Nehemia 2
1 Nisan ɔsram (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) wɔ Ɔhene Artasasta adedi afe a ɛto so aduonu mu no, na merehyɛ ɔhene nsa. De besi saa bere no, na menyɛɛ mʼanim bosaa wɔ ɔhene anim da,
And it came to pass in the month Nissan, in the twentieth year of king Artaxerxes, that wine [stood] before him; and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. But I had never been sad in his presence.
2 enti ɔhene no bisaa me se, “Adɛn nti na wʼanim ayɛ bosaa nanso wonyare yi? Wosɛ obi a ɔhaw kɛse bi da ne so.” Ehu kɛse tɔɔ me so,
Then said the king unto me, Why is thy countenance sad, seeing thou art not sick? this is nothing but an illness of heart. Then was I very greatly afraid.
3 nanso mibuae se, “Ɔhene nkwa so! Adɛn nti na ɛnsɛ sɛ me werɛ how? Kuropɔn a wosiee me mpanyimfo wɔ mu no abubu, na wɔahyew nʼapon no nyinaa.”
And I said unto the king, May the king live for ever: why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers' sepulchres, lieth ruined, and her gates are consumed by fire?
4 Ɔhene no bisae se, “Dɛn na wohwehwɛ?” Na mebɔɔ ɔsoro Nyankopɔn mpae,
Then said the king unto me, For what then dost thou make request? Then did I pray to the God of heaven.
5 buae se, “Sɛ ɛsɔ Ɔhempɔn ani, na sɛ me, wo somfo, mesɔ wʼani a, ɛno de ma menkɔ Yuda nkosiesie kuropɔn a wɔasie mʼagyanom wɔ mu no.”
And I said unto the king, If it seem good to the king, and if thy servant might be pleasing in thy presence, [I desire] that thou wouldst send me unto Judah, unto the city of my fathers' sepulchres, that I may build it.
6 Bere a ɔhemmea te Ɔhene nkyɛn no, Ɔhene no bisae se, “Wokɔ a, wubedi nna ahe? Da bɛn na wobɛsan aba?” Ɔhene penee so, na mekyerɛɛ da a mesi mu.
And the king said unto me, while the queen was sitting beside him, When is thy journey to be undertaken? and when wilt thou return? So it pleased the king to let me go; and I indicated to him a time.
7 Afei, meka kyerɛɛ ɔhene se, “Ɔhempɔn, sɛ ɛsɔ wʼani a ma me nkrataa nkɔma amradofo a wɔwɔ mantam a ɛda Asubɔnten Eufrate agya no, na wɔmma me kwan mma memfa wɔn mantam mu nkɔ Yuda.
And I said unto the king, If it seem good to the king, let letters be given unto me for the governors beyond the river, that they may convey me over till the time that I come into Judah;
8 Na mesrɛ sɛ, ma me krataa nkɔma Asaf a ɔhwɛ ɔhene kwae so na ɔmma me nnua. Mede bɛyɛ mpuran ama Asɔredan no aban ano apon, kuropɔn no afasu ne mʼankasa me fi” Na ɔhene no penee saa abisade yi nyinaa so, efisɛ, na Onyankopɔn adom nsa no wɔ me so.
Also a letter unto Assaph the keeper of the king's forests, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress which appertaineth to the house, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall move into. And the king gave [them] to me, according to the good hand of my God upon me.
9 Miduu amradofo a wɔwɔ Asubɔnten Eufrate agya no nkyɛn no, mede ɔhene nkrataa no maa wɔn. Nea ɛka ho ne sɛ, ɔhene maa asraafo ne apɔnkɔsotefo kaa me ho bɔɔ me ho ban.
And [so] came I to the governors beyond the river, and I gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me captains of the army and horsemen.
10 Nanso Haronini Sanbalat ne Amonni Tobia a wɔyɛ mpanyimfo tee sɛ mabedu no, wɔn bo fuw yiye sɛ obi aba hɔ a ɔpɛ sɛ ɔboa Israel.
