7

Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

¹After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah, ²the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub, ³the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, ⁴the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, ⁵the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— ⁶this Ezra came up from Babylon. He was a teacher well versed in the Law of Moses, which the Lord, the God of Israel, had given. The king had granted him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him. ⁷Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.
⁸Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. ⁹He had begun his journey from Babylon on the first day of the first month, and he arrived in Jerusalem on the first day of the fifth month, for the gracious hand of his God was on him. ¹⁰For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

¹¹This is a copy of the letter King Artaxerxes had given to Ezra the priest, a teacher of the Law, a man learned in matters concerning the commands and decrees of the Lord for Israel:
¹²Artaxerxes, king of kings,
To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:
Greetings.
¹³Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. ¹⁴You are sent by the king and his seven advisers to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. ¹⁵Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem, ¹⁶together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon, as well as the freewill offerings of the people and priests for the temple of their God in Jerusalem. ¹⁷With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs, together with their grain offerings and drink offerings, and sacrifice them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
¹⁸You and your fellow Israelites may then do whatever seems best with the rest of the silver and gold, in accordance with the will of your God. ¹⁹Deliver to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. ²⁰And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.
²¹Now I, King Artaxerxes, decree that all the treasurers of Trans-Euphrates are to provide with diligence whatever Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law of the God of heaven, may ask of you— ²²up to a hundred talents⚓ of silver, a hundred cors⚓ of wheat, a hundred baths⚓ of wine, a hundred baths⚓ of olive oil, and salt without limit. ²³Whatever the God of heaven has prescribed, let it be done with diligence for the temple of the God of heaven. Why should his wrath fall on the realm of the king and of his sons? ²⁴You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.
²⁵And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint magistrates and judges to administer justice to all the people of Trans-Euphrates—all who know the laws of your God. And you are to teach any who do not know them. ²⁶Whoever does not obey the law of your God and the law of the king must surely be punished by death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.⚓
²⁷Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart to bring honor to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way ²⁸and who has extended his good favor to me before the king and his advisers and all the king’s powerful officials. Because the hand of the Lord my God was on me, I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

7

E^saa^laa Taux Ye^lu^saa^lem Zingh

¹Naaiv deix sic jiex liuz, nqa'haav camv-hnyangx Aan^taa^se^sitv zoux jienv Besie hungh nyei hnyangx-daauh, E^saa^laa daaih taux Ye^lu^saa^lem Zingh. E^saa^laa zoux Se^lai^aa nyei dorn, Se^lai^aa zoux Aa^saa^li^yaa nyei dorn, Aa^saa^li^yaa zoux Hin^ki^yaa nyei dorn, ²Hin^ki^yaa zoux Sanlum nyei dorn, Sanlum zoux Saax^ndokc nyei dorn, Saax^ndokc zoux Aa^hi^tupv nyei dorn, ³Aa^hi^tupv zoux Aa^maa^li^yaa nyei dorn, Aa^maa^li^yaa zoux Aa^saa^li^yaa nyei dorn, Aa^saa^li^yaa zoux Me^laa^yotv nyei dorn, ⁴Maa^laa^yotv zoux Se^laa^hi^yaa nyei dorn, Se^laa^hi^yaa zoux Utc^si nyei dorn, Utc^si zoux Mbukc^ki nyei dorn, ⁵Mbukc^ki zoux Aa^mbi^qu^waa nyei dorn, Aa^mbi^qu^waa zoux Fi^ne^hatc nyei dorn, Fi^ne^hatc zoux E^le^aa^saa nyei dorn, E^le^aa^saa zoux Aalon ⟨domh sai mienh⟩ nyei dorn. ⁶Dongh naaiv dauh E^saa^laa yiem Mbaa^mbi^lon mingh Ye^lu^saa^lem. Ninh zoux fin-saeng, hiuv duqv toux Ziouv, I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei Tin-Hungh, jiu bun ⟨domh sai mienh⟩Ziouv, E^saa^laa nyei Tin-Hungh, caux E^saa^laa yiem, ⚓ hungh diex ziouc ziux ninh tov nyei nyungc-nyungc jiu bun ninh. ⁷Aan^taa^se^sitv zoux hungh da'cietv hnyangx wuov hnyangx, maaih deix I^saa^laa^en Mienh, sai mienh, ⟨domh sai mienh⟩ baaux nzung nyei mienh, zuov gaengh nyei mienh caux zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei biauv nyei bou, duqv caux jienv mingh Ye^lu^saa^lem.
⁸Aan^taa^se^sitv zoux hungh da'cietv hnyangx hmz hlaax, E^saa^laa mingh taux Ye^lu^saa^lem mi'aqv. ⁹Wuov hnyangx zih hlaax saeng-yietv E^saa^laa yiem Mbaa^mbi^lon cuotv jauv. Hmz hlaax saeng-yietv ziouc taux Ye^lu^saa^lem weic zuqc Tin-Hungh za'gengh caux ninh yiem. ⚓ ¹⁰E^saa^laa longc hnyouv hoqc longx Ziouv nyei Leiz-Latc yaac ei jienv zoux. Ninh aengx njaaux wuov deix leiz-latc caux leiz I^saa^laa^en Mienh.

