Ɛsra 4

1 Yuda ne Benyamin atamfoɔ no tee sɛ wɔn a wɔatwa wɔn asuo no resiesie Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, asɔredan no.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple unto 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.”

then they drew near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers' houses, and said unto them: 'Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as ye do; and we do sacrifice unto Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us up 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 Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers' houses of Israel, said unto them: 'Ye have nothing to do with us to build a house unto our God; but we ourselves together will build unto the LORD, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia 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 weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and harried them while they were 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 hired counsellors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until 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.

And in the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, wrote they an accusation against the inhabitants 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 wrote Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, unto Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in the Aramaic character, and set forth in the Aramaic tongue.

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 a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king in this sort —

9 Wɔkyeaa ɔhene no, ma ɛkɔtoo wɔn adɔmfoɔ, atemmufoɔ ne ɔman no mu ntuanofoɔ, Tarpela ɔmanfoɔ, Persiafoɔ, Babiloniafoɔ ne Elamfoɔ.

then wrote Rehum the commander, and Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions; the Dinites, and the Apharesattechites, the Tarpelites, the Apharesites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehites, 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 noble Asenappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and the rest that are in the country beyond the River: — 'And now —

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 that they sent unto him, even unto Artaxerxes the king — thy servants the men beyond the River — and now

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 unto the king, that the Jews that came up from thee are come to us unto Jerusalem; they are building the rebellious and the bad city, and have finished the walls, and are digging out the 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.

Be it known now unto the king, that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, impost, or toll, and so thou wilt endamage the revenue of 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.

Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not meet for us to see the king's dishonour, therefore have we sent and announced to 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 book of the records of thy fathers; so shalt thou find in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful unto kings and provinces, and that they have moved sedition within the same of old time; for which cause was this city laid waste.

16 Yɛpae mu ka sɛ, sɛ wɔsiesie kuro yi na wɔwie nʼafasuo no a, wobɛhwere asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam asase no.

We announce to the king that, if this city be builded, and the walls finished, by this means thou shalt have no portion beyond 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.

Then sent the king an answer unto Rehum the commander, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions that dwell in Samaria, and unto the rest beyond the River: 'Peace, and now

18 Mekyea mo nyinaa. Krataa a motwerɛeɛ no, wɔakyerɛ aseɛ, akenkan akyerɛ me.

the letter which ye sent unto 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 decreed, and search hath been made, and it is found that this city of old time hath made insurrection against kings, and that rebellion and sedition have been made therein.

20 Ahemfo atumfoɔ a adi adeɛ Yerusalem ne asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam nyinaa agye toɔ ne adwadeɛ bebree.

There have been mighty kings also over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, impost, and toll, was paid unto them.

21 Ɛno enti, hyɛ na saa nnipa yi nnyae wɔn adwuma. Ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie kuro no, gye sɛ mema ho kwan.

Make ye now a decree to cause these men to cease, and that this city be not builded, until a decree shall be made by me.

22 Monntwentwɛn so koraa, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛma asɛm no gye nsam.

And take heed that ye be not slack herein; why should damage 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.

Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes' letter was read before Rehum, and Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem unto the Jews, and made them to cease by force 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 ceased the work of the house of God which is at Jerusalem; and it ceased unto the second year of the reign of Darius king of Persia.