Ɛsra 5

1 Saa ɛberɛ no, adiyifoɔ Hagai ne Ido babarima Sakaria de Israel Onyankopɔn din hyɛɛ nkɔm kyerɛɛ Yudafoɔ a wɔwɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem no.

Later, the prophets Haggai and Zechariah son of Iddo prophesied to the Jews in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel, who was over them.

2 Na Sealtiel babarima Serubabel ne Yosadak babarima Yesua tieeɛ, hyɛɛ aseɛ sii Onyankopɔn asɔredan no wɔ Yerusalem. Na Onyankopɔn adiyifoɔ no ka wɔn ho a wɔboaa wɔn.

Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua son of Jozadak rose up and began to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, helping them.

3 Na ankyɛre na Tatenai a ɔyɛ amrado wɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no ne Setar-Bosnai ne wɔn mfɛfoɔ kɔɔ Yerusalem kɔbisaa sɛ, “Hwan na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ monsiesie asɔredan yi?”

At that time Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates went to the Jews and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

4 Wɔsane ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.

They also asked, “What are the names of the men who are constructing this building?”

5 Nanso, ɛsiane sɛ na wɔn Onyankopɔn hwɛ wɔn so enti, wɔansi Yudafoɔ ntuanofoɔ no dansie no ho kwan, kɔsii sɛ wɔde ɛho asɛm kɔdanee Dario, ma ɔsesaa nʼadwene.

But the eye of their God was on the elders of the Jews, so that they were not stopped until a report was sent to Darius and written instructions about this matter were returned.

6 Yei ne krataa a amrado Tatenai, Setar-Bosnai ne mpanimfoɔ a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no bi twerɛ kɔmaa ɔhene Dario:

This is the text of the letter that Tattenai the governor of the region west of the Euphrates, Shethar-bozenai, and their associates, the officials in the region, sent to King Darius.

7 Yɛkyea wo, ɔhene Dario.

The report they sent him read as follows: To King Darius: All peace.

8 Yɛpɛ sɛ yɛma wote sɛ, yɛkɔɔ beaeɛ a wɔresiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no wɔ Yudaman mu. Aboɔ a wɔasiesie sononko ne nnua na wɔde resi afasuo no. Adwuma no rekɔ so ahoɔden so.

Let it be known to the king that we went into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God. The people are rebuilding it with large stones, and placing timbers in the walls. This work is being carried out diligently and is prospering in their hands.

9 Yɛbisaa ntuanofoɔ no sɛ, “Hwan na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ monsiesie asɔredan yi?”

So we questioned the elders and asked, “Who authorized you to rebuild this temple and restore this structure?”

10 Na yɛbisaa wɔn adwumayɛfoɔ din sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofoɔ.

We also asked for their names, so that we could write down the names of their leaders for your information.

11 Wɔn mmuaeɛ nie: “Yɛyɛ ɔsorosoro ne asase Onyankopɔn no asomfoɔ, na yɛresane asi asɔredan a ɔhene kɛseɛ bi a na ɔwɔ Israel sii mfeɛ bebree a atwam nie no.

And this is the answer they returned: “We are servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are rebuilding the temple that was built many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and completed.

12 Na ɛsiane sɛ yɛn agyanom hyɛɛ ɔsorosoro Onyankopɔn abufuo enti, ɔgyaee wɔn maa Babiloniahene Nebukadnessar, ma ɔsɛee saa asɔredan yi, na ɔtwaa nkurɔfoɔ no asuo kɔɔ Babilonia.

But since our fathers angered the God of heaven, He delivered them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Chaldean who destroyed this temple and carried away the people to Babylon.

13 “Nanso, Babiloniahene Kores adedie mu afe a ɛdi ɛkan no, ɔhyɛɛ mmara sɛ, ɛsɛ sɛ wɔsiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no.

In his first year, however, Cyrus king of Babylon issued a decree to rebuild this house of God.

14 Ɔhene Kores de sikakɔkɔɔ ne dwetɛ, nkuku ne nkaka a Nebukadnessar tase firii Onyankopɔn asɔredan mu wɔ Yerusalem de kɔguu Babilonia asɔredan mu no sane baeɛ. Wɔtasee saa nneɛma no firii saa asɔredan no mu, de kɔmaa ɔbarima bi a ne din de Sesbasar a ɔhene Kores hyɛɛ no amrado wɔ Yuda no sɛ ɔnhwɛ so.

He also removed from the temple of Babylon the gold and silver articles belonging to the house of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken and carried there from the temple in Jerusalem. King Cyrus gave these articles to a man named Sheshbazzar, whom he appointed governor

15 Ɔhene no hyɛɛ no sɛ, ɔnsane mfa nkuku ne nkaka no nsane nkɔgu wɔn guberɛ wɔ Yerusalem, na ɔnsane nsiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan no ma ɛnyɛ sɛdeɛ na ɛteɛ kane no.

and instructed, ‘Take these articles, put them in the temple in Jerusalem, and let the house of God be rebuilt on its original site.’

16 “Enti, Sesbasar yi bɛtoo Onyankopɔn asɔredan yi fapem wɔ Yerusalem. Ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no, nnipa no gu so reyɛ ho adwuma nanso wɔnwieeɛ.”

So this Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundation of the house of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it has been under construction, but it has not yet been completed.”

17 Enti, seesei, sɛ ɛbɛyɛ ɔhene anisɔ a, monkɔnpɛnsɛmpɛnsɛm Babilonia ahemfie nneɛma dada akoraeɛ nhwɛ sɛ, ɔhene Kores hyɛɛ mmara sɛ wɔnsiesie Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no anaa. Na momma ɔhene no nkyerɛ nʼadwene wɔ saa asɛm yi ho.

Now, therefore, if it pleases the king, let a search be made of the royal archives in Babylon to see if King Cyrus did indeed issue a decree to rebuild the house of God in Jerusalem. Then let the king send us his decision in this matter.