Ɛsra 7
1 Persiahene Artasasta ahenni mu no, na ɔbarima bi wɔ hɔ a ne din de Ɛsra. Na ɔyɛ Seraia babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima, na ɔno nso yɛ Hilkia babarima
Now after these things, during the reign of Artaxerxes, the king of the Persians, Ezra, the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
2 na ɔno nso yɛ Salum babarima a ɔyɛ Sadok babarima a ɔyɛ Ahitub babarima
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 na ɔno nso yɛ Amaria babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Meraiot babarima
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 a ɔyɛ Serahia babarima a ɔyɛ Usi babarima a ɔno nso yɛ Buki babarima
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 a ɔno yɛ Abisua babarima, a ɔyɛ Pinehas babarima, a ɔno nso yɛ Eleasar babarima, a ɔyɛ Aaron a ɔyɛ ɔsɔfopanyin no babarima.
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, priest from the beginning,
6 Na saa Ɛsra yi yɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛfo a onim Mose mmara no a Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, de ama Israelfo no yiye. Ofi Babilonia baa Yerusalem na biribiara a obisaa ɔhene no ɔde maa no, efisɛ na Awurade nsa no wɔ ne so.
this same Ezra, ascended from Babylon; and he was a proficient scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God gave to Israel. And the king granted to him his every petition. For the hand of the Lord, his God, was over him.
7 Israelhene no ne asɔfo, Lewifo, nnwontofo, aponanohwɛfo ne asɔredan mu asomfo ne no kɔɔ Yerusalem, ɔhene Artasasta ahenni mfe ason so.
And some from the sons of Israel, and from the sons of the priests, and from the sons of the Levites, and from the singing men, and from the gatekeepers, and from the temple servants ascended to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of king Artaxerxes.
8 Saa afe no, Ab ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) mu na Ɛsra kɔɔ Yerusalem.
And they arrived at Jerusalem in the fifth month, in the same seventh year of the king.
9 Ofii Babilonia Abib ɔsram (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛto so awotwe, na ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem Ab ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) da a ɛto so anan. Na Onyankopɔn adom nsa wɔ ne so.
For on the first day of the first month, he began to ascend from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month, he arrived at Jerusalem. For the good hand of his God was over him.
10 Efisɛ na Ɛsra asi nʼadwene pi sɛ, obesua, na wadi Awurade mmara so, na wakyerɛ Israelfo saa mmara no.
For Ezra prepared his heart, so that he might search the law of the Lord, and so that he might keep and teach precept and judgment in Israel.
11 Na ɔhene Artasasta de krataa no sɛso ama ɔsɔfo Ɛsra, a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛfo a osuae, na ɔkyerɛɛ Israelfo Awurade mmara no. Ɔkyerɛw se:
Now this is a copy of the letter of the edict, which king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra, the priest, a scribe well-taught in the words and precepts of the Lord and in his ceremonies in Israel:
12 Me ahene mu hene Artasasta, nkyia a mede rekyia ɔsɔfo Ɛsra ne Awurade a ɔte ɔsorosoro no mmarakyerɛni no ni:
“Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra, the priest, a very learned scribe of the law of the God of heaven: a greeting.
13 Mahyɛ mmara sɛ, Israelni biara a ɔte mʼaheman mu a asɔfo ne Lewifo ka ho no nyinaa, mfi wɔn pɛ mu ne wo nkɔ Yerusalem.
It has been decreed by me, that whosoever wishes, among the people of Israel and their priests and Levites within my kingdom, to go to Jerusalem, may go with you.
14 Me ne mʼagyinatufo baason no ahyɛ wo sɛ, gyina wo Nyankopɔn mmara a ɛhyɛ wo nsam no so yɛ nhwehwɛmu fa Yuda ne Yerusalem tebea ho.
For you have been sent from the face of the king and his seven counselors, so that you may visit Judea and Jerusalem by the law of your God, which is in your hand,
15 Fa dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ bi a yɛde rema wo sɛ afɔre a yɛrebɔ ama Israel Nyankopɔn a ɔte Yerusalem no kɔ,
and so that you may carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counselors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose tabernacle is in Jerusalem.
16 na gye dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ biara a wubenya afi Babilonia ne nea wɔde bɛkyɛ wo biara afi ɔmanfo ne asɔfo nkyɛn a wɔde ama sɛ, wɔmfa nkɔ wɔn Nyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no kɔ.
And all the silver and gold, as much as you will find in the entire province of Babylon, and which the people will wish to offer, and which some of the priests will offer freely to the house of their God, which is in Jerusalem,
17 Saa akyɛde yi, nea ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde tɔ ara yɛ anantwinini, adwennini, nguantenmma ne atoko afɔrebɔde a ɛfata, ne nsa afɔrebɔde a wɔde ne nyinaa bɛbɔ afɔre wɔ Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no afɔremuka so.
accept it freely. And with this money, carefully purchase calves, rams, lambs, and their sacrifices and libations, and offer these upon the altar of the temple of your God, which is in Jerusalem.
