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.

Now Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah, the son of Iddo, prophesying to the Jews who were in Judea and Jerusalem, prophesied in the name of the God of Israel.

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, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, rose up and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem. And the prophets of God were with them, assisting 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?”

Then, at the same time, Tattenai, who was the governor beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and their counselors came to them. And they spoke in this way to them: “Who has given you counsel, so that you would build this house and repair its walls?”

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

We responded to this by giving them the names of the men who were the founders of that 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 set over the elders of the Jews, and so they were unable to hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they would give a reply against that accusation.

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

A copy of the letter that Tattenai, the governor of the region beyond the river, and Shetharbozenai, and his counselors, the rulers who were beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.

7 Yɛkyea wo, ɔhene Dario.

The word that they sent him was written in this way: “To Darius, the king of 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 to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with rough stones, and with timber set into the walls. And this work is being built up diligently, and it increases by their hands.

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

Therefore, we questioned those elders, and we spoke to them in this way: ‘Who has given authority to you, so that you would build this house and repair these walls?’

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

But we also required of them their names, so that we might report to you. And we have written down the names of their men, those who are leaders among them.

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.

Then they responded a word to us in this manner, saying: ‘We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth. And we are building the temple that was constructed these many years before, and which a great king of Israel had built and constructed.

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 afterward, our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, so he delivered them into the hands of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, the Chaldean. And he destroyed this house, and he transferred its people to Babylon.

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

Then, in the first year of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, king Cyrus issued a decree, so that this house of God would be built.

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.

And now the vessels of gold and silver from the temple of God, which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple that was in Jerusalem, and which he had carried away to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were given to one called Sheshbazzar, whom he also appointed as 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 he said to him: “Take these vessels, and go, and set them in the temple that is in Jerusalem. And let the house of God be built in its place.”

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

And so this same Sheshbazzar then came and set the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem. And from that time, even until now, it is being built, and it is not yet 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 then, if it seems good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, to see whether it was ordered by king Cyrus, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built. And may the will of the king be sent to us about this matter.”