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 Aggeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel.
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 Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God 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?”
And at the same time came to them Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?
4 Wɔsan ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.
In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters of that 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 ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning that accusation.
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 Thathanai governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.
7 Yekyia wo, ɔhene Dario.
The letter which they sent him, 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 to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.
9 Yebisaa ntuanofo no se, “Hena na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ munsiesie asɔredan yi?”
And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?
10 Na yebisaa wɔn adwumayɛfo din sɛnea yebetumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofo no.
We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief among 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 they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.
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 heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, 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.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should be built.
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 temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also 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 said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put them in the temple that is in 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 this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished.
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 seem good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
