Ezra 5
1 Azɔ la, Nyagblɔɖilawo Hagai kple Zekaria, Ido ƒe dzidzimeviwo gblɔ nya ɖi na Yudatɔ siwo le Yuda kple Yerusalem, le Israel ƒe Mawu, ame si nɔ wo dzi ɖum la ƒe ŋkɔ me.
At that time two prophets gave messages from God to the Jews in Jerusalem and [other cities in] Judah. The prophets were Haggai and Zechariah, who was a descendant of Iddo. They spoke those messages representing God, whom the Israelis [worshiped/belonged to], the one who was their true king.
2 Tete Zerubabel, Sealtiel ƒe vi kple Yesua, Yozadek ƒe vi, wogayi Mawu ƒe aƒe si le Yerusalem la gbugbɔtu ƒe dɔ dzi, eye Mawu ƒe Nyagblɔɖilawo nɔ wo gbɔ, nɔ kpekpem ɖe wo ŋu.
Then Zerubbabel and Shealtiel [led many other people] as they started [again] to rebuild the temple of God in Jerusalem. And God’s prophets [Haggai and Zechariah] were with them and helped them.
3 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Frat tɔsisi la godo nuto la me ƒe mɔmefia, Tatenai, Setar Bozenai kple wo ŋutimewo yi ɖabia wo be, “Ame kae ɖe mɔ na mi be miagbugbɔ gbedoxɔ sia kple xɔ sia ƒe gliwo aɖo?”
Then Tattenai the governor of the province west of the [Euphrates] River and Shethar-Bozenai his assistant and [some of] their officials went to Jerusalem and said to the people, “Who has permitted you to rebuild this temple and put furnishings in it?”
4 Wogabia wo be, “Ŋutsu siwo le teƒe sia tum la ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖe?”
They also requested the people to tell them the names of the men who were working [at the temple]. [But the people refused].
5 Ke Yehowa ƒe ŋku nɔ Yudatɔwo ƒe dumegãwo ta kpɔm, ale womete ŋu ɖo asi wo dzi o va se ɖe esime woaŋlɔ agbalẽ na Darius, eye wòaɖo eŋu hafi woanya afɔ si woaɖe.
However, God was taking care of the Jewish leaders, so their enemies were not able to prevent the people from continuing [to rebuild the temple]. [They continued to work while their enemies] sent a report to King Darius, and asked him [what he wanted them to do] about it.
6 Esia nye nu si Tatenai, Frat tɔsisi la godo ƒe mɔmefia kple Setar Bozenai kple wo ŋutimewo kpakple dɔnunɔla siwo le Frat tɔsisi la godo ŋlɔ ɖo ɖe Fia Darius.
So Tattenai and Shethar-Bozenai and their officials sent a report to King Darius.
7 Agbalẽa me nyawo yi ale: Na: Fia Darius. Míedo gbe tɔxɛ na wò.
This is what they wrote: “King Darius, we hope that things are going well for you!
8 Fia la nenyae be míegbugbɔ yi ɖe Yuda nuto la me, ɖe Mawu gã la ƒe gbedoxɔ me. Ameawo le xɔtudɔ la dzi kple kpe gãwo, eye wole ʋuƒoawo dem gliawo me. Wole dɔ la wɔm kple moveviɖoɖo, eye wòle afɔ tsɔm le woƒe kpɔkplɔ te.
[“We want you to know that] we went to Judah Province, where the temple of the great God is being rebuilt. The people are building it with huge stones, and they are putting wooden beams in the walls. The work is being done very carefully, and they are progressing well.
9 Míebia gbe woƒe dumegãwo be, “Ame kae ɖe mɔ na mi be miagbugbɔ gbedoxɔ sia kple xɔ sia ƒe gliwo aɖo?”
“We asked the Jewish leaders, ‘Who has permitted you to rebuild this temple and put furnishings in it?’
