1 I muri i enei mea, i te kingitanga o Arataherehe kingi o Pahia, na ko Etera tama a Heraia, tama a Ataria, tama a Hirikia,

Now after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,

2 T ama a Harumu, tama a Haroko, tama a Ahitupu,

the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,

3 T ama a Amaria, tama a Ataria, tama a Meraioto,

the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,

4 T ama a Terahia, tama a Uti, tama a Puki,

the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,

5 T ama a Apihua, tama a Pinehaha, tama a Ereatara, tama a Arona tino tohunga:

the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest—

6 I haere mai tenei Etera i Papurona; na he karaipi kakama ia ki te ture a Mohi i homai nei e Ihowa, e te Atua o Iharaira. I runga ano i a ia te ringa o Ihowa, o tona Atua, a homai ana e te kingi ki a ia nga mea katoa i tonoa e ia.

this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.

7 N a i haere mai ano etahi o nga tama a Iharaira, no nga tohunga hoki, o nga Riwaiti, o nga kaiwaiata, o nga kaitiaki keti, o nga Netinimi, ki Hiruharama i te whitu o nga tau o Kingi Arataherehe.

Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.

8 N a kua tae ia ki Hiruharama i te rima o nga marama o te whitu o nga tau o te kingi.

And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.

9 N o te tuatahi hoki o nga ra o te marama tuatahi i timata ai ia te haere mai i Papurona, a no te tuatahi o nga ra o te rima o nga marama i tae mai ai ki Hiruharama, i runga hoki i a ia te ringa pai o tona Atua.

On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.

10 I whakatikaia hoki e Etera tona ngakau ki te rapu i te ture a Ihowa, ki te mahi ano hoki, a ki te whakaako i a Iharaira ki nga tikanga, ki nga whakaritenga.

For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel. The Letter of Artaxerxes to Ezra

11 N a ko nga kupu tenei o te pukapuka i homai e Kingi Arataherehe ki te tohunga, ki te karaipi ki a Etera; he karaipi ia no nga kupu o nga whakahau a Ihowa, no ana tikanga hoki ki a Iharaira.

This is a copy of the letter that King Artaxerxes gave Ezra the priest, the scribe, expert in the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of His statutes to Israel:

12 N a Arataherehe kingi o nga kingi ki te tohunga, ki a Etera, ki te karaipi o te ture a te Atua o te rangi, he tino tika, he aha atu.

Artaxerxes, king of kings, To Ezra the priest, a scribe of the Law of the God of heaven: Perfect peace, and so forth.

13 K o taku tikanga tenei ka whakatakotoria nei; Na, ko te hunga katoa o te iwi o Iharaira, o ona tohunga hoki, o nga Riwaiti i toku kingitanga e whai ngakau ana kia haere ki Hiruharama, me haere tahi me koe.

I issue a decree that all those of the people of Israel and the priests and Levites in my realm, who volunteer to go up to Jerusalem, may go with you.

14 H e mea unga na hoki koe na te kingi ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro tokowhitu, ki te ui i nga mea o Hura, o Hiruharama, kia rite ai ki te ture a tou Atua i tou ringa na;

And whereas you are being sent by the king and his seven counselors to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, with regard to the Law of your God which is in your hand;

15 K i te kawe ano i te hiriwa, i te koura i hoatu noa nei e te kingi, ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro ki te Atua o Iharaira, kei Hiruharama nei tona nohoanga,

and whereas you are to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose dwelling is in Jerusalem;

16 I te hiriwa katoa ano, i te koura e kitea e koe i te kawanatanga katoa o Papurona, i nga mea homai noa ano a te iwi, a nga tohunga, a te hunga e homai noa ana mo te whare o to ratou Atua i Hiruharama.

and whereas all the silver and gold that you may find in all the province of Babylon, along with the freewill offering of the people and the priests, are to be freely offered for the house of their God in Jerusalem—

17 N a kia hohoro koe te hoko ki tenei moni he puru, he hipi toa, he reme, he whakahere totokore, me nga ringihanga, ka whakaeke ai ki runga ki te aata o te whare o to koutou Atua i Hiruharama.

now therefore, be careful to buy with this money bulls, rams, and lambs, with their grain offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them on the altar of the house of your God in Jerusalem.