Aan^taa^se^sitv Hungh Fiev Bun E^saa^laa Nyei Sou

¹¹Naaiv se Aan^taa^se^sitv Hungh jiu bun E^saa^laa nyei sou. E^saa^laa zoux sai mienh yaac zoux fin-saeng, hiuv duqv toux Ziouv jiu bun I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei lingc caux leiz. ¹²Sou hnangv naaiv nor fiev.
Yie, Aan^taa^se^sitv, maanc hungh nyei hungh,
Bun taux E^saa^laa sai mienh, njaaux lungh zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei Leiz-Latc nyei fin-saeng.
¹³Ih zanc yie njiec lingc gorngv yiem yie nyei guoqv, da'faanh haaix dauh I^saa^laa^en Mienh, fai sai mienh fai Lewi Mienh maaih hnyouv oix mingh Ye^lu^saa^lem nor, caux meih mingh duqv nyei. ¹⁴Hungh diex caux ninh nyei siec dauh caangh laangh nyei mienh cai meih mingh zaah naaic Yu^ndaa Deic caux Ye^lu^saa^lem Zingh nyei mienh gan meih nyei Tin-Hungh nyei Leiz-Latc, dongh jiu bun meih nyei Leiz-Latc, zeiz fai maiv zeiz? ¹⁵Meih yaac oix zuqc dorh yie, hungh diex, caux yie nyei caangh laangh mienh cuotv fim fongc horc nyei jiem nyaanh mingh bun yiem Ye^lu^saa^lem, I^saa^ laa^en Mienh nyei Tin-Hungh. ¹⁶Aengx dorh jienv yiem Mbaa^mbi^lon Saengv haih siou duqv daaih nyei yietc zungv jiem nyaanh. Yaac dorh baeqc fingx caux sai mienh cuotv fim fongc horc nyei ga'naaiv bun yiem Ye^lu^saa^lem, ninh mbuo nyei Tin-Hungh nyei biauv. ¹⁷Meih oix zuqc za'gengh longc naaiv deix nyaanh maaiz ngongh gouv, ba'gi yungh gouv, ba'gi yungh dorn, caux yietc njiec ziec nyei laangh ziqc caux ciev ziec nyei ga'naaiv. Meih oix zuqc yiem Ye^lu^saa^lem, meih mbuo nyei Tin-Hungh nyei biauv nyei ziec-dorngh ziec.
¹⁸Zengc njiec nyei jiem nyaanh, meih caux meih nyei gorx-youz buatc horpc zuqc hnangv haaix nor longc, gunv hnangv wuov nor longc aqv, ziux meih mbuo nyei Tin-Hungh nyei eix. ¹⁹Yiem zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei biauv longc fu-sux Tin-Hungh nyei yietc zungv jaa-sic jiu bun meih mi'aqv. Meih oix zuqc dorh mingh Ye^lu^saa^lem fungx bun Tin-Hungh. ²⁰Se gorngv yiem meih nyei Tin-Hungh nyei biauv corc maaih haaix nyungc qiemx zuqc longc yaac oix zuqc lorz nor, gunv longc hungh diex nyei nyaanh maaiz oc.
²¹Ih zanc yie, Aan^taa^se^sitv Hungh, njiec lingc mbuox Yu^fe^ditc Ndaaih mba'hnoi ndortv maengx nyei goux nyaanh nyei zuangx jien, oix zuqc ziepc zuoqv nyei tengx E^saa^laa sai mienh, njaaux lungh zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei Leiz-Latc nyei fin-saeng. Ninh tov haaix nyungc oix zuqc bun. ²²Dingc ziangx haih bun duqv taux nyei nyaanh i cin yietc baeqv joih,⚓ mbiauh witv yietc cin yietc baeqv tongv,⚓ a'ngunc diuv i waanc i cin gorngc,⚓ ga'lanv youh i waanc i cin gorngc. Nzauv maiv maaih soux mouc. ²³Da'faanh lungh zaangc Tin-Hungh hnangv haaix nor paaiv, oix zuqc hnangv wuov nor zoux weic lungh zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei biauv, weic bun ninh maiv nouz hungh diex caux zuangx hungh dorn nyei guoqv. ²⁴Yie yaac oix bun meih mbuo hiuv duqv meih mbuo maiv maaih leiz siou haaix dauh sai mienh, Lewi Mienh, baaux nzung nyei mienh, zuov gaengh nyei mienh, zoux zaangc Tin-Hungh nyei biauv nyei bou fai yiem wuov norm biauv zoux haaix nyungc gong nyei mienh nyei korx-zinh fai nzou-zinh.
²⁵E^saa^laa aac, meih oix zuqc longc Tin-Hungh ceix bun meih nyei cong-mengh, orn gunv sic jien caux siemv zuiz jien gunv Yu^fe^ditc Ndaaih mba'hnoi ndortv maengx nyei baeqc fingx, da'faanh hiuv duqv meih nyei Tin-Hungh nyei leiz-latc wuov deix mienh. Haaix dauh maiv hiuv naaiv deix leiz-latc meih mbuo yaac oix zuqc njaaux. ²⁶Se gorngv haaix dauh maiv gan meih nyei Tin-Hungh nyei leiz-latc, yaac maiv muangx hungh diex nyei lingc nor, ndongc haaix zungv oix zuqc dingc zuiz zuqc daix daic, fai zunc cuotv deic-bung, fai zorqv nzengc ninh mbuo nyei zinh zoih, fai wuonx jienv loh.

E^saa^laa Ceng Tin-Hungh

²⁷E^saa^laa gorngv, “Ceng Ziouv, yie mbuo nyei ong-taaix nyei Tin-Hungh, bun hungh diex nyei eix nqoi, hnangv naaiv nor taaih zaangc Ziouv nyei biauv yiem wuov Ye^lu^saa^lem. ²⁸Ziouv ceix en bun yie duqv hungh diex caux hungh diex nyei caangh laangh mienh caux maaih hungh lingc, maaih hatc maaz nyei domh jien a'hneiv yie. Weic zuqc Ziouv, yie nyei Tin-Hungh, caux yie yiem, yie cingx daaih bungx laangc nyei heuc I^saa^laa^en Mienh nyei bieiv zeiv gapv zunv caux jienv yie mingh Ye^lu^saa^lem aqv.”