Esras 7
1 Då ei tid var lidi, hende det, medan kong Artahsasta styrde i Persia, at Ezra for heim frå Babel. Han var son åt Seraja, som var son åt Azarja, son åt Hilkia,
[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 son åt Sallum, son åt Sadok, son åt Ahitub,
Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
3 son åt Amarja, son åt Azarja, son åt Merajot,
who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
4 son åt Zerahja, son åt Uzzi, son åt Bukki,
who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
5 son åt Abisua, son åt Pinehas, son åt Eleazar, son åt øvstepresten Aron.
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 Ezra var ein skriftlærd mann, vel kjend i Moselovi, den som Herren, Israels Gud, hadde gjeve. Kongen gav honom alt det han bad um; for Herren hans Gud heldt handi si yver honom.
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 Nokre av Israels-sønerne og av prestarne og levitarne og songarane, dørvaktarane og tempelsveinarne var med honom heim til Jerusalem; det var i det sjuande styringsåret åt kong Artahsasta.
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 Han kom til Jerusalem i femte månaden det same sjuande året åt kongen.
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 Den fyrste dagen i fyrste månaden vart det fast avgjort at dei skulde fara frå Babel, og den fyrste dagen i femte månaden kom han til Jerusalem; for hans Gud heldt si gode hand yver honom.
10 For Ezras hadde vendt hugen sin til å granska Herrens lov og fylgja henne, og til å læra andre i Israel upp i lov og rett.
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 Dette er avskrift av eit brev som kong Artahsasta gav den skriftlærde presten Ezra, som var kunnig i Herrens bodord og lover for 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 «Artahsasta, konge yver kongarne, til presten Ezra, den lærde i lovi åt Gud i himmelen. Utferda og so burtetter.
[“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 Med dette segjer eg fyre at kvar ein av Israels-folket i mitt rike og av prestarne og levitarne deira som hev hug til å fara til Jerusalem, må fara med deg,
“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 sidan kongen og dei sju rådsmennerne hans hev sendt deg i veg til å sjå etter kor det er med Juda og Jerusalem etter lovi åt din Gud, den som du hev i di hand,
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 og til å føra fram det sylvet og gullet som kongen og rådsmennerne hans godviljugt hev gjeve til Israels Gud, han som hev bustaden sin i Jerusalem,
[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 sameleis alt sylv og gull som du fær i heile Babels jarlerike, og dei gåvor som folket og prestarne godviljugt til huset åt sin Gud i 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 Dette skal du gjera deg vel fyre med og kjøpa for desse pengarne uksar og verar og lamb og alt sovore som trengst til grjonoffer og drykkoffer, og det skal du ofra på altaret som høyrer til huset åt dykkar Gud i 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 Det du og brørne dine finn det rettast å gjera med det som vert att av sylvet og gullet, det må de gjera soleis som dykkar Gud vil.
“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 Men dei reidskaper som du fær til tenesta i huset åt din Gud, deim skal du gjeva frå deg åt Gud i Jerusalem.
We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
20 Det som meir trengst til huset åt din Gud, det kann du greida ut or skattkammeret åt kongen.
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 Og eg, kong Artahsasta, segjer med dette fyre alle skattmeistrarne i landi på hi sida elvi, at alt det som presten Ezras, vismannen i lovi åt Gud i himmelen, bed dykk um, det skal de gjera og gjeva på fyrste ordet,
“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 um det trengst upp til tvo og eit halvt hundrad våger med sylv, tri hundrad tunnor kveite, hundrad ankar vin og hundrad ankar med olje, dertil salt umælt.
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 Alt det som tarvst etter det Gud i himmelen segjer fyre, det skal verta gjort på fyrste ordet og gjeve til huset åt Gud i himmelen, so ikkje hans vreide skal koma yver riket åt kongen og sønerne hans.
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 Og det let me dykk vita, at ingen skal hava magt til å leggja skattar eller toll eller vegpengar på nokon prest eller levit, songar eller dørvaktar, tempelsvein eller annan som hev tenesta i dette gudshuset.
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 Og du, Ezras, må, etter den visdom du hev fenge frå din Gud, setja domarar og lovlærde folk til å døma manna millom hjå alt folket på hi sida elvi, alle dei som kjenner loverne åt din Gud; og den som ikkje det gjer, honom skal du læra å kjenna deim.
“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 Og kvar den som ikkje gjer etter lovi åt din Gud og etter lovi åt kongen, yver honom skal det fellast ein rett dom, anten til daude eller utlægd, til pengebot eller til fangehus.»
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 Pris vere Herren, Gud åt federne våre, at han gav kongen slikt i hugen, til å pryda Herrens hus i 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 og at han let meg finna nåde hjå kongen og rådsmennerne hans og hjå alle dei megtige hovdingarne åt kongen! Eg fekk mod då eg såg at Herren, min Gud, heldt handi si yver meg, og eg samla kringum meg nokre ættarhovdingar av Israel; dei skulde vera med meg på heimferd.
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.”
