2. Ezra 7

¹Bu olaylardan sonra, Pers Kralı Artahşasta’nın krallığı döneminde, Saraya oğlu, Azarya oğlu, Hilkiya oğlu Ezra yukarı çıktı.

²Kendisi Şallum oğlu, Sadok oğlu, Ahituv oğlu,

³Şemarya oğlu, Ezri oğlu, Merayot oğlu,

⁴Zerahya oğlu, Uzzi oğlu, Bukki oğlu,

⁵Avişua oğlu, Pinehas oğlu, Eleazar oğlu, ilk kahin Harun oğlu soyundandı.

⁶Bu Ezra Babil’den yukarı çıktı; kendisi İsrail’in Tanrısı RAB’bin Musa’ya vermiş olduğu yasada mahir bir yazıcıydı. Tanrısı RAB’bin eli onun üzerinde olduğundan, kral ona dilediği her şeyi verdi.

⁷Kral Artahşasta’nın krallığının yedinci yılında, İsrailoğulları’ndan, kahinlerden, Levililer’den, ezgicilerden, kapıcılardan ve tapınak görevlilerinden bazıları da Yeruşalim’e yukarı çıktı.

⁸Kralın yedinci yılının beşinci ayında Yeruşalim’e vardılar.

⁹Birinci ayın birinci gününde Babil’den yukarı çıkışı başlatmıştı ve Tanrısı’nın iyi eli onun üzerinde olduğundan, beşinci ayın birinci gününde Yeruşalim’e vardılar.

¹⁰Çünkü Ezra, RAB’bin yasasını araştırmaya, onu uygulamaya ve İsrail’de kuralları ve ilkeleri öğretmeye yüreğini adamıştı.

¹¹Kral Artahşasta’nın, RAB’bin buyruklarının sözlerini ve İsrail’e yönelik kurallarını içeren kitabın yazıcısı olan Kahin Ezra’ya verdiği fermanın bir kopyası şudur:

¹²«Kralların Kralı Artahşasta’dan, göklerin Tanrısı RAB’bin yasasının yazıcısı Kahin Ezra’ya: Karar ve yanıt kesinleşmiştir.

¹³Egemenliğim altında yaşayan İsrail halkından, kahinlerden ve Levililer’den, seninle birlikte Yeruşalim’e gitmek isteyen herkesin gitmesine izin veren bir buyruk çıkardım.

¹⁴Elinde bulunan Tanrın’ın yasasına göre Yahuda ve Yeruşalim’deki durumu incelemen için, kral ve yedi danışmanı tarafından gönderiliyorsun.

¹⁵Ayrıca kralın ve danışmanlarının, Yeruşalim’de konut kuran İsrail’in Tanrısı’na gönüllü olarak sundukları altını ve gümüşü,

¹⁶Babil ilinin her yerinde bulacağın tüm gümüş ve altınla birlikte, halkın ve kahinlerin Yeruşalim’deki Tanrıları’nın tapınağı için gönüllü olarak sundukları bağışları da beraberinde götüreceksin.

¹⁷Bu parayla hemen boğalar, koçlar, kuzular, bunların tahıl sunularını ve dökmelik sunularını satın alıp bu kitaba kaydet ve bunları Yeruşalim’deki Tanrınız’ın tapınağının sunağı üzerinde sun.

¹⁸Artakalan gümüş ve altınla ne yapılması size ve kardeşlerinize iyi görünürse, Tanrınız’ın isteğine göre öyle yapın.

¹⁹Tanrın’ın tapınağındaki hizmet için sana teslim edilen kapları Yeruşalim’deki Tanrı’nın huzuruna sun.

²⁰Tanrın’ın tapınağı için ödemen gereken başka bir ihtiyaç ortaya çıkarsa, bunu kralın hazinesinden karşılayacaksın.

²¹Ben, Kral Artahşasta, Fırat’ın ötesindeki tüm hazinedarlara buyruk veriyorum: Göklerin Tanrısı’nın kahini ve yazıcısı Ezra sizden her ne dilerse, hemen yerine getirilsin;

²²yüz talant gümüşe, yüz kor buğdaya, yüz bat şaraba, yüz bat zeytinyağına kadar ve ölçüsüz tuz sağlansın.

²³Göklerin Tanrısı’nın buyurduğu her şey, göklerin Tanrısı’nın tapınağı için özenle yerine getirilsin; tapınağa kimsenin el uzatmamasına dikkat edin ki, kralın ve oğullarının krallığına karşı bir öfke uyanmasın.

