Ezra 7
1 [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.
Pea hili ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, ʻi he pule ʻa ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ko Esela ko e foha ʻo Selaia, ko e foha ʻo ʻAsalia, ko e foha ʻo Hilikia,
2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
Ko e foha ʻo Salumi, ko e foha ʻo Satoki, ko e foha ʻo ʻAhitupe,
3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
Ko e foha ʻo ʻAmalia, ko e foha ʻo ʻAsalia, ko e foha ʻo Milaioti,
4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
Ko e foha ʻo Selaia, ko e foha ʻo Usa, ko e foha ʻo Puki,
5 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.
Ko e foha ʻo ʻApisua, ko e foha ʻo Finiasi, ko e foha ʻo ʻEliesa, ko e foha ʻo ʻElone ko e taulaʻeiki lahi:
6 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.
Ko e Esela ni naʻe ʻalu hake ia mei Papilone; pea ko e tangata tohi ia naʻe poto ʻi he fono ʻo Mōsese, ʻaia naʻe foaki kiate ia ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli: pea naʻe tuku kiate ia ʻe he tuʻi ʻaia kotoa pē naʻa ne kole, ʻo fakatatau ki he kau ʻae nima ʻo Sihova ko hono ʻOtua kiate ia.
7 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].
Pea naʻe ʻalu hake ʻae niʻihi ʻoe fānau ʻa ʻIsileli, pea ʻoe kau taulaʻeiki mo e kau Livai, mo e kau hiva, mo e kau leʻo matapā, mo e kau Netenimi, ki Selūsalema, ʻi hono fitu taʻu ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi.
8 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.
Pea naʻe haʻu ia ki Selūsalema ʻi hono nima ʻoe māhina, ʻi hono fitu taʻu ʻoe tuʻi.
He naʻe kamata ʻene fononga hake, mei Papilone ʻi he ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻi hono ʻuluaki ʻoe māhina, pea ʻi hono ʻuluaki ʻaho ʻi hono nima ʻoe māhina naʻe hoko ia ki Selūsalema, ʻo fakatatau, ki he kau lelei ʻae nima ʻo hono ʻOtua kiate ia.
10 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].
He naʻe ʻosi hono teuʻi hono loto ʻe Esela ke kumi ʻi he fono ʻa Sihova, pea ke fai ia, pea ke akonaki ʻi ʻIsileli ʻae ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni, mo e ngaahi fakamaau.
11 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]:
Pea ko hono hiki eni ʻoe tohi naʻe ʻatu ʻe he tuʻi ko ʻAtakisekisi kia Esela ko e taulaʻeiki, ko e tangata tohi ia, ʻio, ko e tangata tohi ʻae ngaahi lea ʻoe ngaahi fekau ʻa Sihova, pea mo ʻene ngaahi tuʻutuʻuni ki ʻIsileli.
12 [“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].
“Ko ʻAtakisekisi, ko e tuʻi ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi, kia Esela ko e taulaʻeiki, ko e tangata tohi ʻoe fono ʻae ʻOtua ʻoe langi, ke ʻiate koe ʻae fiemālie lelei, ʻi he kuonga ko eni.
13 “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.
“ʻOku ou fai ʻae fono, koeʻuhi ko kinautolu ʻoe kakai ʻo ʻIsileli, pea mo ʻene kautaulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, ʻi hoku puleʻanga, ʻaia ʻoku tokanga ʻi honau loto lelei ke ʻalu hake ki Selūsalema, ke nau ʻalu mo koe.
14 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.
Pea ko e meʻa ʻi he ʻalu koe mei he tuʻi pea mo ʻene kau fakakaukau ʻe toko fitu, ke fehuʻi ki Siuta mo Selūsalema, ʻo fakatatau ki he fono ʻa ho ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi ho nima;
15 [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.
Pea ke fetuku ʻae siliva mo e koula, ʻaia kuo ʻatu fiemālie pe ʻe he tuʻi mo ʻene kau fakakaukau ki he ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema hono fale nofoʻanga.
16 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.
Pea mo e siliva mo e koula kotoa pē ʻaia ke ke faʻa ʻilo ʻi he potu kotoa pē ʻo Papilone, mo e meʻa ʻatu loto lelei pe ʻae kakai, pea mo e kau taulaʻeiki, ʻoku ʻatu loto lelei pe maʻae fale ʻo honau ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema:
17 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.
