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 Aggeus the prophet, and Zacharias the son of Addo, prophesied to the Jews that were in Judea and Jerusalem, 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 rose up Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue the son of Josedec, and began to build the temple of God in Jerusalem, and with them were the prophets of God 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?”
And at the same time came to them Thathanai, who was governor beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and their counsellors: and said thus to them: Who hath given you counsel to build this house, and to repair the walls thereof?
4 Wɔsane ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.
In answer to which we gave them the names of the men who were the promoters 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 upon the ancients of the Jews, and they could not hinder them. And it was agreed that the matter should be referred to Darius, and then they should give satisfaction concerning 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:
The copy of the letter that Thathanai governor of the country beyond the river, and Stharbuzanai, and his counsellors the Arphasachites, who dwelt beyond the river, sent to Darius the king.
7 Yɛkyea wo, ɔhene Dario.
The letter which they sent him, was written thus: To Darius the king 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.
Be it known to the king, that we went to the province of Judea, to the house of the great God, which they are building with unpolished stones, and timber is laid in the walls: and this work is carried on diligently, and advanceth in their hands.
9 Yɛbisaa ntuanofoɔ no sɛ, “Hwan na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ monsiesie asɔredan yi?”
And we asked those ancients, and said to them thus: Who hath given you authority to build this house, and to repair these walls?
10 Na yɛbisaa wɔn adwumayɛfoɔ din sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofoɔ.
We asked also of them their names, that we might give thee notice: and we have written the names of the men that are the chief 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.
And they answered us in these words, saying: We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth, and we are building a temple that was built these many years ago, and which a great king of Israel built and set up.
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 after that our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he delivered them into the hands of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon the Chaldean: and he destroyed this house, 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.
But in the first year of Cyrus the king of Babylon, king Cyrus set forth a decree, that this house of God should 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 the vessels also of gold and silver of the temple of God, which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the temple, that was in Jerusalem, and had brought them to the temple of Babylon, king Cyrus brought out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one Sassabasar, whom also 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 said to him: Take these vessels, and go, and put 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.”
Then came this same Sassabasar, and laid the foundations of the temple of God in Jerusalem, and from that time until now it is in building, and is not yet finished.
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 seem good to the king, let him search in the king’s library, which is in Babylon, whether it hath been decreed by Cyrus the king, that the house of God in Jerusalem should be built, and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.
