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 atamfo no tee sɛ wɔn a wotwaa wɔn asu no resiesie Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, asɔredan no.
2 then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of ancestral houses, 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 ntuanofo no a wɔaka no nkyɛn, na wɔkae se, “Momma yɛne mo nsi, efisɛ yɛsom mo Nyankopɔn sɛnea mosom no no. Efi bere a Asiriahene Esarhadon de yɛn baa ha yi, yɛabɔ afɔre ama no.”
3 But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of ancestral houses 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 ntuanofo bi buae se, “Munni kyɛfa wɔ saa dwuma yi di mu, efisɛ yɛne mo nni hwee yɛ. Yɛn nko ara na yebesi Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, asɔredan no sɛnea 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 ɔmanfo no pɛɛ sɛ wobu Yudafo no aba mu na wohunahunaa wɔn wɔ 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 ananmusifo bi afono mu sɛ wɔnhaw wɔn na wɔnsɛe wɔn botae no. Eyi kɔɔ so wɔ Persiahene Kores ahenni nyinaa mu kosii bere a Persiahene Dario bedii ahengua no.
6 In the reign of Achashyerosh, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.
Bere a Ahasweros dii ade mfe kakraa bi akyi no, Yudafo atamfo kyerɛw 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 bere so no, Yuda atamfo a Bislam, Mitredat ne Tabeel di anim, kyerɛw krataa wɔ Arameike kasa mu kɔmaa Artasasta, na wɔkyerɛɛ ase 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 asennii kyerɛwfo kyerɛw krataa kɔkyerɛɛ ɔhene Artasasta sɛnea ɔman Yerusalem mu te.
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,
Wokyiaa ɔhene no ma ɛkɔtoo wɔn a wɔne wɔn bɔ, atemmufo ne ɔman no mu ntuanofo, Tarpela manfo, Persiafo, Babelfo ne Elamfo.
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.
Wɔsan kyiaa nnipa a wɔaka no a ɔkɛse ne otitiriw Asurbanipa atwa wɔn asu, de wɔn akogu Samaria ne nsase a atwa hɔ ahyia wɔ asu Eufrate atɔe 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,
Eyi yɛ krataa a wɔde kɔmaa no no nsɛso: Efi wʼasomfo a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya 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.
Yɛrebɔ wo amanneɛ sɛ, Yudafo a wofi Babilonia baa Yerusalem ha no resiesie atuatewfo ne abɔnefo kurow no. Wɔato afasu no fapem dedaw, na ɛrenkyɛ 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 wosiesie kurow yi ne nʼafasu no wie a, ɛremmoa wo koraa, efisɛ Yudafo no rentua wɔn tow ne aguade 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 wʼasomfo nokwafo nti, yɛmpɛ sɛ wʼanim begu ase wɔ saa kwan yi so nti na yɛrebɔ wo saa amanneɛ 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, hu sɛnea saa kurow yi yɛɛ atuatew kurow tete no. Nokware ni, wɔsɛee no, esiane abakɔsɛm tenten a ɛda hɔ sɛ wɔsɔre tiaa ahemfo ne aman a wɔpɛe sɛ wodi wɔn so no nti.
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 se, sɛ wosiesie kurow yi na wowie nʼafasu no a, wobɛhwere asu Eufrate agya 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 mmuae ni: Mede krataa yi kɔma amrado Rehum, asennii kyerɛwfo Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfo a wɔte Samaria ne wɔn a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no nyinaa.
18 The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.
Mikyia mo nyinaa. Krataa a mokyerɛwee no, wɔakyerɛ ase, 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 mpɛnsɛnpɛnsɛnmu, na mahu sɛ, ampa ara, mmere bi a atwa mu no, na Yerusalem yɛ atuatewman a etiaa ahemfo bebree a na abantugu yɛ ade 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 atumfo a adi ade wɔ Yerusalem ne asu Eufrate agya no nyinaa agye tow ne aguade 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 nti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wosiesie kurow 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, efisɛ 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.
Bere a wɔkenkan saa krataa a efi ɔhene Artasasta nkyɛn kyerɛɛ Rehum, Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfo no, wɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔhyɛɛ Yudafo no ma wogyaee adansi 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.
Wogyaee Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho adwumayɛ, wɔ nea adu hɔ ara, kosii Persiahene Dario ahenni afe a ɛto so abien no so.
