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, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, 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 the chief priest:
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 Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord his God upon him.
7 Israelhene no ne asɔfo, Lewifo, nnwontofo, aponanohwɛfo ne asɔredan mu asomfo ne no kɔɔ Yerusalem, ɔhene Artasasta ahenni mfe ason so.
And there went up some of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the porters, and the Nethinims, unto Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.
8 Saa afe no, Ab ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) mu na Ɛsra kɔɔ Yerusalem.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the 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 upon the first day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 Efisɛ na Ɛsra asi nʼadwene pi sɛ, obesua, na wadi Awurade mmara so, na wakyerɛ Israelfo saa mmara no.
For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
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 the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, and of his statutes to 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, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
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.
I make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up to Jerusalem, go with thee.
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.
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine hand;
15 Fa dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ bi a yɛde rema wo sɛ afɔre a yɛrebɔ ama Israel Nyankopɔn a ɔte Yerusalem no kɔ,
And to carry the silver and gold, which the king and his counsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation 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 that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for 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.
That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house 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.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after 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.
The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou before the God of 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.
And whatsoever more shall be needful for the house of thy God, which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king’s treasure house.
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 I, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
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.
Unto an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing how much.
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?
Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: for why should there be wrath against the realm 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.
Also we certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, 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.
And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not.
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 whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether it be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Ayeyi nka Awurade, yɛn agyanom Nyankopɔn a ɔmaa ɔhene adwene sɛ onsiesie Awurade asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no.
Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify 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.
And hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
