Ɛsra 5

1 Saa bere no, adiyifo Hagai ne Ido babarima Sakaria de Israel Nyankopɔn din hyɛɛ nkɔm kyerɛɛ Yudafo a wɔwɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem no.

Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

2 Na Sealtiel babarima Serubabel ne Yosadak babarima Yesua tiei, fitii ase sii Onyankopɔn asɔredan no wɔ Yerusalem. Na Onyankopɔn adiyifo no ka wɔn ho a wɔboaa wɔn.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3 Saa bere no mu na Tatenai a ɔyɛ amrado wɔ asu Eufrate agya no ne Setar-Bosnai ne wɔn mfɛfo kɔɔ Yerusalem kobisae se, “Hena na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ munsiesie asɔredan yi?”

At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

4 Wɔsan ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.

They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

5 Nanso esiane sɛ na wɔn Nyankopɔn hwɛ wɔn so nti, wɔansiw Yudafo ntuanofo no adansi no ho kwan kosii sɛ wɔde ɛho asɛm kɔdan Dario ma ɔsesaa nʼadwene.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

6 Eyi ne krataa a amrado Tatenai, Setar-Bosnai ne mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no bi kyerɛw kɔmaa ɔhene Dario:

This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.

7 Yekyia wo, ɔhene Dario.

The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.

8 Yɛpɛ sɛ yɛma wo te sɛ, yɛkɔɔ beae a wɔresiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no wɔ Yudaman mu no. Abo sononko a wɔasiesie ne nnua na wɔde resi afasu no. Adwuma no rekɔ so ahoɔden so.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.

9 Yebisaa ntuanofo no se, “Hena na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ munsiesie asɔredan yi?”

So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

10 Na yebisaa wɔn adwumayɛfo din sɛnea yebetumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofo no.

We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

11 Wɔn mmuae ni: “Yɛyɛ ɔsorosoro ne asase Nyankopɔn no asomfo, na yɛresan asi asɔredan a ɔhene kɛse bi a na ɔwɔ Israel sii mfe bebree a atwa mu no.

And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.

12 Na esiane sɛ yɛn agyanom hyɛɛ ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn abufuw nti, ogyaa wɔn maa Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar, ma ɔsɛee saa asɔredan yi, na otwaa nkurɔfo no asu kɔɔ Babilonia.

But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.

13 “Nanso Babiloniahene Kores adedi mu afe a edi kan no, ɔhyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wosiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no.

In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

14 Ɔhene Kores de sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ, nkuku ne nkaka a Nebukadnessar tase fii Onyankopɔn asɔredan no mu wɔ Yerusalem de koguu Babilonia asɔredan mu no san bae. Wɔtasee saa nneɛma no fii saa asɔredan no mu de kɔmaa ɔbarima bi a ne din de Sesbasar a ɔhene Kores hyɛɛ no amrado wɔ Yuda no sɛ ɔnhwɛ so.

He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor

15 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ no sɛ, ɔnsan mfa nkuku ne nkaka no nsan nkogu wɔn afa wɔ Yerusalem, na ɔnsan nsi Onyankopɔn asɔredan no wɔ faako a na esi kan no.

and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’

16 “Enti Sesbasar yi bɛtoo Onyankopɔn asɔredan yi fapem wɔ Yerusalem. Efi saa bere no, nnipa no gu so reyɛ ho adwuma nanso wonwiee ɛ.”

So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”

17 Enti mprempren, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ ɔhene anisɔ a, monkɔsampam Babilonia ahemfi nneɛma dedaw akorae hɔ nhwɛ sɛ ɔhene Kores anhyɛ mmara sɛ wonsiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ana. Na momma ɔhene no nkyerɛ nʼadwene wɔ saa asɛm yi ho.

Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.