18 Sika biara a ɛbɛka no, wo ne wo mfɛfo mfa nni dwuma biara a mugye di sɛ ɛyɛ mo Nyankopɔn pɛ.
But also, whatever it will please you and your brothers to do with the remainder of the silver and gold, do so in accord with the will of your God.
19 Na nkuku ne nkaka a yɛde rehyɛ wo nsa de adi mo Nyankopɔn asɔredan no ho dwuma no, fa ne nyinaa ma Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ Yerusalem no.
Likewise, the vessels that have been given to you for the ministry of the house of your God, deliver these to the sight of God in Jerusalem.
20 Sɛ mo sika sa wɔ biribi a ɛho hia mo Onyankopɔn asɔredan ho anaa biribi a ɛte saa ho a, mummisa sika mfi adehye foto mu.
Then, whatever more will be needed for the house of your God, as much as is necessary for you to spend, it shall be given from the treasury, and from the king’s finances,
21 Me ɔhene Artasasta, hyɛ mmara de kɔ agyapade akorae a ɛwɔ asu Efrate agya no sɛ: Biribiara a Ɛsra bisa no, momfa mma no, efisɛ ɔyɛ ɔsɔfo ne ɔsorosoro Nyankopɔn no mmara kyerɛkyerɛfo.
and by me. I, king Artaxerxes, have appointed and decreed to all the keepers of the public treasury, those who are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra, the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall ask of you, you shall provide it without delay,
22 Ɛsɛ sɛ moma no kosi dwetɛ nkaribo pɔn mpem ason ne ahannum, atoko susukoraa ahannum, nsa gyare ahannum aduonum, ngo gyare ahannum aduonum ne nkyene a wontumi mmu ano.
even up to one hundred talents of silver, and up to one hundred cors of wheat, and up to one hundred baths of wine, and up to one hundred baths of oil, and truly salt without measure.
23 Monhwɛ yiye, na biribiara a Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsorosoro no abisa ama nʼasɔredan no, momfa mmra. Adɛn nti na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma Onyankopɔn abufuw ba ɔhene ne ne mmabarima so?
All that pertains to the rite of the God of heaven, let it be distributed scrupulously to the house of the God of heaven, lest perhaps he may become angry against the kingdom of the king and his sons.
24 Mesan hyɛ sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfo, Lewini, nnwontofo, ɔpon ano hwɛfo, asɔredan mu somfo anaa obiara a ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu no tua tow biara.
Likewise, we would make known to you, about all the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the temple servants, and the ministers of the house of this God, that you have no authority to impose tax, or tribute, or duty upon them.
25 Na wo Ɛsra, ɛsɛ sɛ wode nyansa a Onyankopɔn de ama wo no yi asennifo ne atemmufo a wonim mo Nyankopɔn mmara no, na wodi nnipa a wɔwɔ asu Eufrate agya no nyinaa so. Sɛ nnipa nnim saa mmara no a, ɛsɛ sɛ wokyerɛkyerɛ wɔn.
But as for you, Ezra, in accord with the wisdom of your God, which is in your hand, appoint judges and magistrates, so that they may judge the entire people, which is beyond the river, especially so that they may know the law of your God, but also so as to teach the ignorant freely.
26 Obiara a obebu mo Nyankopɔn, ne ɔhene mmara so no, wobekum no, wobetwa no asu, wɔbɛfa nʼagyapade anaa wɔde no bɛto afiase sɛ asotwe.
And anyone who will not diligently keep the law of your God, and the law of the king, judgment shall be upon him, either to death, or to exile, or to the confiscation of his goods, or certainly to prison.”
27 Ayeyi nka Awurade, yɛn agyanom Nyankopɔn a ɔmaa ɔhene adwene sɛ onsiesie Awurade asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of our fathers, who has put this into the heart of the king, so that he may glorify the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.
28 Na ayeyi nka no sɛ, ɔdaa ne dɔ kann adi kyerɛɛ me, hyɛɛ me anuonyam wɔ ɔhene, nʼagyinatufo ne nʼahenemma atumfo no anim. Ɛhyɛɛ me nkuran, efisɛ na Awurade, me Nyankopɔn, nsa wɔ me so. Na meboaboaa Israel ntuanofo no bi ano sɛ wɔnka me ho mma yɛnkɔ Yerusalem.
For he has turned his mercy toward me in the sight of the king, and his counselors, and all the powerful leaders of the king. And so, having been strengthened by the hand of the Lord, my God, which was upon me, I gathered together some of the leaders of Israel, those who were to go up with me.