²⁴Ayrıca size bildiririz ki, kahinlerin, Levililer’in, ezgicilerin, kapıcıların, tapınak görevlilerinin ve bu Tanrı tapınağının çalışanlarının hiçbirinden vergi alınmayacaktır; onları boyunduruk altına almaya yetkiniz yoktur.

²⁵Ve sen Ezra, elinde bulunan Tanrın’ın bilgeliğine göre, Fırat’ın ötesindeki tüm halkı, yani Tanrın’ın yasasını bilenlerin hepsini yargılayacak yazıcılar ve yargıçlar ata; bilmeyenlere de siz öğretin.

²⁶Tanrın’ın yasasına ve kralın yasasına titizlikle uymayan her kim olursa olsun, hakkında hemen hüküm verilsin; gerek ölüm, gerek disiplin cezası, gerek malına el koyma, gerekse hapis cezası uygulansın.»

²⁷Atalarımızın Tanrısı RAB’be övgüler olsun! Yeruşalim’deki RAB’bin tapınağını yüceltmek için kralın yüreğine böyle bir istek koydu.

²⁸Kralın, danışmanlarının ve kralın tüm güçlü önderlerinin önünde bana merhamet etti. Tanrım RAB’bin iyi eli üzerimde olduğundan güç buldum ve benimle birlikte gitmeleri için İsrail’in ileri gelenlerini topladım.

¹ΚΑΙ μετὰ τὰ ῥήματα ταῦτα ἐν βασιλείᾳ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλέως Περσῶν ἀνέβη ῎Εσδρας υἱὸς Σαραίου, υἱοῦ ᾿Αζαρίου, υἱοῦ Χελκία,

²υἱοῦ Σελούμ, υἱοῦ Σαδδούκ, υἱοῦ ᾿Αχιτώβ,

³υἱοῦ Σαμαρία, υἱοῦ ᾿Εσριά, υἱοῦ Μαρεώθ,

⁴υἱοῦ Ζαραΐα, υἱοῦ ᾿Οζίου, υἱοῦ Βοκκί,

⁵υἱοῦ ᾿Αβισουέ, υἱοῦ Φινεές, υἱοῦ ᾿Ελεάζαρ, υἱοῦ ᾿Ααρὼν τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ πρώτου·

⁶αὐτὸς ῎Εσδρας ἀνέβη ἐκ Βαβυλῶνος, καὶ αὐτὸς γραμματεὺς ταχὺς ἐν νόμῳ Μωυσῇ, ὃν ἔδωκε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ᾿Ισραήλ. καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ βασιλεύς, ὅτι χεὶρ Κυρίου Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἐν πᾶσιν, οἷς ἐζήτει αὐτός.

⁷καὶ ἀνέβησαν ἀπὸ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ἱερέων καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Λευιτῶν καὶ οἱ ἄδοντες καὶ οἱ πυλωροὶ καὶ οἱ Ναθινὶμ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἔτει ἑβδόμῳ τῷ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ τῷ βασιλεῖ.

⁸καὶ ἤλθοσαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ τῷ μηνὶ τῷ πέμπτῳ, τοῦτο τὸ ἔτος ἕβδομον τῷ βασιλεῖ·

⁹ὅτι ἐν μιᾷ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου αὐτὸς ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν ἀνάβασιν τὴν ἀπὸ Βαβυλῶνος, ἐν δὲ τῇ πρώτῃ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πέμπτου ἤλθοσαν εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, ὅτι χεὶρ Θεοῦ αὐτοῦ ἦν ἀγαθὴ ἐπ᾿ αὐτόν.

¹⁰ὅτι ῎Εσρας ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ζητῆσαι τὸν νόμον καὶ ποιεῖν καὶ διδάσκειν ἐν ᾿Ισραὴλ προστάγματα καὶ κρίματα.

¹¹Καὶ αὕτη ἡ διασάφησις τοῦ διατάγματος, οὗ ἔδωκεν ᾿Αρθασασθὰ τῷ ῎Εσδρᾳ τῷ ἱερεῖ τῷ γραμματεῖ βιβλίου λόγων ἐντολῶν Κυρίου καὶ προσταγμάτων αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ·

¹²«᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλεὺς βασιλέων ῎Εσδρᾳ γραμματεῖ νόμου Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ· τετέλεσθαι λόγος καὶ ἡ ἀπόκρισις.

¹³ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐτέθη γνώμη ὅτι πᾶς ὁ ἑκουσιαζόμενος ἐν βασιλείᾳ μου ἀπὸ λαοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἱερέων καὶ Λευιτῶν πορευθῆναι εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλήμ, μετὰ σοῦ πορευθῆναι.

