< Ezra 4 >
1 And adversaries of Judah and Benjamin hear that the sons of the captivity are building a temple to YHWH, God of Israel,
Yuda ne Benyamin atamfoɔ no tee sɛ wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn asuo no resiesie Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, asɔredan no.
2 and they draw near to Zerubbabel, and to heads of the fathers, and say to them, “Let us build with you; for, like you, we seek to your God, and we are not sacrificing since the days of Esar-Haddon king of Asshur, who brought us up here.”
Enti, wɔkɔɔ Serubabel ne ntuanofoɔ no a aka no nkyɛn, na wɔkaa sɛ, “Momma yɛne mo nsi, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛsom mo Onyankopɔn sɛdeɛ mosom no no. Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a Asiriahene Esarhadon de yɛn baa ha yi, yɛabɔ afɔdeɛ ama no.”
3 And Zerubbabel says to them, also Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers of Israel, “Not for you, and for us, to build a house to our God; but we ourselves together build to YHWH God of Israel, as King Cyrus, king of Persia, commanded us.”
Na Serubabel, Yesua ne Israel ntuanofoɔ bi buaa sɛ, “Monni kyɛfa wɔ saa dwuma yi die mu, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛne mo nni hwee yɛ. Yɛn nko ara na yɛbɛsi Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn asɔredan no sɛdeɛ Persiahene Kores ahyɛ yɛn no.”
4 And it comes to pass, the people of the land are making the hands of the people of Judah feeble, and troubling them in building,
Na ɔmanfoɔ no pɛɛ sɛ wɔbu Yudafoɔ no aba mu na wɔhunahunaa wɔn adwuma no yɛ ho.
5 and are hiring against them counselors to make void their counsel all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Wɔhyɛɛ ananmusifoɔ bi afonom sɛ wɔntia wɔn na wɔnsɛe wɔn botaeɛ. Yei kɔɔ so wɔ Persiahene Kores ahennie nyinaa mu, kɔsii ɛberɛ a Persiahene Dario bɛdii ahennwa no.
6 And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the commencement of his reign, they have written an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem;
Ɛberɛ a Ahasweros dii adeɛ mfeɛ kakra bi akyi no, Yudafoɔ atamfoɔ twerɛɛ no krataa, bɔɔ kwaadu tiaa Yuda ne Yerusalem.
7 and in the days of Artaxerxes have Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions written to Artaxerxes king of Persia, and the writing of the letter is written in Aramaic, and interpreted in Aramaic.
Na ɛno akyi no mpo, Persiahene Artasasta berɛ so no, Yuda atamfoɔ a Bislam, Mitredat ne Tabeel di animu, twerɛɛ krataa wɔ Arameike kasa mu kɔmaa Artasasta, na wɔkyerɛɛ aseɛ kyerɛɛ ɔhene no.
8 Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe have written a letter concerning Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king, thus:
Amrado Rehum ne Simsai a ɔyɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ twerɛɛ krataa kɔkyerɛɛ ɔhene Artasasta sɛdeɛ ɔman Yerusalem mu teɛ.
9 Then Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions, Dinaites, and Apharsathchites, Tarpelites, Apharsites, Archevites, Babylonians, Susanchites (who are Elamites),
Wɔkyeaa ɔhene no, ma ɛkɔtoo wɔn adɔmfoɔ, atemmufoɔ ne ɔman no mu ntuanofoɔ, Tarpela ɔmanfoɔ, Persiafoɔ, Babiloniafoɔ ne Elamfoɔ.
10 and the rest of the nations that the great and honorable Asnapper removed and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, and at such a time:
Wɔsane kyeaa nnipa a aka no a ɔkɛseɛ ne otitire Asurbanipa atwa wɔn asuo, de wɔn akɔgu Samaria ne nsase a atwa hɔ ahyia wɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no so no.
11 This [is] a copy of a letter that they have sent to him, to Artaxerxes the king: “Your servants, men beyond the river, and at such a time;
Yei yɛ krataa no nsɛso a wɔde kɔmaa no: Ɛfiri wʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no nkyɛn de kɔma Artasasta:
12 be it known to the king, that the Jews who have come up from you to us, have come to Jerusalem, the rebellious and base city they are building, and the walls they have finished, and the foundations they join.
