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.
Now the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem; in the name of the God of Israel [did they prophesy] to 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 rose up Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and with them were the prophets of God, who helped 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 came to them Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and their companions, and said thus to them: Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
4 Wɔsan ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.
And they said to them after this manner: What are the names of the men that build 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 upon the elders of the Jews, and they did not make them cease till the matter came to Darius; and then they returned answer by letter concerning it.
6 Eyi ne krataa a amrado Tatenai, Setar-Bosnai ne mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no bi kyerɛw kɔmaa ɔhene Dario:
The copy of the letter that Tatnai, governor on this side the river, and Shethar-boznai, and his companions the Apharsachites, who were on this side the river, sent to Darius the king.
7 Yekyia wo, ɔhene Dario.
They sent a report to him in which was written thus: To Darius the king, 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.
Be it known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is being carried on with diligence, and prospers in their hand.
9 Yebisaa ntuanofo no se, “Hena na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ munsiesie asɔredan yi?”
Then asked we those elders: thus we said to them, Who gave you orders to build this house and to complete this wall?
10 Na yebisaa wɔn adwumayɛfo din sɛnea yebetumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofo no.
We asked their names also, to inform thee, that we might write the names of the men that were the chief of them.
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 thus they returned us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of the heavens and the earth, and build the house that was built these many years ago; and a great king of Israel built and completed it.
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 after that our fathers had provoked the God of the heavens to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people away unto Babylon.
13 “Nanso Babiloniahene Kores adedi mu afe a edi kan no, ɔhyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wosiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no.
But in the first year of Cyrus king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave orders to build 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.
And the vessels also of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was at Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had 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 he said to him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple that is at Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built in its place.
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.”
Then came the same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and since that time even until now has it been in building, and it is not 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.
And now, if it seem good to the king, let search be made in the king's treasure-house, which is there at Babylon, whether it be so, that orders were given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
