Nehemiah 2
1 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes' reign, when the wine was brought in for him, I picked it up and gave it to the king. I had never before appeared before him looking sad,
Nisan bosome (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) wɔ Ɔhene Artasasta adedie afe a ɛtɔ so aduonu mu no, na merehyɛ ɔhene nsa. Ɛbɛsi saa ɛberɛ no, na menyɛɛ mʼanim bosaa wɔ ɔhene anim da.
2 so the king asked me, “Why are you looking so sad, even though you don't seem to sick? You must be really upset.” I was absolutely terrified,
Enti, ɔhene no bisaa me sɛ, “Adɛn enti na wo werɛ aho saa? Woyare anaa? Wosɛ obi a ɔhaw kɛseɛ bi da ne so.” Ehu kɛseɛ tɔɔ me so,
3 but I replied to the king, “Long live the king live! How can I help being sad? The city where my forefathers are buried is in ruins, and its gates have been burned down.”
nanso, mebuaa sɛ, “Ɔhene nkwa so! Adɛn enti na ɛnsɛ sɛ me werɛ hoɔ? Kuropɔn a wɔsiee me mpanimfoɔ wɔ mu no abubu, na wɔahye nʼapono no nyinaa.”
4 “So what do you want?” the king asked me. I prayed to the God of heaven, and answered the king,
Ɔhene no bisaa sɛ, “Ɛyɛ, ɛkwan bɛn so na mɛtumi aboa wo?” Na mebɔɔ ɔsoro Onyankopɔn mpaeɛ,
5 “If it pleases Your Majesty, and if you are happy with me, I request you send me to Judah, to the city where my forefathers are buried, so I can rebuild it.”
buaa sɛ, “Sɛ ɛsɔ Ɔhene Kɛseɛ ani, na sɛ me, wo ɔsomfoɔ, mesɔ wʼani a, ɛnneɛ ma menkɔ Yuda nkɔsiesie kuropɔn a wɔasie mʼagyanom wɔ mu no.”
6 The king, with the queen sitting beside him, asked me, “How long will your journey take, and when will you come back?” The king agreed to send me, and I told him how long I would be gone.
Ɛberɛ a ɔhemmaa te Ɔhene nkyɛn no, Ɔhene no bisaa sɛ, “Wokɔ a, wobɛdi nna ahe? Da bɛn na wobɛsane aba?” Ɔhene penee so, na mekyerɛɛ da a mɛsim.
7 I also asked him, “If it pleases Your Majesty, let letters be provided to give to the governors west of the Euphrates, so that they will allow me to pass safely until I reach Judah.
Afei, meka kyerɛɛ ɔhene sɛ, “Ɔhene Kɛseɛ sɛ ɛsɔ wʼani a, ma me nkrataa nkɔma amradofoɔ a wɔwɔ mantam a ɛda Asubɔnten Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no, na wɔmma me kwan mfa wɔn mantam mu nkɔ Yuda.
8 May I also have a letter for Asaph, warden of the king's forest, so he can give me timber to make beams for the gates of Temple fortress, for the city walls, and for the house I will live in.” Because my gracious God was upon me, the king gave me what I asked.
Na mesrɛ sɛ, ma me krataa nkɔma Asaf a ɔhwɛ ɔhene kwaeɛ so na ɔmma me nnua. Mede bɛyɛ mpunan ama Asɔredan no aban ano apono, kuropɔn no afasuo ne mʼankasa me fie.” Na ɔhene no penee saa abisadeɛ yi nyinaa so, ɛfiri sɛ, na Onyankopɔn ahummɔborɔ nsa no wɔ me so.
9 Then I went to the governors of the province west of the Euphrates and gave them the king's letters. The king also sent a military escort of cavalry with me.
Meduruu amradofoɔ a wɔwɔ Asubɔnten Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nkyɛn no, mede ɔhene nkrataa no maa wɔn. Deɛ ɛka ho ne sɛ, ɔhene maa asraafoɔ ne apɔnkɔsotefoɔ kaa me ho bɔɔ me ho ban.
10 But when Sanballat the Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite official heard about this, they were upset. For them this was a total disaster—that someone had arrived to help out the Israelites.
Nanso, Haronini Sanbalat ne Amonni Tobia a wɔyɛ mpanimfoɔ tee sɛ mabɛduru no, wɔn bo fuu yie sɛ obi aba hɔ a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔboa Israel.