“Koeʻuhi ke ke fakatau vave ʻaki ʻae ngaahi paʻanga ni ʻae fanga pulu, mo e fanga sipitangata, mo e fanga lami, mo honau ngaahi feilaulau meʻakai, mo e ngaahi feilaulau meʻainu, pea ke ʻatu ia ki he funga ʻoe feilaulauʻanga ʻoe fale ʻo homou ʻOtua ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema.
18 “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.
Pea ko ia ʻe mata lelei kiate koe, mo ho ngaahi kāinga ke fai ki hono toe ʻoe siliva mo e koula, mou fai ia ʻo fakatatau ki he finangalo ʻo homou ʻOtua.
19 We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
Ko e ngaahi ipu foki naʻe tuku kiate koe ki he ngāue ʻoe fale ʻo ho ʻOtua, ke ke ʻatu ia ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ʻOtua ʻo Selūsalema.
20 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.
Pea mo ia kotoa pē ʻoku ʻaonga ki he fale ʻo ho ʻOtua, ʻaia te ke loto ki ai ke foaki, foaki ia mei he fale koloa ʻoe tuʻi.
21 “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.
“Pea ko au, ʻio, ko au ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi, ʻoku ou fai ʻae fono ki he kau tauhi koloa kotoa pē ʻaia ʻoku ʻi he potu kituʻa ʻi he vaitafe, ke ʻilonga ʻaia ʻoku fiemaʻu ʻe Esela ko e taulaʻeiki, ko e tangata tohi ʻoe fono ʻae ʻOtua ʻoe langi, ke fai vave ia kiate ia,
22 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.
ʻO fai hake ki he taleniti siliva ʻe teau, mo e puha fua ʻoe uite ʻe teau, pea ki he kaloni ʻe fitungeau ma nimangofulu ʻoe uaine, pea ki he kaloni ʻe fitungeau ma nimangofulu ʻoe lolo, mo e māsima ʻe ʻikai lau ki hono lahi.
23 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.
Ko ia kotoa pē ʻoku fekau ʻe he ʻOtua ʻoe langi, tuku ke fai vave ia maʻae fale ʻoe ʻOtua ʻoe langi he ko e hā ka tuʻu ai ʻae houhau ki he puleʻanga ʻoe tuʻi pe ki hono ngaahi foha?
24 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.'
Pea ʻoku mau fakapapau foki kiate kimoutolu, ko e meʻa ki he kau taulaʻeiki mo e kau Livai, mo e kau hiva, mo e kau leʻo matapā, mo e kau Netenimi, pe ko e kau tauhi ʻoe fale ni ʻoe ʻOtua, ʻoku ʻikai ngofua ke tala totongi, pe ha tukuhau, pe ha fakafatongia, kiate kinautolu.
25 “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.
“Pea ko koe, ʻe Esela, ʻo hangē ko e poto ʻa ho ʻOtua, ʻoku ʻi ho nima, ke ke fakanofo ʻae kau pule, mo e kau fakamaau, ʻaia ke nau fakamaau ʻae kakai kotoa pē ʻoku ʻi he tuʻa vaitafe, ʻakinautolu ʻoku ʻilo lelei ʻae fono ʻa ho ʻOtua; pea mou ako ia, kiate kinautolu ʻoku ʻikai te nau ʻilo ki ai.
26 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.”
Pea ʻilonga ʻaia ʻoku ʻikai fai ki he fono ʻo ho ʻOtua, mo e fono ʻae tuʻi, ke fakahoko vave ʻae fakamaau kiate ia, pe ko ha meʻa ki he mate, pe ki he kapusi ia, pe ki he faʻao ʻo ʻene ngaahi meʻa, pe ki he fakahū ki he fale fakapōpula.”
27 [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.
“Fakafetaʻi kia Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻetau ngaahi tamai, ʻaia kuo ne ʻai ʻae meʻa pehē ni ki he loto ʻoe tuʻi, ke fakamatamatalelei ki he fale ʻo Sihova ʻaia ʻoku ʻi Selūsalema:
28 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.”
Pea kuo ne tuku ʻae angaʻofa kiate au ʻi he ʻao ʻoe tuʻi, mo ʻene kau fakakaukau, pea ʻi he ʻao ʻoe houʻeiki ongoongo lahi ʻae tuʻi. Pea naʻe fakamālohiʻi au ʻi he ʻiate au ʻae nima ʻo Sihova ko hoku ʻOtua, pea ne u tānaki fakataha mei ʻIsileli ʻae kau tangata tuʻu ki muʻa ke mau ʻalu hake mo au.”
