Ɛsra 4
1 Yuda ne Benyamin atamfoɔ no tee sɛ wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn asuo no resiesie Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, asɔredan no.
Now the enemies of Juda and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to 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.”
And they came to Zorobabel, and the chief of the fathers, and said to them: Let us build with you, for we seek your God as ye do: behold we have sacrificed to him, since the days of Asor Haddan king of Assyria, who brought us hither.
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 Zorobabel, and Josue, and the rest of the chief of the fathers of Israel said to them: You have nothing to do with us to build a house to our God, but we ourselves alone will build to the Lord our God, as Cyrus king of the Persians hath 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 hindered the hands of the people of Juda, and troubled them in building.
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.
And they hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their design all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
6 Ɛberɛ a Ahasweros dii adeɛ mfeɛ kakra bi akyi no, Yudafoɔ atamfoɔ twerɛɛ no krataa, bɔɔ kwaadu tiaa Yuda ne Yerusalem.
And in the reign of Assuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Juda 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, Beselam, Mithridates, and Thabeel, and the rest that were in the council wrote to Artaxerxes king of the Persians: and the letter of accusation was written in Syriac, and was read in the Syrian tongue.
8 Amrado Rehum ne Simsai a ɔyɛ asɛnniiɛ twerɛfoɔ twerɛɛ krataa kɔkyerɛɛ ɔhene Artasasta sɛdeɛ ɔman Yerusalem mu teɛ.
Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe wrote a letter from Jerusalem to king Artaxerxes, in this manner:
9 Wɔkyeaa ɔhene no, ma ɛkɔtoo wɔn adɔmfoɔ, atemmufoɔ ne ɔman no mu ntuanofoɔ, Tarpela ɔmanfoɔ, Persiafoɔ, Babiloniafoɔ ne Elamfoɔ.
Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe and the rest of their counsellors, the Dinites, and the Apharsathacites, the Therphalites, the Apharsites, the Erchuites, the Babylonians, the Susanechites, the Dievites, and the Elamites,
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 nations, whom the great and glorious Asenaphar brought over: and made to dwell in the cities of Samaria and in the rest of the countries of this side of the river in peace.
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 copy of the letter, which they sent to him: ) To Artaxerxes the king, thy servants, the men that are on this side of the river, send greeting.
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.
Be it known to the king, that the Jews, who came up from thee to us, are come to Jerusalem a rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, setting up the ramparts thereof and repairing the walls.
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.
And now be it known to the king, that if this city be built up, and the walls thereof repaired, they will not pay tribute nor toll, nor yearly revenues, and this loss will fail upon the kings.
14 Esiane sɛ yɛyɛ wʼasomfoɔ nokwafoɔ enti, yɛmpɛ sɛ wʼanim bɛgu ase wɔ saa kwan yi so, enti na yɛrebɔ wo saa amaneɛ yi.
But we remembering the salt that we have eaten in the palace, and because we count it a crime to see the king wronged, have therefore sent and certified 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 search may be made in the books of the histories of thy fathers, and thou shalt find written in the records: and shalt know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to the kings and provinces, and that wars were raised therein of old time: for which cause also the 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 certify the king, that if this city be built, and the walls thereof repaired, thou shalt have no possession on this side of the river.
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.
The king sent word to Reum Beelteem and Samsai the scribe, and to the rest that were in their council, inhabitants of Samaria, and to the rest beyond the river, sending greeting and peace.
18 Mekyea mo nyinaa. Krataa a motwerɛeɛ no, wɔakyerɛ aseɛ, akenkan akyerɛ me.
The accusation, which you have sent to us, hath been plainly read before me,
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.
And I commanded: and search hath been made, and it is found, that this city of old time hath rebelled against kings, and seditions and wars have been raised therein.
20 Ahemfo atumfoɔ a adi adeɛ Yerusalem ne asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa agye toɔ ne adwadeɛ bebree.
For there have been powerful kings in Jerusalem, who hare had dominion over all the country that is beyond the river: and have received tribute, and toll and revenues.
21 Ɛno enti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie kuro no, gye sɛ mema ho kwan.
Now therefore hear the sentence: Hinder those men, that this city be not built, till further orders be given by me.
22 Monntwentwɛn so koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛma asɛm no gye nsam.
See that you be not negligent in executing this, lest by little and little the evil grow to the hurt of the kings.
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.
Now the copy of the edict of king Artaxerxes was read before Reum Beelteem, and Samsai the scribe, and their counsellors: and they went up in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and hindered them with arm and power.
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.
Then the work of the house of the Lord in Jerusalem was interrupted, and ceased till the second year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.