10 Míebia woƒe ŋkɔwo hã ta ale be míaŋlɔ woƒe ŋgɔnɔlawo ƒe ŋkɔwo aɖo ɖe wò wòanɔ nyanya na wò.
And we requested them to tell us the names of their leaders, in order that we could tell you who they were.
11 Esiae nye ŋuɖoɖo si wona mí: “Dziƒo kple anyigba ƒe Mawu la ƒe dɔlawo míenye; míegbugbɔ le gbedoxɔ si wotu ƒe geɖewoe nye esi va yi la tum, gbedoxɔ si Israel ƒe fia xɔŋkɔ aɖe tu, wu enu,
“But [instead of telling us their leaders’ names, ] what they said was, ‘We serve the God [who created] the heaven and the earth. Many years ago a great king [who ruled] us Israeli people [told our ancestors to] build a temple here, and now we are rebuilding it.
12 gake esi mía fofowo do dziku na dziƒo Mawu la ta la, etsɔ wo de asi na Kaldeatɔ Nebukadnezar, Babilonia fia, ame si gbã gbedoxɔ sia, eye wòɖe aboyo ameawo ɖo ɖe Babilonia.
“'But God, [who rules] in heaven, allowed [the armies of] Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylonia, to destroy that temple, because our ancestors did things that caused God to become very angry. Nebuchadnezzar’s army took [many of] the [Israeli] people to Babylonia.
13 “Ke hã la, le Babilonia fia, Sirus ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe gbãtɔ me la, Fia Sirus de se be woagbugbɔ Mawu ƒe aƒe sia atu.
“'However, during the first year that Cyrus the King of Babylon started to rule, he decreed that the temple of God should be rebuilt.
14 Gawu la, ena wolɔ sikanu kple klosalonu siwo nɔ Mawu ƒe aƒe la me, esiwo Nebukadnezar lɔ le Yerusalem gbedoxɔ me tsɔ va kɔ ɖe Babilonia gbedoxɔ me la do goe. “Emegbe Fia Sirus tsɔ wo de asi na ŋutsu aɖe si woyɔna be Sesbazar, ame si wòɖo mɔmefiae la si,
Cyrus returned [to the Jewish leaders] all the gold and silver cups that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem and which had been put in the temple in Babylon. Those cups were given to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom King Cyrus had appointed to be the governor in Judah.
15 gblɔ de esi be, ‘Tsɔ nu siawo eye yi nàkɔ wo ɖe Yerusalem gbedoxɔ me. Gbugbɔ Mawu ƒe aƒe la tu ɖe teƒe si wònɔ tsã.’
“'The king instructed him to take the cups back to Jerusalem, to the place [from which they had previously been taken]. He also decreed that they should rebuild the temple at the place where it had been before. So Cyrus appointed Sheshbazzar to be the governor in Judah. He also sent all those things made of gold and silver, for Sheshbazzar to put in the new temple.
16 “Ale Sesbazar sia va ɖo Mawu ƒe aƒe la ƒe gbedoxɔ gɔme anyi ɖe Yerusalem, eya ta tso gbe ma gbe dzi va se ɖe fifia la, wole etutu dzi, eye womekpɔ wu enu haɖe o.”
So Sheshbazzar did that. He came here to Jerusalem, and [supervised the men who] laid the foundation of the temple. And since that time, the people have been working on the temple, but it is not finished yet.’
17 Azɔ la, ne edze fia la ŋu la, nena woatsa le Babilonia ƒe nyaŋlɔɖigbalẽwo me ne woakpɔe ɖa be vavãe fia Sirus de se aɖe nenema be woagbugbɔ Mawu ƒe aƒe si le Yerusalem la atu hã. Ekema fia la neɖo gbe ɖa tso eƒe nyametsotso ŋuti le nya sia me.
“Therefore, your majesty, please order someone to search in the place in Babylon where the important records are kept, to find out whether [it is true that] King Cyrus decreed that God’s temple should be rebuilt in Jerusalem. Then you can tell us what you want us to do about this matter.”
