Ezra 7
1 [Many/Fifty years] later, while Artaxerxes was the king of Persia, I, Ezra came from Babylon here to Jerusalem. I am the son of Seraiah and the grandson of Azariah, and the great-grandson of Hilkiah.
Persiahene Artasasta ahenni mu no, na ɔbarima bi wɔ hɔ a ne din de Ɛsra. Na ɔyɛ Seraia babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima, na ɔno nso yɛ Hilkia babarima
2 Hilkiah was the son of Shallum, who was the son of Zadok, who was the son of Ahitub,
na ɔno nso yɛ Salum babarima a ɔyɛ Sadok babarima a ɔyɛ Ahitub babarima
3 who was the son of Amariah, who was the son of Azariah, who was the son of Meraioth,
na ɔno nso yɛ Amaria babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Meraiot babarima
4 who was the son of Zerahiah, who was the son of Uzzi, who was the son of Bukki,
a ɔyɛ Serahia babarima a ɔyɛ Usi babarima a ɔno nso yɛ Buki babarima
5 who was the son of Abishua, who was the son of Phinehas, who was the son of Eleazar, who was the son of Aaron, the [first] Supreme Priest.
a ɔno yɛ Abisua babarima, a ɔyɛ Pinehas babarima, a ɔno nso yɛ Eleasar babarima, a ɔyɛ Aaron a ɔyɛ ɔsɔfopanyin no babarima.
6 I am a man who knows very well the laws that Moses [wrote]. Those were the laws that Yahweh, the God whom we Israeli people ([worship/belong to]), had given to us Israeli people. When I arrived in Jerusalem, Yahweh my God was kind to me, and as a result the [people] gave me everything that I had requested the king to [tell them to] give to me.
Na saa Ɛsra yi yɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛfo a onim Mose mmara no a Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, de ama Israelfo no yiye. Ofi Babilonia baa Yerusalem na biribiara a obisaa ɔhene no ɔde maa no, efisɛ na Awurade nsa no wɔ ne so.
7 Some of the priests, some [other] descendants of Levi, [some] singers, [some] (gatekeepers/men who guarded the gates of the temple), and [some] men who worked in the temple, and some other [Israeli] people came up with me here to Jerusalem. That was during the seventh year that Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia].
Israelhene no ne asɔfo, Lewifo, nnwontofo, aponanohwɛfo ne asɔredan mu asomfo ne no kɔɔ Yerusalem, ɔhene Artasasta ahenni mfe ason so.
8 We left Babylon on April 8, which was the first day of the Jewish year. Because God was very kind to us, we arrived [safely] in Jerusalem on August 4 of that year.
Saa afe no, Ab ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) mu na Ɛsra kɔɔ Yerusalem.
Ofii Babilonia Abib ɔsram (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛto so awotwe, na ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem Ab ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) da a ɛto so anan. Na Onyankopɔn adom nsa wɔ ne so.
10 During my entire life, I devoted myself to studying the laws of Yahweh, and how to obey those laws. I had also taught those laws and all their regulations to the Israeli people [for many years].
Efisɛ na Ɛsra asi nʼadwene pi sɛ, obesua, na wadi Awurade mmara so, na wakyerɛ Israelfo saa mmara no.
11 King Artaxerxes [knew that] I am a priest who knows the Jewish laws very well. [He knew that for many years] I had studied those laws and had taught all the rules and regulations of those laws to the Israeli people. [So before I left Babylon to come to Jerusalem, ] he wrote a letter, and gave a copy to me. [This is what he wrote]:
Na ɔhene Artasasta de krataa no sɛso ama ɔsɔfo Ɛsra, a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛfo a osuae, na ɔkyerɛɛ Israelfo Awurade mmara no. Ɔkyerɛw se:
12 [“This letter is] from me, Artaxerxes, the greatest of the kings. [I am giving it] to Ezra the priest, who has studied very well all the rules and regulations that the God [who is/rules] in heaven [gave to the Israeli people].
Me ahene mu hene Artasasta, nkyia a mede rekyia ɔsɔfo Ɛsra ne Awurade a ɔte ɔsorosoro no mmarakyerɛni no ni:
13 “Ezra, I command that when you return to Jerusalem, any of the Israeli people in my kingdom who want to are allowed to go with you. That includes any priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who will work in the temple] who want to go.
Mahyɛ mmara sɛ, Israelni biara a ɔte mʼaheman mu a asɔfo ne Lewifo ka ho no nyinaa, mfi wɔn pɛ mu ne wo nkɔ Yerusalem.
14 I, along with my seven counselors/advisors, am sending you to Jerusalem, in order that you can determine what is happening there and in [other towns in] Judah. You are taking with you [MTY] a copy of God’s laws; make sure that the people are doing everything that is written in those laws.
Me ne mʼagyinatufo baason no ahyɛ wo sɛ, gyina wo Nyankopɔn mmara a ɛhyɛ wo nsam no so yɛ nhwehwɛmu fa Yuda ne Yerusalem tebea ho.
15 [We are also saying that] you should take with you the silver and gold that I and my advisors are wanting to give to you, in order that you will present it to be an offering to the God who [rules] the Israeli people and who lives in Jerusalem.