Yɛsrɛ wo, yɛrebɔ wo amaneɛ sɛ, Yudafoɔ a wɔfiri Babilonia baa Yerusalem ha no resiesie adɔnyɛfoɔ ne abɔnefoɔ kuro no. Wɔato afasuo no fapem dada, na ɛrenkyɛre na wɔawie.
13 Now let it be known to the king, that if this city is built and the walls finished, that they do not give toll, tribute, and custom; and at length it causes loss [to] the kings.
Na yɛpɛ sɛ wote sɛ, sɛ wɔsiesie kuro yi ne nʼafasuo no wie a, ɛremmoa wo koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, Yudafoɔ no rentua wɔn toɔ ne adwadeɛ biara mma wo.
14 Now because that the salt of the palace [is] our salt, and we have no patience to see the nakedness of the king, therefore we have sent and made known to the king;
Esiane sɛ yɛyɛ wʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ enti, yɛmpɛ sɛ wʼanim bɛgu ase wɔ saa kwan yi so, enti na yɛrebɔ wo saa amaneɛ yi.
15 so that he seeks in the scroll of the records of your fathers, and you find in the scroll of the records, and know, that this city [is] a rebellious city, and causing loss [to] kings and provinces, and makers of sedition [are] in its midst from the days of old, therefore this city has been ruined.
Yɛpɛ sɛ wohwehwɛ wʼagyanom nkrataa mu, hunu sɛdeɛ saa kuro yi yɛɛ adɔnyɛ kuro tete no. Nokorɛ nie, wɔsɛee no, ɛsiane abakɔsɛm tenten a ɛda hɔ sɛ wɔsɔre tiaa ahemfo ne aman a wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔdi wɔn so no enti.
16 We are making known to the king that, if this city be built and the walls finished, by this means you have no portion beyond the river.”
Yɛpae mu ka sɛ, sɛ wɔsiesie kuro yi na wɔwie nʼafasuo no a, wobɛhwere asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam asase no.
17 The king has sent an answer to Rehum counselor, and Shimshai scribe, and the rest of their companions who are dwelling in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river, “Peace, and at such a time:
Artasasta mmuaeɛ nie: Mede krataa yi kɔma amrado Rehum, asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfoɔ a wɔte Samaria ne wɔn a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa.
18 The letter that you sent to us, explained, has been read before me,
Mekyea mo nyinaa. Krataa a motwerɛeɛ no, wɔakyerɛ aseɛ, akenkan akyerɛ me.
19 and by me a decree has been made, and they sought, and have found that this city is lifting up itself against kings from the days of old, and rebellion and sedition is made in it,
Mahyɛ sɛ, wɔnkɔyɛ nkrataa mu mpɛnsɛmpɛnsɛmu, na mahunu sɛ, ampa ara, mmerɛ bi a atwam no, na Yerusalem yɛ adɔnyɛman a ɛtiaa ahemfo bebree. Nokorɛm, sɛ wɔsɔre tia tumi, na ɔmantuguo yɛ adeɛ a wɔyɛ daa wɔ hɔ.
20 and mighty kings have been over Jerusalem, even rulers over all beyond the river, and toll, tribute, and custom is given to them.
Ahemfo atumfoɔ a adi adeɛ Yerusalem ne asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa agye toɔ ne adwadeɛ bebree.
21 Now make a decree to cause these men to cease, and this city is not built, until a decree is made by me.
Ɛno enti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie kuro no, gye sɛ mema ho kwan.
22 And beware of negligence in doing this; why does the hurt become great to the loss of the kings?”
Monntwentwɛn so koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛma asɛm no gye nsam.
23 Then from the time that a copy of the letter of King Artaxerxes is read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they have gone in haste to Jerusalem, to the Jews, and caused them to cease by force and strength;
Ɛberɛ a wɔkenkan saa krataa a ɛfiri ɔhene Artasasta nkyɛn kyerɛɛ Rehum, Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfoɔ no, wɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔhyɛɛ Yudafoɔ, ma wɔgyaee dansie no.
24 then ceased the service of the house of God that [is] in Jerusalem, and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
Wɔgyaee Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho adwumayɛ, wɔ deɛ aduru hɔ ara, kɔsii Persiahene Dario ahennie mfeɛ a ɛtɔ so mmienu so.