Ɛsra 4
1 Yuda ne Benyamin atamfoɔ no tee sɛ wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn asuo no resiesie Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, asɔredan no.
When the enemies of Judah and Benjamin heard that the exiles were building a temple for the LORD, the God of Israel,
2 Enti, wɔkɔɔ Serubabel ne ntuanofoɔ no a aka no nkyɛn, na wɔkaa sɛ, “Momma yɛne mo nsi, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛsom mo Onyankopɔn sɛdeɛ mosom no no. Ɛfiri ɛberɛ a Asiriahene Esarhadon de yɛn baa ha yi, yɛabɔ afɔdeɛ ama no.”
they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of the families, saying, “Let us build with you because, like you, we seek your God and have been sacrificing to Him since the time of King Esar-haddon of Assyria, who brought us here.”
3 Na Serubabel, Yesua ne Israel ntuanofoɔ bi buaa sɛ, “Monni kyɛfa wɔ saa dwuma yi die mu, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛne mo nni hwee yɛ. Yɛn nko ara na yɛbɛsi Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn asɔredan no sɛdeɛ Persiahene Kores ahyɛ yɛn no.”
But Zerubbabel, Jeshua, and the other heads of the families of Israel replied, “You have no part with us in building a house for our God, since we alone must build it for the LORD, the God of Israel, as Cyrus king of Persia has commanded us.”
4 Na ɔmanfoɔ no pɛɛ sɛ wɔbu Yudafoɔ no aba mu na wɔhunahunaa wɔn adwuma no yɛ ho.
Then the people of the land set out to discourage the people of Judah and make them afraid to build.
5 Wɔhyɛɛ ananmusifoɔ bi afonom sɛ wɔntia wɔn na wɔnsɛe wɔn botaeɛ. Yei kɔɔ so wɔ Persiahene Kores ahennie nyinaa mu, kɔsii ɛberɛ a Persiahene Dario bɛdii ahennwa no.
They hired counselors against them to frustrate their plans throughout the reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius king of Persia.
6 Ɛberɛ a Ahasweros dii adeɛ mfeɛ kakra bi akyi no, Yudafoɔ atamfoɔ twerɛɛ no krataa, bɔɔ kwaadu tiaa Yuda ne Yerusalem.
At the beginning of the reign of Xerxes, an accusation was lodged against the people of Judah and Jerusalem.
7 Na ɛno akyi no mpo, Persiahene Artasasta berɛ so no, Yuda atamfoɔ a Bislam, Mitredat ne Tabeel di animu, twerɛɛ krataa wɔ Arameike kasa mu kɔmaa Artasasta, na wɔkyerɛɛ aseɛ kyerɛɛ ɔhene no.
And in the days of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his associates wrote a letter to Artaxerxes. It was written in Aramaic and then translated.
8 Amrado Rehum ne Simsai a ɔyɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ twerɛɛ krataa kɔkyerɛɛ ɔhene Artasasta sɛdeɛ ɔman Yerusalem mu teɛ.
Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote the letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes as follows:
9 Wɔkyeaa ɔhene no, ma ɛkɔtoo wɔn adɔmfoɔ, atemmufoɔ ne ɔman no mu ntuanofoɔ, Tarpela ɔmanfoɔ, Persiafoɔ, Babiloniafoɔ ne Elamfoɔ.
From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their associates—the judges and officials over Tripolis, Persia, Erech and Babylon, the Elamites of Susa,
10 Wɔsane kyeaa nnipa a aka no a ɔkɛseɛ ne otitire Asurbanipa atwa wɔn asuo, de wɔn akɔgu Samaria ne nsase a atwa hɔ ahyia wɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no so no.
and the rest of the peoples whom the great and honorable Ashurbanipal deported and settled in the cities of Samaria and elsewhere west of the Euphrates.
11 Yei yɛ krataa no nsɛso a wɔde kɔmaa no: Ɛfiri wʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no nkyɛn de kɔma Artasasta:
(This is the text of the letter they sent to him.) To King Artaxerxes, From your servants, the men west of the Euphrates:
12 Yɛsrɛ wo, yɛrebɔ wo amaneɛ sɛ, Yudafoɔ a wɔfiri Babilonia baa Yerusalem ha no resiesie adɔnyɛfoɔ ne abɔnefoɔ kuro no. Wɔato afasuo no fapem dada, na ɛrenkyɛre na wɔawie.
Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came from you to us have returned to Jerusalem. And they are rebuilding that rebellious and wicked city, restoring its walls, and repairing its foundations.
13 Na yɛpɛ sɛ wote sɛ, sɛ wɔsiesie kuro yi ne nʼafasuo no wie a, ɛremmoa wo koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, Yudafoɔ no rentua wɔn toɔ ne adwadeɛ biara mma wo.
Let it now be known to the king that if that city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, they will not pay tribute, duty, or toll, and the royal treasury will suffer.
14 Esiane sɛ yɛyɛ wʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ enti, yɛmpɛ sɛ wʼanim bɛgu ase wɔ saa kwan yi so, enti na yɛrebɔ wo saa amaneɛ yi.
Now because we are in the service of the palace and it is not fitting for us to allow the king to be dishonored, we have sent to inform the king
15 Yɛpɛ sɛ wohwehwɛ wʼagyanom nkrataa mu, hunu sɛdeɛ saa kuro yi yɛɛ adɔnyɛ kuro tete no. Nokorɛ nie, wɔsɛee no, ɛsiane abakɔsɛm tenten a ɛda hɔ sɛ wɔsɔre tiaa ahemfo ne aman a wɔpɛɛ sɛ wɔdi wɔn so no enti.
that a search should be made of the record books of your fathers. In these books you will discover and verify that the city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, inciting sedition from ancient times. That is why this city was destroyed.
16 Yɛpae mu ka sɛ, sɛ wɔsiesie kuro yi na wɔwie nʼafasuo no a, wobɛhwere asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam asase no.
We advise the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are restored, you will have no dominion west of the Euphrates.
17 Artasasta mmuaeɛ nie: Mede krataa yi kɔma amrado Rehum, asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfoɔ a wɔte Samaria ne wɔn a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa.
Then the king sent this reply: To Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of your associates living in Samaria and elsewhere in the region west of the Euphrates: Greetings.
18 Mekyea mo nyinaa. Krataa a motwerɛeɛ no, wɔakyerɛ aseɛ, akenkan akyerɛ me.
The letter you sent us has been translated and read in my presence.
19 Mahyɛ sɛ, wɔnkɔyɛ nkrataa mu mpɛnsɛmpɛnsɛmu, na mahunu sɛ, ampa ara, mmerɛ bi a atwam no, na Yerusalem yɛ adɔnyɛman a ɛtiaa ahemfo bebree. Nokorɛm, sɛ wɔsɔre tia tumi, na ɔmantuguo yɛ adeɛ a wɔyɛ daa wɔ hɔ.
I issued a decree, and a search was conducted. It was discovered that this city has revolted against kings from ancient times, engaging in rebellion and sedition.
20 Ahemfo atumfoɔ a adi adeɛ Yerusalem ne asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa agye toɔ ne adwadeɛ bebree.
And mighty kings have ruled over Jerusalem and exercised authority over the whole region west of the Euphrates; and tribute, duty, and toll were paid to them.
21 Ɛno enti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie kuro no, gye sɛ mema ho kwan.
Now, therefore, issue an order for these men to stop, so that this city will not be rebuilt until I so order.
22 Monntwentwɛn so koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛma asɛm no gye nsam.
See that you do not neglect this matter. Why allow this threat to increase and the royal interests to suffer?
23 Ɛberɛ a wɔkenkan saa krataa a ɛfiri ɔhene Artasasta nkyɛn kyerɛɛ Rehum, Simsai ne wɔn mfɛfoɔ no, wɔyɛɛ ntɛm kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔhyɛɛ Yudafoɔ, ma wɔgyaee dansie no.
When the text of the letter from King Artaxerxes was read to Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their associates, they went immediately to the Jews in Jerusalem and forcibly stopped them.
24 Wɔgyaee Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho adwumayɛ, wɔ deɛ aduru hɔ ara, kɔsii Persiahene Dario ahennie mfeɛ a ɛtɔ so mmienu so.
Thus the construction of the house of God in Jerusalem ceased, and it remained at a standstill until the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.