When Sanballat the Choronite, and Tobiyah the servant, the 'Ammonite, heard of it, it displeased them exceedingly, that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
11 Miduu Yerusalem nnansa akyi no,
So came I to Jerusalem, and remained there three days.
12 mefaa nnipa kakraa bi kaa me ho, fii hɔ anadwo no. Manka nhyehyɛe a Onyankopɔn de ahyɛ me koma mu wɔ Yerusalem ho no ankyerɛ obiara. Yɛamfa mmoa biara anka yɛn ho sɛ afurum a mete ne so no nko.
Then arose I in the night, I and some few men with me; but I had not told any man what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem: nor was there any beast with me, save the beast on which I rode.
13 Mefaa Obon Pon no ano, twaa Ɔwɔ Abura no ho kosii Sumina Pon no ano, kɔhwɛɛ afasu ne apon a ahyew no.
And I went out through the gate of the valley by night, even toward the direction of the dragon-well, and to the dung-gate; and I was viewing the walls of Jerusalem, which were broken down, and the gates whereof were consumed by fire.
14 Afei, mefaa Asuti Pon no ho kosii Ɔhene Abura no ho, nanso na ɔkwan turodoo nni hɔ ma mʼafurum no.
Then passed I on to the gate of the fountain, and to the king's pool; but there was no space for the beast that was under me to pass through.
15 Enti mefaa Kidron Bon no ho mmom, kɔhwɛɛ ɔfasu no ansa na meresan abɛfa Obon Pon no mu bio.
Then went I up through the valley in the night, and I was viewing the wall, and I returned and entered through the gate of the valley, and so returned home.
16 Na kuropɔn no mu mpanyimfo nnim sɛ makɔ hɔ, na wonnim nea mereyɛ nso, efisɛ na menkaa asɛm biara a ɛfa mʼadwene a mayɛ ho nkyerɛɛ obiara ɛ. Na me ne asɔre mpanyimfo, amanyɛ ntuanofo, adwumayɛfo anaa mmapɔmma no mu biara nkasaa ɛ.
And the rulers knew not whither I was gone, or what I was doing: nor had I as yet told it to the Jews, and to the priests, and to the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the superintendents of the work.
17 Na afei, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Munim amanne a ato yɛn kuropɔn yi yiye. Abubu na nʼapon nso ahyew. Momma yɛnto Yerusalem fasu no bio mfa mpepa animguase a ato yɛn yi!”
Then said I unto them, Ye see the misery in which we are, how Jerusalem lieth in ruins, and its gates are burnt with fire: come, and let us build up the wall of Jerusalem, that we may no more be for a reproach.
18 Afei, mekaa sɛnea Onyankopɔn adom nsa aba me so no ne me nkɔmmɔ a me ne ɔhene dii no kyerɛɛ wɔn. Wobuaa prɛko pɛ se, “Ɛyɛ asɛm pa: Momma yɛnto ɔfasu no bio!” Enti wofii adwuma pa yi ase.
And I told them of the hand of my God, which was good upon me, as also the king's words which he had spoken unto me. And they said, We will rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for the good work.
19 Bere a Sanbalat, Tobia ne Arabni Gesem tee yɛn nhyehyɛe no, wodii yɛn ho fɛw, na wobuu animtiaa kae se, “Dɛn na moreyɛ yi, na moretew ɔhene anim atua sɛɛ?”
But when Sanballat the Choronite, and Tobiyah the servant, the 'Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye are doing? are ye rebelling against the king?
20 Na mibuae se, “Ɔsoro Nyankopɔn bɛboa yɛn ama yɛadi nkonim. Yɛn a yɛyɛ nʼasomfo befi ase ato ɔfasu yi bio. Nanso mo de munni kyɛfa biara wɔ Yerusalem.”
And I returned them an answer, and said unto them, The God of heaven will indeed give us prosperity, and we his servants will truly rise up and build; but ye have no portion, nor right, nor memorial, in Jerusalem.