¹⁴ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν ἑπτὰ συμβούλων ἀπεστάλη ἐπισκέψασθαι ἐπὶ τὴν ᾿Ιουδαίαν καὶ εἰς ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ νόμῳ Θεοῦ αὐτῶν τῷ ἐν χειρί σου

¹⁵καὶ εἰς οἶκον Κυρίου ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, ὃ ὁ βασιλεὺς καὶ οἱ σύμβουλοι ἑκουσιάσθησαν τῷ Θεῷ τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ τῷ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλὴμ κατασκηνοῦντι,

¹⁶καὶ πᾶν ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον, ὅ,τι ἐὰν εὕρῃς ἐν πάσῃ χώρᾳ Βαβυλῶνος μετὰ ἑκουσιασμοῦ τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ἱερέων τῶν ἑκουσιαζομένων εἰς οἶκον Θεοῦ τὸν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ,

¹⁷καὶ πάντα προσπορευόμενον τοῦτον ἑτοίμως ἔνταξον ἐν βιβλίῳ τούτῳ, μόσχους, κριούς, ἀμνοὺς καὶ θυσίας αὐτῶν καὶ σπονδὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ προσοίσεις αὐτὰ ἐπὶ τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου τοῦ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν τοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

¹⁸καὶ εἴ τι ἐπὶ σὲ καὶ τοὺς ἀδελφούς σου ἀγαθυνθῇ ἐν καταλοίπῳ τοῦ ἀργυρίου καὶ τοῦ χρυσίου ποιῆσαι, ὡς ἀρεστὸν τῷ Θεῷ ὑμῶν ποιήσατε.

¹⁹καὶ τὰ σκεύη τὰ διδόμενά σοι εἰς λειτουργίαν οἴκου Θεοῦ παράδος ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁰καὶ κατάλοιπον χρείας οἴκου Θεοῦ σου, ὃ ἂν φανῇ σοι δοῦναι, δώσεις ἀπὸ οἴκων γάζης βασιλέως

²¹καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ. ἐγὼ ᾿Αρθασασθὰ βασιλεὺς ἔθηκα γνώμην πάσαις ταῖς γάζαις ταῖς ἐν πέρᾳ τοῦ ποταμοῦ, ὅτι πᾶν, ὃ ἄν αἰτήσῃ ὑμᾶς ῎Εδρας ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ γραμματεὺς τοῦ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, ἑτοίμως γινέσθω,

²²ἕως ἀργυρίου ταλάντων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως πυροῦ κόρων ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως οἴνου βατῶν ἑκατὸν καὶ ἕως ἐλαίου βατῶν ἑκατὸν καὶ ἅλας οὗ οὐκ ἔστι γραφή.

²³πᾶν ὅ ἐστιν ἐν γνώμῃ Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, γινέσθω. προσέχετε μή τις ἐπιχειρήσῃ εἰς τὸν οἶκον Θεοῦ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, μή ποτε γένηται ὀργὴ ἐπὶ τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν υἱῶν αὐτοῦ.

²⁴καὶ ὑμῖν ἐγνώρισται ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις, ᾄδουσι, πυλωροῖς, Ναθινὶμ καὶ λειτουργοῖς οἴκου Θεοῦ τοῦτο, φόρος μὴ ἔστω σοι, οὐκ ἐξουσιάσεις καταδουλοῦσθαι αὐτούς.

²⁵καὶ σύ, ῎Εσδρα, ὡς ἡ σοφία τοῦ Θεοῦ ἐν χειρί σου, κατάστησον γραμματεῖς καὶ κριτάς, ἵνα ὦσι κρίνοντες παντὶ τῷ λαῷ ἐν πέρᾳ τοῦ ποταμοῦ πᾶσι τοῖς εἰδόσι νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ σου, καὶ τῷ μὴ εἰδότι γνωριεῖτε.

²⁶καὶ πᾶς, ὃς ἂν μὴ ᾖ ποιῶν νόμον τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ νόμον τοῦ βασιλέως ἑτοίμως, τὸ κρίμα ἔσται γινόμενον ἐξ αὐτοῦ, ἐάν τε εἰς θάνατον ἐάν τε εἰς παιδείαν ἐάν τε εἰς ζημίαν τοῦ βίου ἐάν τε εἰς παράδοσιν».