11 I arrived in Jerusalem and rested for three days.
Meduruu Yerusalem nnansa akyi no,
12 Then I got up during the night and went out with just a few men. I didn't explain to anyone what my God had put in my head to do for Jerusalem. I only took one horse to ride.
mefaa nnipa kakra bi kaa me ho, firii hɔ anadwo no. Manka nhyehyɛeɛ a Onyankopɔn de ahyɛ mʼakoma mu wɔ Yerusalem ho no ankyerɛ obiara. Yɛamfa mmoa biara anka yɛn ho sɛ afunumu a mete ne soɔ no nko.
13 So I rode in the dark through the Valley Gate toward the Spring of the Serpent and the Refuse Gate, and I inspected Jerusalem's walls that had been knocked over and the gates that had been burned down.
Mefaa Bɔnhwa Ɛpono no ano, twaa Ɔtweaseɛ Abura no ho kɔsii Sumina Ɛpono no ano, kɔhwɛɛ afasuo ne apono a ahyeɛ no.
14 Then I continued on to the Fountain Gate and the King's Pool, but we couldn't get through as there wasn't enough room to pass.
Afei, mefaa Asutire Ɛpono no ho kɔsii Ɔhene Abura no ho, nanso na mʼafunumu no ntumi mfa mmubuiɛ no mu.
15 So I went up along the valley in the dark and inspected the wall. Then I returned, going back through the Valley Gate.
Enti, mefaa Kidron Bɔnhwa no ho mmom, kɔhwɛɛ ɔfasuo no ansa na meresane mʼakyi abɛfa Bɔnhwa Ɛpono no mu bio.
16 Those in charge of the city had no idea where I had gone or what I was doing, because I hadn't yet told the Jews, priests, nobles, or officials or any others about the construction plans.
Na kuropɔn no mu mpanimfoɔ nnim sɛ makɔ hɔ, na wɔnnim deɛ mereyɛ nso, ɛfiri sɛ, na menkaa asɛm biara a ɛfa mʼadwene a mayɛ ho nkyerɛɛ obiara. Na me ne asɔre mpanimfoɔ, amanyɛ ntuanofoɔ, adwumayɛfoɔ anaa mmapɔmma no mu biara nkasaeɛ.
17 Then I said to them, “Look at the trouble we're in! Jerusalem is a heap of rubble, and its gates have been burned down. Come on, let's rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so that we won't be so ashamed any more.”
Na afei, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monim amaneɛ a ato yɛn kuropɔn yi yie. Abubu na nʼapono nso ahye. Momma yɛnto Yerusalem ɔfasuo no bio mfa mpepa animguaseɛ a ato yɛn yi!”
18 Then I explained to them how good God had been to me, and what the king had told me. “Let's get on with the rebuilding,” they replied, and they set to work enthusiastically.
Afei, mekaa sɛdeɛ Onyankopɔn ahummɔborɔ nsa aba me so no ne me nkɔmmɔ a me ne ɔhene diiɛ no kyerɛɛ wɔn. Wɔbuaa prɛko pɛ sɛ, “Ɛyɛ asɛm pa: Momma yɛnto ɔfasuo no bio!” Enti wɔhyɛɛ adwuma pa yi ase.
19 But when Sanballat the Horonite, Tobiah the Ammonite official, and Geshem the Arab got to hear about it, they mocked and taunted us, asking, “What are you up to? Are you rebelling against the king?”
Ɛberɛ a Sanbalat, Tobia ne Arabni Gesem tee yɛn nhyehyɛeɛ no, wɔdii yɛn ho fɛ, na wɔbuu animtia kaa sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na moreyɛ yi, na morete ɔhene anim atua sei?”
20 But I replied, telling them, “The God of heaven, he will make sure we're successful. We, his servants, will begin rebuilding, but Jerusalem doesn't belong to you, and you have no authority over it or claim to it.”
Na mebuaa sɛ, “Ɔsoro Onyankopɔn bɛboa yɛn, ama yɛadi nkonim. Yɛn a yɛyɛ nʼasomfoɔ bɛhyɛ aseɛ ato ɔfasuo yi bio. Nanso, mo deɛ monni kyɛfa biara wɔ Yerusalem.”
