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.
Then prophesied Haggai the prophet, and Zechariah the son of 'Iddo, the prophets, unto the Jews that were in Judah and Jerusalem, in the name of the God of Israel, concerning 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 Shealthiel, and Jeshua' the son of Jozadak, and began to build the house of God which is 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?”
At this same time came to them Thathnai, the governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and their companions, and thus they said unto them, “Who hath given you an order to build this house, and to complete these walls?”
4 Wɔsan ka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.
Then said we unto them after this manner, what are the names of the men that erect 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, so that they did not stop them, till the matter came to Darius; and they then returned an answer by letter concerning this.
6 Eyi ne krataa a amrado Tatenai, Setar-Bosnai ne mpanyimfo a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no bi kyerɛw kɔmaa ɔhene Dario:
A copy of the letter which Thathnai, the governor on this side of the river, and Shethar-bozenai, and his companions, the Apharsachites, who were on this side of the river, sent unto king Darius.
7 Yekyia wo, ɔhene Dario.
They sent a report unto him, and thus was it written therein: Unto king Darius be 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 unto the king, that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which they are building with heavy stones, and timber is laid in the walls, and this work is urged with speed, and it prospereth in their hands.
9 Yebisaa ntuanofo no se, “Hena na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ munsiesie asɔredan yi?”
Then asked we these elders, and after this manner said we unto them, Who hath given you the order to build this house, and to complete these walls?
10 Na yebisaa wɔn adwumayɛfo din sɛnea yebetumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofo no.
Also their names did we ask of them, to let thee know them, that we might write down the names of the men that are at their head.
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 in this manner did they return us answer, saying, We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we build the house that was built before this many years, 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 since our fathers had provoked the God of heaven unto wrath, he gave them up into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, the Chaldean, and he destroyed this house, and carried the people as exiles into Babylon.
13 “Nanso Babiloniahene Kores adedi mu afe a edi kan no, ɔhyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wosiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no.
However, in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus gave an order 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 also the vessels of gold and silver of the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple that was in Jerusalem, and brought into the temple of Babylon, these did king Cyrus take out of the temple of Babylon, and gave them unto one, Sheshbazzar by name, whom he had appointed as 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 unto him, Take these vessels, go, carry them into the temple which is in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be built on its 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.”
Then came this same Sheshbazzar, [and] laid the foundation of the house of God which is in Jerusalem; and from that time even until now they have been building it, but it 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.
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 an order was given by king Cyrus to build this house of God at Jerusalem, and let the king send to us his pleasure concerning this matter.