²⁷Εὐλογητὸς Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῶν πατέρων ἡμῶν, ὃς ἔδωκεν ἐν καρδίᾳ τοῦ βασιλέως οὕτως, τοῦ δοξάσαι τὸν οἶκον Κυρίου τὸν ἐν ῾Ιερουσαλήμ.

²⁸καὶ ἐπ᾿ ἐμὲ ἔκλινεν ἔλεος ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς τοῦ βασιλέως καὶ τῶν συμβούλων αὐτοῦ καὶ πάντων τῶν ἀρχόντων τοῦ βασιλέως τῶν ἐπῃρμένων. καὶ ἐγὼ ἐκραταιώθην ὡς χεὶρ Θεοῦ ἡ ἀγαθὴ ἐπ᾿ ἐμέ, καὶ συνῆξα ἀπὸ ᾿Ισραὴλ ἄρχοντας ἀναβῆναι μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ.

¹Now after these things, in the reign of Arthasastha king of the Persians, came up Esdras the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Chelcias,

²the son of Selum, the son of Sadduc, the son of Achitob,

³the son of Samarias, the son of Esria, the son of Mareoth,

⁴the son of Zaraia, the son of Ozias, the son of Bokki,

⁵the son of Abisue, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the first priest.

⁶This Esdras went up out of Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel gave: and the king gave him [leave], for the hand of the Lord his God was upon him in all things which he sought.

⁷And [some] of the children of Israel went up, and [some] of the priests, and of the Levites, and the singers, and the door-keepers, and the Nathinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Arthasastha the king.

⁸And they came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, this [was] the seventh year of the king.

⁹For in the first [day] of the first month he began the going up from Babylon, and in the first day of the fifth month, they came to Jerusalem, for the good hand of his God was upon him.

¹⁰For Esdras had determined in his heart to seek the law, and to do and teach the ordinances and judgments in Israel.

¹¹And this [is] the copy of the order which Arthasastha gave to Esdras the priest, the scribe of the book of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his ordinances to Israel.

¹²Arthasastha, king of kings, to Esdras, the scribe of the law of the Lord God of heaven, Let the order and the answer be accomplished.

¹³A decree is made by me, that every one who is willing in my kingdom of the people of Israel, and of the priests and Levites, to go to Jerusalem, [be permitted] to go with thee.

¹⁴[One] has been sent from the king and the seven councillors, to visit Judea and Jerusalem, according to the law of their God that is in thine hand.

¹⁵And for the house of the Lord [there have been sent] silver and gold, which the king and the councillors have freely given to the God of Israel, who dwells in Jerusalem.

¹⁶And all the silver and gold, whatsoever thou shalt find in all the land of Babylon, with the freewill-offering of the people, and the priests that offer freely for the house of God which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁷And as for every one that arrives [there], speedily order him by this letter [to bring] calves, rams, lambs, and their meat-offerings, and their drink-offerings; and thou shalt offer them on the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.

¹⁸And whatever it shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, do as it is pleasing to your God.

¹⁹And deliver the vessels that are given thee for the service of the house of God, before God in Jerusalem.

²⁰And as to the rest of the need of the house of thy God, thou shalt give from the king’s treasure-houses,

²¹and from me, whatever it shall seem [good] to thee to give. I king Arthasastha have made a decree for all the treasuries that are in the [country] beyond the river, that whatever Esdras the priest and scribe of the God of heaven may ask you, it shall be done speedily,

²²to [the amount of] a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred measures of wheat, and a hundred baths of wine, and a hundred baths of oil, and salt without reckoning.

²³Let whatever is in the decree of the God of heaven, be done: take heed lest any one make an attack on the house of the God of heaven, lest at any time there shall be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons.

²⁴Also this has been declared to you, with respect to all the priests, and Levites, the singers, porters, Nathinim and ministers of the house of God, let no tribute be [paid] to thee; thou shalt not have power to oppress them.

²⁵And thou, Esdras, as the wisdom of God [is] in thy hand, appoint scribes and judges, that they may judge for all the people beyond the river, all that know the law of the Lord thy God; and ye shall make it known to him that knows not.

²⁶And whosoever shall not do the law of God, and the law of the king readily, judgment shall be taken upon him, whether for death or for chastisement, or for a fine of his property, or casting into prison.

²⁷Blessed [be] the Lord God of our fathers, who has put it thus into the heart of the king, to glorify the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem;

²⁸and has given me favour in the eyes of the king, and of his councillors, and all the rulers of the king, the exalted ones. And I was strengthened according to the good hand of God upon me, and I gathered chief men of Israel to go up with me.