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Ac wedi y pethau hyn, yn nheyrnasiad Artacsercses brenin Persia, Esra, mab Seraia, fab Asareia, fab Hilceia, Fab Salum, fab Sadoc, fab Ahitub, Fab Amareia, fab Asareia, fab Meraioth, Fab Seraheia, fab Ussi, fab Bucci, Fab Abisua, fab Phinees, fab Eleasar, fab Aaron yr offeiriad pennaf: Yr Esra hwn a aeth i fyny o Babilon; ac efe oedd ysgrifennydd cyflym yng nghyfraith Moses, yr hon a roddasai Arglwydd Dduw Israel: a’r brenin a roddes iddo ef ei holl ddymuniad, fel yr ydoedd llaw yr Arglwydd ei Dduw arno ef. A rhai a aethant i fyny o feibion Israel, ac o’r offeiriaid, a’r Lefiaid, a’r cantorion, a’r porthorion, a’r Nethiniaid, i Jerwsalem, yn y seithfed flwyddyn i’r brenin Artacsercses. Ac efe a ddaeth i Jerwsalem yn y pumed mis, yr hwn oedd yn y seithfed flwyddyn i’r brenin. Canys ar y dydd cyntaf o’r mis cyntaf y dechreuodd efe fyned i fyny o Babilon; ac ar y dydd cyntaf o’r pumed mis y daeth efe i Jerwsalem, fel yr oedd daionus law ei Dduw gydag ef. 10 Canys Esra a baratoesai ei galon i geisio cyfraith yr Arglwydd, ac i’w gwneuthur, ac i ddysgu yn Israel ddeddfau a barnedigaethau.

11 A dyma ystyr y llythyr a roddodd y brenin Artacsercses i Esra yr offeiriad a’r ysgrifennydd, sef ysgrifennydd geiriau gorchmynion yr Arglwydd, a’i ddeddfau ef i Israel. 12 Artacsercses brenin y brenhinoedd at Esra yr offeiriad, ysgrifennydd deddf Duw y nefoedd, perffaith dangnefedd, a’r amser a’r amser. 13 Myfi a osodais orchymyn, fod i bwy bynnag yn fy nheyrnas i o bobl Israel, ac o’i offeiriaid ef, a’i Lefiaid, sydd ewyllysgar i fyned i Jerwsalem, gael myned gyda thi. 14 Oherwydd dy anfon di oddi wrth y brenin, a’i saith gynghoriaid, i ymweled â Jwda ac â Jerwsalem, wrth gyfraith dy Dduw yr hon sydd yn dy law di; 15 Ac i ddwyn yr arian a’r aur a offrymodd y brenin a’i gynghoriaid, ohonynt eu hunain, i Dduw Israel, yr hwn y mae ei breswylfa yn Jerwsalem, 16 A’r holl arian a’r aur a fedrych ei gael yn holl dalaith Babilon, gydag offrymau gwirfodd y bobl a’r offeiriaid, y rhai a offrymant ohonynt eu hunain tuag at dŷ eu Duw yn Jerwsalem: 17 Fel y prynych yn ebrwydd â’r arian hynny ychen, hyrddod, ŵyn, a’u bwyd‐offrymau, a’u diod‐offrymau, a’u hoffrwm hwynt ar allor tŷ eich Duw yn Jerwsalem. 18 A’r hyn a fyddo da gennyt ti, a chan dy frodyr, ei wneuthur â’r rhan arall o’r arian a’r aur, gwnewch yn ôl ewyllys eich Duw. 19 A’r llestri, y rhai a roddwyd i ti i wasanaeth tŷ dy Dduw, dod adref o flaen dy Dduw yn Jerwsalem. 20 A pheth bynnag ychwaneg a fyddo anghenraid i dŷ dy Dduw, yr hyn a ddigwyddo i ti ei roddi, a roddi di o drysordy y brenin. 21 A minnau y brenin Artacsercses ydwyf yn gosod gorchymyn i holl drysorwyr y tu hwnt i’r afon, beth bynnag a geisio Esra, offeiriad, ac ysgrifennydd deddf Duw y nefoedd, gennych, gwneler yn ebrwydd; 22 Hyd gan talent o arian, a hyd gan corus o wenith, a hyd gan bath o win, a hyd gan bath o olew, a halen heb fesur. 23 Beth bynnag yw gorchymyn Duw y nefoedd, gwneler yn ddyfal i dŷ Duw y nefoedd: canys paham y byddai llidiowgrwydd yn erbyn teyrnas y brenin a’i feibion? 24 Yr ydym yn hysbysu i chwi hefyd, am yr holl offeiriaid, a’r Lefiaid, cantorion, porthorion, Nethiniaid, a gweinidogion y tŷ Dduw hwn, na ellir bwrw arnynt doll, na theyrnged, na threth. 25 Tithau, Esra, yn ôl doethineb dy Dduw, yr hwn sydd yn dy law, gosod swyddogion a barnwyr, i farnu yr holl bobl o’r tu hwnt i’r afon, y rhai oll a fedrant gyfraith dy Dduw; a dysgwch y rhai nis medrant. 26 A phwy bynnag ni wnelo gyfraith dy Dduw, a chyfraith y brenin, gwneler barn yn ebrwydd arno ef, pa un bynnag ai i farwolaeth, ai i’w ddeol, ai i ddirwy o dda, ai i garchar.

