Ɛsra 3
1 Ɔsram a ɛto so ason mfiase a Israelfo abɔ atenase wɔ wɔn nkurow mu no, nnipa no nyinaa hyiaa sɛ nnipa koro wɔ Yerusalem.
After the Israeli people [returned to Israel, and] had begun to live in their towns, (in the autumn of/after the hot season ended in) that year, they all gathered together in Jerusalem.
2 Na Yosadak babarima Yesua ne ne mfɛfo asɔfo ne Sealtiel babarima Serubabel ne nʼabusuafo fii ase siesiee Israel Nyankopɔn afɔremuka no, sɛnea wobetumi abɔ ɔhyew afɔre wɔ so, sɛnea wɔahyɛ wɔ Mose a ɔyɛ Onyankopɔn nipa no mmara mu no.
Then Jeshua, the son of Jehozadak, and his fellow priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his friends, all began to rebuild the altar of God, the one whom the Israeli people [worshiped]. They did that in order that they could sacrifice burned offerings on it, according to what the prophet Moses had written in the laws [that God gave to him].
3 Ɛwɔ mu sɛ na nkurɔfo no suro amannifo a wɔtete hɔ no de, nanso wɔsan sii afɔremuka no wɔ ne dedaw mu hɔ. Ɛhɔ ara na wofii ase bɔɔ ɔhyew afɔre maa Awurade. Wɔyɛɛ saa anɔpa ne anwummere biara.
Even though they were afraid of the people who were already living in that area, they rebuilt the altar at the same place [where the previous altar had been]. Before they started to lay the foundation of Yahweh’s temple, [the priests] started to burn sacrifices to Yahweh [on the altar]. They offered sacrifices every morning and every evening. Fifteen days after [they started to offer these sacrifices], the people celebrated the Festival of [Living in Temporary] Shelters, as [Moses] had commanded them to do in the laws [that God gave to him]. Each day the priests offered the sacrifices [that were required] for that day. In addition, they presented the regular burned offerings and the offerings [that were required] for the New Moon Festivals and the other festivals that they celebrated each year to [honor] Yahweh. They also brought other offerings only because they desired to bring them, [not because they were required to bring them].
4 Wodii Asese Afahyɛ no sɛnea wɔakyerɛ wɔ Mose mmara nhoma no mu no, na wɔbɔɔ ɔhyew afɔre, sɛnea afahyɛ da biara de te no.
5 Ɛno akyi no, wɔbɔɔ daa ɔhyew afɔre no ne afɔre a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔbɔ ma Ɔsram Foforo Afahyɛ no ne mfe ahorow afahyɛ de maa Awurade. Na nnipa no bɔɔ ɔpɛ pa mu afɔre nso de maa Awurade.
6 Aka nnaawɔtwe abien na Guankɔbea Afahyɛ no adu so no, asɔfo no fii ase bɔɔ ɔhyew afɔre maa Awurade. Wofii eyi nso ase ansa na wɔreto Awurade asɔredan no fapem.
7 Na wɔbɔɔ adansifo ne nnuadwumfo paa na wɔtɔɔ sida nnua fi Tirofo ne Sidonfo nkyɛn, na wɔde nnuan, nsa ne ngo tuaa wɔn ka. Wɔde nnua no fi Lebanon mmepɔw so guu po ani baa Yopa, a na ɔhene Kores ama ho kwan.
Then the Israelis hired masons and carpenters, and they bought [logs from] cedar trees from the people of Tyre and Sidon [cities], and they gave those people food and wine and olive oil for the logs. They brought the logs down from [the mountains in] Lebanon [to the Mediterranean seacoast and then floated them along the coast of the Sea, ] to Joppa. King Cyrus permitted them to do that. [Then the logs were brought from Joppa inland up to Jerusalem].
8 Wofii Onyankopɔn asɔredan no si ase wɔ ɔsram a ɛto so abien mu afe a ɛto so abien fi bere a wokoduu Yerusalem no. Wɔn a wofi asutwa mu bae no nyinaa yɛɛ ho adwumayɛfo a Sealtiel babarima Serubabel, Yosadak babarima Yesua ne ne mfɛfo asɔfo ne Lewifo nyinaa nso ka ho. Lewifo a na wɔadi mfe aduonu ne wɔn a wɔboro saa no na wɔde Awurade asɔredan no asiesie hyɛɛ wɔn nsa.
The Israelis started to rebuild the temple in the (spring/time before the hot season) of the second year after they returned to Jerusalem. Zerubbabel and Jeshua and all the people who had returned to Jerusalem worked on the building. All the (Levites/men who did work in the temple) supervised this work.
9 Yesua ne ne mmabarima ne nʼabusuafo ne Kadmiel ne ne mmabarima ne Hodawia asefo nyinaa na wɔde Onyankopɔn asɔredan ho adwumayɛfo hyɛɛ wɔn nsa sɛ wɔnhwɛ wɔn so. Henadad abusuafo Lewifo na wɔboaa hwɛɛ saa dwumadi yi so.
Jeshua and his sons and his other relatives, and Kadmiel and his sons, who were descendants of Hodaviah, also helped to supervise the work. The family of Henadad, who were also all Levites, joined with them in supervising this work.
10 Bere a adansifo no wiee Awurade asɔredan no fapem no, asɔfo no hyɛɛ wɔn asɔfotade, kɔtenaa wɔn tenabea, hyɛn wɔn ntorobɛnto. Na Asaf asefo Lewifo no bɔɔ wɔn kyɛnkyɛn, de kamfoo Awurade sɛnea na ɔhene Dawid ahyɛ no pɛpɛɛpɛ.
When the builders finished laying the foundation of the temple, the priests put on their robes and stood in their places, blowing their trumpets. Then the Levites, who were descendants of Asaph, clashed/banged their cymbals to praise Yahweh, just as King David had [many years previously] told [Asaph and the other musicians] to do.
11 Wɔde nkamfo ne aseda too saa dwom yi maa Awurade se: “Oye, Na nʼadɔe wɔ hɔ daa ma Israel afebɔɔ!” Na ɔmanfo no nyinaa teɛɛ mu ahoɔden so, de kamfoo Awurade, efisɛ Awurade asɔredan fapem no, wɔato.
They praised Yahweh and thanked him, and they sang this song about him: “He is very good [to us]! He faithfully loves us Israeli people, and he will love us forever.” Then all the people shouted loudly, praising Yahweh because they had finished laying the foundation of Yahweh’s temple.
12 Asɔfo mpanyimfo no bebree, Lewifo ne ntuanofo no kaee asɔredan a edi kan no, sui bere a wohuu asɔredan foforo no fapem a wɔato no. Na afoforo nso teɛteɛɛ mu anigye so.
Many of the [old] priests, Levites, and leaders of families remembered [what] the first temple [was like], and they cried aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid [because they knew that the new temple would not be as beautiful as the first temple]. But the other people shouted joyfully.
13 Anigye nteɛteɛmu ne osu a adi afra no ano yɛɛ den, na nnipa tee wɔ akyirikyiri.
The shouting and the crying was very loud; [even people] far away could hear it.
