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,
In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, he selected wine, and I took the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had never before 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,
But the king said to me, “Why is your face so sad? You do not appear to be ill. This must be sadness of heart.” Then I became very much 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.”
I said to the king, “May the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad? The city, the place of my fathers' tombs, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire.”
4 Ɔhene no bisae se, “Dɛn na wohwehwɛ?” Na mebɔɔ ɔsoro Nyankopɔn mpae,
Then the king said to me, “What do you want me to do?” So I prayed 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.”
I replied to the king, “If it seems good to the king, and if your servant has done well in your sight, you could send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers' tombs, that I may rebuild 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.
The king replied to me (and the queen was also sitting beside him), “How long shall you be away and when will you return?” The king was glad to send me when I gave him the dates.
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.
Then I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, may letters be given to me for the governors in the Province Beyond the River so that they may permit me to pass through their territories on my way to 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.
May there also be a letter for Asaph the keeper of the king's forest, so that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress next to the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house in which I will live.” So because the good hand of God was on me, the king granted me my requests.
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.
I came to the governors in the Province Beyond the River and gave them the king's letters. Now the king had sent with me officers 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 Horonite and Tobiah the Ammonite servant heard this, they were greatly displeased that someone had come who was seeking to help the people of Israel.
11 Miduu Yerusalem nnansa akyi no,
So I came to Jerusalem and was 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.
I arose in the night, I and a few men with me. I did not tell anyone what my God had put into my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me, other than the one I was riding.
13 Mefaa Obon Pon no ano, twaa Ɔwɔ Abura no ho kosii Sumina Pon no ano, kɔhwɛɛ afasu ne apon a ahyew no.
I went out by night by the Valley Gate, toward the Jackal's Well and to the Dung Gate, and inspected the walls of Jerusalem, which had been broken open, and the wooden gates were destroyed by fire.
14 Afei, mefaa Asuti Pon no ho kosii Ɔhene Abura no ho, nanso na ɔkwan turodoo nni hɔ ma mʼafurum no.
Then I went on to the Fountain Gate and to the King's Pool. The place was too narrow for the animal I was riding to pass through.
15 Enti mefaa Kidron Bon no ho mmom, kɔhwɛɛ ɔfasu no ansa na meresan abɛfa Obon Pon no mu bio.
So I went up that night by the valley and inspected the wall, and I turned back and entered by the Valley Gate, and so returned.
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.
The rulers did not know where I went or what I did, and I had not yet informed the Jews, nor the priests, nor the nobles, nor the rulers, nor the rest who did 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!”
I said to them, “You see the trouble we are in, how Jerusalem lies in ruins and its gates have been destroyed by fire. Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem, so we will no longer be in disgrace.”
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.
I told them that the good hand of my God was on me and also about the king's words that he had spoken to me. They said, “Let us 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 Horonite, and Tobiah the Ammonite servant, and Geshem the Arabian heard about it, they mocked and ridiculed us, and they said, “What are you doing? Are you 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.”
Then I answered them, “The God of heaven will give us success. We are his servants and we will arise and build. But you have no share, no right, and no historic claim in Jerusalem.”