Fa dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ bi a yɛde rema wo sɛ afɔre a yɛrebɔ ama Israel Nyankopɔn a ɔte Yerusalem no kɔ,
16 You should also take any silver and gold that the people in the entire Babylonia province give to you, and the money that the priests and [other] Israeli people have happily said that they would give to you to be offerings for building the temple of their God in Jerusalem.
na gye dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ biara a wubenya afi Babilonia ne nea wɔde bɛkyɛ wo biara afi ɔmanfo ne asɔfo nkyɛn a wɔde ama sɛ, wɔmfa nkɔ wɔn Nyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no kɔ.
17 With this money, you should buy the bulls, rams, lambs, and the grain and wine that the priests will burn on the altar [outside] the temple of your God in Jerusalem.
Saa akyɛde yi, nea ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde tɔ ara yɛ anantwinini, adwennini, nguantenmma ne atoko afɔrebɔde a ɛfata, ne nsa afɔrebɔde a wɔde ne nyinaa bɛbɔ afɔre wɔ Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no afɔremuka so.
18 “If there is any silver or gold that remains [you have bought all those things], you and your companions/colleagues are permitted to use it to [buy] whatever you desire, but buy only things that [you know that] God wants you to buy.
Sika biara a ɛbɛka no, wo ne wo mfɛfo mfa nni dwuma biara a mugye di sɛ ɛyɛ mo Nyankopɔn pɛ.
19 We have given to you some valuable items to be used in the temple of your God. Take them also to Jerusalem.
Na nkuku ne nkaka a yɛde rehyɛ wo nsa de adi mo Nyankopɔn asɔredan no ho dwuma no, fa ne nyinaa ma Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ Yerusalem no.
20 If you need any other things for the temple, you are permitted to get the money for those things from the building here where my government’s money is kept/stored.
Sɛ mo sika sa wɔ biribi a ɛho hia mo Onyankopɔn asɔredan ho anaa biribi a ɛte saa ho a, mummisa sika mfi adehye foto mu.
21 “And I, King Artaxerxes, command this to all the treasurers in the province west of the [Euphrates] River: 'Give to Ezra, the priest who has studied very well the laws of the God [who is/rules] in heaven, everything that he requests, and give it to him quickly.
Me ɔhene Artasasta, hyɛ mmara de kɔ agyapade akorae a ɛwɔ asu Efrate agya no sɛ: Biribiara a Ɛsra bisa no, momfa mma no, efisɛ ɔyɛ ɔsɔfo ne ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn no mmara kyerɛkyerɛfo.
22 The most that you should give to him is (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of silver, 500 bushels of wheat, 550 gallons of wine, and 550 gallons of [olive] oil, but give to him all the salt that they need.
Ɛsɛ sɛ moma no kosi dwetɛ nkaribo pɔn mpem ason ne ahannum, atoko susukoraa ahannum, nsa gyare ahannum aduonum, ngo gyare ahannum aduonum ne nkyene a wontumi mmu ano.
23 Be sure that you provide whatever their God requires for his temple, because we certainly do not [RHQ] want him to be angry with me or with my descendants who will later be kings.
Monhwɛ yiye, na biribiara a Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsorosoro no abisa ama nʼasɔredan no, momfa mmra. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma Onyankopɔn abufuw ba ɔhene ne ne mmabarima so?
24 We are also commanding that none of the priests, descendants of Levi, musicians, temple guards, or other men who work in the temple, will be required to pay any kind of taxes.'
Mesan hyɛ sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfo, Lewini, nnwontofo, ɔpon ano hwɛfo, asɔredan mu somfo anaa obiara a ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu no tua tow biara.
25 “Ezra, your God has enabled you to become very wise. Using that wisdom, appoint men in the province west of the [Euphrates] River who will judge cases involving the people, and men who will judge cases involving the government. You must appoint men who know the laws of your God. All of you must teach God’s laws to others who do not know them.
Na wo Ɛsra, ɛsɛ sɛ wode nyansa a Onyankopɔn de ama wo no yi asennifo ne atemmufo a wonim mo Nyankopɔn mmara no, na wodi nnipa a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no nyinaa so. Sɛ nnipa nnim saa mmara no a, ɛsɛ sɛ wokyerɛkyerɛ wɔn.
26 Everyone who does not obey God’s laws or the laws of my government must be punished severely. Some of them will be executed, some will be put in prison, some will be sent out of the country or have all their property taken away from them.”
Obiara a obebu mo Nyankopɔn, ne ɔhene mmara so no, wobekum no, wobetwa no asu, wɔbɛfa nʼagyapade anaa wɔde no bɛto afiase sɛ asotwe.
27 [Because King Artaxerxes was very kind like that, I said], “Praise Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors [worshiped/belonged to]! He has caused the king to want to honor the temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem.
Ayeyi nka Awurade, yɛn agyanom Nyankopɔn a ɔmaa ɔhene adwene sɛ onsiesie Awurade asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no.
28 Because God was very kind to me, the king and all his advisors and all his powerful officials have also been kind to me. So, because God has helped me, I have become encouraged, and I have [been able to] persuade some of the Israeli leaders to go up to Jerusalem with me.”
Na ayeyi nka no sɛ, ɔdaa ne dɔ kann adi kyerɛɛ me, hyɛɛ me anuonyam wɔ ɔhene, nʼagyinatufo ne nʼahenemma atumfo no anim. Ɛhyɛɛ me nkuran, efisɛ na Awurade, me Nyankopɔn, nsa wɔ me so. Na meboaboaa Israel ntuanofo no bi ano sɛ wɔnka me ho mma yɛnkɔ Yerusalem.