18 N a, ko ta koutou ko ou teina e pai ai mo te toenga o te hiriwa, o te koura, meatia, kia rite ki ta to koutou Atua e pai ai.

And whatever seems good to you and your brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do it according to the will of your God.

19 A , ko nga oko ka hoatu nei ki a koe mo nga mahi o te whare o tou Atua, me hoatu e koe ki te aroaro o te Atua i Hiruharama.

Also the articles that are given to you for the service of the house of your God, deliver in full before the God of Jerusalem.

20 A , ko era atu mea e meatia ana e koe mo te whare o tou Atua, e tika ana kia hoatu e koe, hoatu i roto i te whare taonga o te kingi.

And whatever more may be needed for the house of your God, which you may have occasion to provide, pay for it from the king’s treasury.

21 N a, tenei ahau, a Kingi Arataherehe te whakatakoto nei i te tikanga ki nga kaitiaki taonga katoa i tawahi o te awa, na, ko nga mea katoa e tonoa i a koutou e Etera tohunga, e te karaipi o te ture a te Atua o te rangi, kia hohoro te mea;

And I, even I, Artaxerxes the king, issue a decree to all the treasurers who are in the region beyond the River, that whatever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the Law of the God of heaven, may require of you, let it be done diligently,

22 A hakoa kotahi rau taranata hiriwa, ahakoa kotahi rau mehua witi, ahakoa kotahi rau pati waina, ahakoa kotahi rau pati hinu; me te tote ano, e kore tona taimaha e tuhituhia.

up to one hundred talents of silver, one hundred kors of wheat, one hundred baths of wine, one hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribed limit.

23 K o nga mea katoa e kiia mai ana e te Atua o te rangi, me mahi kia tino rite mo te whare o te Atua o te rangi: he aha oti kia ai ai he riri mai ki te kingitanga o te kingi ratou ko ana tama?

Whatever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it diligently be done for the house of the God of heaven. For why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?

24 K ia mohio ano koutou; ko nga tohunga katoa, ko nga Riwaiti, ko nga kaiwaiata, ko nga kaitiaki keti, ko nga Netinimi, ko nga kaimahi o tenei whare o te Atua, e kore e tika kia tangohia he takoha taonga, he takoha tangata, he takoha huarahi i a ra tou.

Also we inform you that it shall not be lawful to impose tax, tribute, or custom on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, Nethinim, or servants of this house of God.

25 N a mau, e Etera, kei a koe na hoki te mohio o te Atua, mau e whakarite nga kaiwhakarite, nga kaiwhakarongo totohe, hei whakarite mo nga iwi katoa i tera taha o te awa, hei te hunga katoa e mohio ana ki nga ture a tou Atua: na, ko te hunga kahore e mohio, ma koutou e whakaako.

And you, Ezra, according to your God-given wisdom, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people who are in the region beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God; and teach those who do not know them.

26 A , ko te tangata e kore e mahi i te ture a tou Atua, i te ture ano a te kingi, kia hohoro te whakapa o te whiu ki a ia, te whakamate ranei, te pei ranei he whenua ke, me tango ranei ana taonga, me here ranei.

Whoever will not observe the law of your God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily on him, whether it be death, or banishment, or confiscation of goods, or imprisonment.

27 K ia whakapaingia a Ihowa, te Atua o o tatou matua, nana nei i homai te whakaaro penei ki te ngakau o te kingi, ara kia whakapaia te whare o Ihowa i Hiruharama;

Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, who has put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem,

28 N ana hoki i whakaputa aroha mai ki ahau i te aroaro o te kingi ratou ko ana kaiwhakatakoto whakaaro, o nga rangatira rarahi ano a te kingi. Na kua whai kaha ahau; i runga hoki i ahau te ringa o Ihowa, o toku Atua. Na ka huihuia e ahau etahi tino tangata i roto i a Iharaira, hei hoa haere moku ki runga.

and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counselors, and before all the king’s mighty princes. So I was encouraged, as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me; and I gathered leading men of Israel to go up with me.