< Ezra 4 >

1 Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the people from the exile were building a temple to the LORD, the God of Israel;
Yuda ne Benyamin atamfoɔ no tee sɛ wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn asuo no resiesie Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, asɔredan no.
2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' households, and said to them, "Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we sacrifice to him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, 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 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' households of Israel, said to them, "You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Koresh the king of Persia has 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 Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building,
Na ɔmanfoɔ no pɛɛ sɛ wɔbu Yudafoɔ no aba mu na wɔhunahunaa wɔn adwuma no yɛ ho.
5 and hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Koresh king of Persia, even until the reign of Daryavesh 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 In the reign of Achashyerosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote 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 In the days of Artachshasta wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, to Artachshasta king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Aramaic, and set forth in the Aramaic language.
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 the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artachshasta the king as follows:
Amrado Rehum ne Simsai a ɔyɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ twerɛɛ krataa kɔkyerɛɛ ɔhene Artasasta sɛdeɛ ɔman Yerusalem mu teɛ.
9 [From] Rehum the commander, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the 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 whom the great and noble Asnappar brought over, and set in the cities of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River.
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 the copy of the letter that they sent to Artachshasta the king: Your servants the men beyond the River. And now,
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 came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and wicked city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.
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 Be it known now to the king that if this city is built, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful 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 we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king's dishonor, therefore have we sent and informed 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 that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers: so you shall find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.
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 inform the king that, if this city be built, and the walls finished, by this means you shall 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 Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.
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 which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
Mekyea mo nyinaa. Krataa a motwerɛeɛ no, wɔakyerɛ aseɛ, akenkan akyerɛ me.
19 I decreed, and search has been made, and it is found that this city of old time has made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been 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 There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.
Ahemfo atumfoɔ a adi adeɛ Yerusalem ne asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa agye toɔ ne adwadeɛ bebree.
21 Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree shall be made by me.
Ɛno enti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie kuro no, gye sɛ mema ho kwan.
22 Take heed that you not be slack herein: why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?
Monntwentwɛn so koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛma asɛm no gye nsam.
23 Then when the copy of king Artachshasta's letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force and power.
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 work of God's house which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased until the second year of the reign of Daryavesh 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.

< Ezra 4 >