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 the prophets, Haggai the prophet and Zechariah the son of Iddo, prophesied to the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem. They prophesied to them 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 Yeshua the son of Jozadak rose up and began to build God’s house which is at 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?”
At the same time Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, came to them, with Shetharbozenai and their companions, and asked them, “Who gave you a decree to build this house and to finish this wall?”
4 Wɔsane ka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, wɔmfa nnipa a wɔreyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan no ho no nyinaa din mma wɔn.
They also asked for the names of the men who were making 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 Jewish elders, and they didn’t make them cease until the matter should come to Darius, and an answer should be returned by letter concerning it.
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 Tattenai, the governor beyond the River, and Shetharbozenai, and his companions the Apharsachites who were beyond the River, sent to Darius the king follows.
7 Yɛkyea wo, ɔhene Dario.
They sent a letter to him, in which was written: 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 into the province of Judah, to the house of the great God, which is being built with great stones and timber is laid in the walls. This work goes on with diligence and prospers in their hands.
9 Yɛbisaa ntuanofoɔ no sɛ, “Hwan na ɔmaa mo kwan sɛ monsiesie asɔredan yi?”
Then we asked those elders, and said to them thus, “Who gave you a decree to build this house, and to finish this wall?”
10 Na yɛbisaa wɔn adwumayɛfoɔ din sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi akyerɛ wo wɔn ntuanofoɔ.
We asked them their names also, to inform you that we might write the names of the men who were at their head.
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.
Thus they returned us answer, saying, “We are the servants of the God of heaven and earth and are building the house that was built these many years ago, which a great king of Israel built and finished.
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 our fathers had provoked the God of heaven to wrath, he gave them into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, the Kasdian, who destroyed this house and carried the people away into 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 king of Babylon, Cyrus the king made a decree to build 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.
The gold and silver vessels of God’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar took out of the temple that was in Jerusalem and brought into the temple of Babylon, those Cyrus the king also took out of the temple of Babylon, and they were delivered to one whose name was Sheshbazzar, whom he had made 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.
He said to him, ‘Take these vessels, go, put them in the temple that is in Jerusalem, and let God’s house 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 the same Sheshbazzar came and laid the foundations of God’s house which is in Jerusalem. Since that time even until now it has been being built, and yet it is not 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 seems good to the king, let a search be made in the king’s treasure house, which is there at Babylon, whether it is so that a decree was made by Cyrus the king to build this house of God at Jerusalem; and let the king send his pleasure to us concerning this matter.”
