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month. 10 Ezra had devoted his life to studying the Law of the Lord, to practicing it, and to teaching all its laws and regulations to the people of Israel.
The Document Which Emperor Artaxerxes Gave to Ezra
11 Emperor Artaxerxes gave the following document to Ezra, the priest and scholar, who had a thorough knowledge of the laws and commands which the Lord had given to Israel:
12 “From Emperor Artaxerxes to the priest Ezra, scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven.
13 “I command that throughout my empire all the Israelite people, priests, and Levites that so desire be permitted to go with you to Jerusalem. 14 I, together with my seven counselors, send you to investigate the conditions in Jerusalem and Judah in order to see how well the Law of your God, which has been entrusted to you, is being obeyed. 15 You are to take with you the gold and silver offerings which I and my counselors desire to give to the God of Israel, whose Temple is in Jerusalem. 16 You are also to take all the silver and gold which you collect throughout the province of Babylon and the offerings which the Israelite people and their priests give for the Temple of their God in Jerusalem.
17 “You are to spend this money carefully and buy bulls, rams, lambs, grain, and wine and offer them on the altar of the Temple in Jerusalem. 18 You may use the silver and gold that is left over for whatever you and your people desire, in accordance with the will of your God. 19 You are to present to God in Jerusalem all the utensils that have been given to you for use in the Temple services. 20 And anything else which you need for the Temple, you may get from the royal treasury.
21 “I command all the treasury officials in West-of-Euphrates Province to provide promptly for Ezra, the priest and scholar in the Law of the God of Heaven, everything he asks you for, 22 up to a limit of 7,500 pounds of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, 550 gallons of olive oil, and as much salt as needed. 23 You must be careful to provide everything which the God of Heaven requires for his Temple, and so make sure that he is never angry with me or with those who reign after me. 24 You are forbidden to collect any taxes from the priests, Levites, musicians, guards, workers, or anyone else connected with this Temple.
25 “You, Ezra, using the wisdom which your God has given you, are to appoint administrators and judges to govern all the people in West-of-Euphrates who live by the Law of your God. You must teach that Law to anyone who does not know it. 26 If any disobey the laws of your God or the laws of the empire, they are to be punished promptly: by death or by exile or by confiscation of their property or by imprisonment.”
Ezra Praises God
27 Ezra said, “Praise the Lord, the God of our ancestors! He has made the emperor willing to honor in this way the Temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. 28 By God's grace I have won the favor of the emperor, of his counselors, and of all his powerful officials; the Lord my God has given me courage, and I have been able to persuade many of the heads of the clans of Israel to return with me.”
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.”