27 Bendigedig fyddo Arglwydd Dduw ein tadau, yr hwn a roddes fel hyn yng nghalon y brenin, i harddu tŷ yr Arglwydd yr hwn sydd yn Jerwsalem: 28 Ac a barodd i mi drugaredd o flaen y brenin a’i gynghoriaid, ac o flaen holl gedyrn dywysogion y brenin. A mi a gynorthwywyd, fel yr oedd llaw yr Arglwydd fy Nuw arnaf fi, a chesglais o Israel benaethiaid i fyned i fyny gyda mi.

Ezra Comes to Jerusalem

After these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes(A) king of Persia, Ezra son of Seraiah,(B) the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,(C) the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok,(D) the son of Ahitub,(E) the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth, the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki, the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas,(F) the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest— this Ezra(G) 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(H) him everything he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.(I) Some of the Israelites, including priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers and temple servants, also came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes.(J)

Ezra arrived in Jerusalem in the fifth month of the seventh year of the king. He 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.(K) 10 For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching(L) its decrees and laws in Israel.

King Artaxerxes’ Letter to Ezra

11 This 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:

12 Artaxerxes, king of kings,(M)

To Ezra the priest, teacher of the Law of the God of heaven:

Greetings.

13 Now I decree that any of the Israelites in my kingdom, including priests and Levites, who volunteer to go to Jerusalem with you, may go. 14 You are sent by the king and his seven advisers(N) to inquire about Judah and Jerusalem with regard to the Law of your God, which is in your hand. 15 Moreover, you are to take with you the silver and gold that the king and his advisers have freely given(O) to the God of Israel, whose dwelling(P) is in Jerusalem, 16 together with all the silver and gold(Q) 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.(R) 17 With this money be sure to buy bulls, rams and male lambs,(S) together with their grain offerings and drink offerings,(T) and sacrifice(U) them on the altar of the temple of your God in Jerusalem.

18 You 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. 19 Deliver(V) to the God of Jerusalem all the articles entrusted to you for worship in the temple of your God. 20 And anything else needed for the temple of your God that you are responsible to supply, you may provide from the royal treasury.(W)

21 Now 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— 22 up to a hundred talents[a] of silver, a hundred cors[b] of wheat, a hundred baths[c] of wine, a hundred baths[d] of olive oil, and salt without limit. 23 Whatever 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?(X) 24 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty(Y) on any of the priests, Levites, musicians, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God.(Z)

25 And you, Ezra, in accordance with the wisdom of your God, which you possess, appoint(AA) 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(AB) any who do not know them. 26 Whoever 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.[e](AC)

27 Praise be to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, who has put it into the king’s heart(AD) to bring honor(AE) to the house of the Lord in Jerusalem in this way 28 and who has extended his good favor(AF) 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,(AG) I took courage and gathered leaders from Israel to go up with me.

Footnotes

  1. Ezra 7:22 That is, about 3 3/4 tons or about 3.4 metric tons
  2. Ezra 7:22 That is, probably about 18 tons or about 16 metric tons
  3. Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
  4. Ezra 7:22 That is, about 600 gallons or about 2,200 liters
  5. Ezra 7:26 The text of 7:12-26 is in Aramaic.