Ɛsra 7
1 Persiahene Artasasta ahennie mu mfeɛ bebree akyi no, na ɔbarima bi wɔ hɔ a ne din de Ɛsra. Na ɔyɛ Seraia babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima, na ɔno nso yɛ Hilkia babarima
And after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkijah,
2 na ɔno nso yɛ Salum babarima a ɔyɛ Sadok babarima a ɔyɛ Ahitub babarima
the son of Shallum, the son of Zadok, the son of Ahitub,
3 na ɔno nso yɛ Amaria babarima a ɔyɛ Asaria babarima na ɔno nso yɛ Meraiot babarima
the son of Amariah, the son of Azariah, the son of Meraioth,
4 a ɔyɛ Serahia babarima a ɔyɛ Usi babarima a ɔno nso yɛ Buki babarima
the son of Zerahiah, the son of Uzzi, the son of Bukki,
5 a ɔno yɛ Abisua babarima, a ɔyɛ Pinehas babarima, a ɔno nso yɛ Eleasa babarima, a ɔyɛ Aaron a ɔyɛ ɔsɔfopanin no babarima.
the son of Abishua, the son of Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the chief priest,
6 Na saa Ɛsra yi yɛ mmara no kyerɛkyerɛni a ɔnim Mose mmara no a Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn, de ama Israelfoɔ no yie. Ɔfiri Babilonia baa Yerusalem na biribiara a ɔbisaa ɔhene no, ɔde maa no, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade ahummɔborɔ nsa no wɔ ne so.
— this Ezra went up from Babylon; and he was a ready scribe in the law of Moses, which Jehovah the God of Israel had given. And the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of Jehovah his God upon him.
7 Israelhene no ne asɔfoɔ, Lewifoɔ, nnwomtofoɔ, aponoanohwɛfoɔ ne asɔredan mu asomfoɔ ne no kɔɔ Yerusalem, ɔhene Artasasta ahennie mfeɛ nson so.
(And there went up [some] of the children of Israel, and of the priests, and the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, and the Nethinim, to Jerusalem, in the seventh year of Artaxerxes the king.)
8 Saa afe no, Ab bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) mu na Ɛsra kɔɔ Yerusalem.
And he came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king.
9 Ɔfirii Babilonia Abib bosome (bɛyɛ Oforisuo) da a ɛtɔ so nwɔtwe, na ɔkɔɔ Yerusalem Ab bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔsannaa) da a ɛtɔ so ɛnan. Na Onyankopɔn ahummɔborɔ nsa wɔ ne so.
For upon the first of the first month the project of going up from Babylon was determined on, and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him.
10 Ɛfiri sɛ, na Ɛsra asi nʼadwene pi sɛ, ɔbɛsua, na wadi Awurade mmara so, na wakyerɛ Israelfoɔ saa mmara no.
For Ezra had directed his heart to seek the law of Jehovah and to do it, and to teach in Israel the statutes and the ordinances.
11 Na ɔhene Artasasta de krataa no sɛso ama ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra, a ɔyɛ mmara no kyerɛni a ɔsuaeɛ, na ɔkyerɛɛ Israelfoɔ Awurade mmara no. Ɔtwerɛɛ sɛ:
And this is the copy of the letter that king Artaxerxes gave to Ezra the priest, the scribe, a scribe of the words of the commandments of Jehovah, and of his statutes to Israel:
12 Me ahene mu ɔhene Artasasta, nkyea a merekyea ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra ne Awurade a ɔte sorosoro no mmarakyerɛni no nie:
Artaxerxes, king of kings, to Ezra the priest, an accomplished scribe of the law of the God of the heavens, and so forth.
13 Mahyɛ mmara sɛ, Israelni biara a ɔte mʼahemman mu a asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ ka ho no nyinaa mfiri wɔn pɛ mu ne wo nkɔ Yerusalem.
I have given orders that all they of the people of Israel, and of their priests and the Levites, in my realm, who are disposed to go to Jerusalem, go with thee.
14 Me ne mʼagyinatufoɔ baason no ahyɛ wo sɛ, gyina wo Onyankopɔn mmara a ɛhyɛ wo nsam no so yɛ nhwehwɛmu fa Yuda ne Yerusalem tebea ho.
Because thou art sent by the king, and by his seven counsellors, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thy hand;
15 Yɛbɔ wʼaba so nso sɛ, fa dwetɛ ne sikakɔkɔɔ bi a yɛde rema wo sɛ afɔrebɔdeɛ a yɛrebɔ ama Israel Onyankopɔn a ɔte Yerusalem no kɔ.
and to carry the silver and gold which the king and his counsellors have freely offered to the God of Israel, whose habitation is at Jerusalem,
16 Ɛno akyi, gye dwetɛ anaa sikakɔkɔɔ biara a wobɛnya afiri Babilonia ne deɛ wɔde bɛkyɛ wo biara afiri ɔmanfoɔ ne asɔfoɔ nkyɛn a wɔde ama sɛ, wɔmfa nkɔ wɔn Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no ho.
and all the silver and gold that thou canst find in all the province of Babylon, besides the voluntary offering of the people, and of the priests, who offer willingly for the house of their God which is at Jerusalem.
17 Saa akyɛdeɛ yi, deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ wɔde tɔ ara yɛ anantwinini, nnwennini, nnwammaa ne atokoɔ afɔrebɔdeɛ a ɛfata ne nsã afɔrebɔdeɛ a wɔde ne nyinaa bɛbɔ afɔdeɛ wɔ Onyankopɔn asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no afɔrebukyia so.
Therefore thou shalt buy diligently with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their oblations and their drink-offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is at Jerusalem.
18 Sika biara a ɛbɛka no, wo ne wʼafɛfoɔ mfa nni dwuma biara a mogye di sɛ ɛyɛ mo Onyankopɔn pɛ.
And whatever shall seem good to thee and to thy brethren to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do according to the will of your God.
19 Na nkuku ne nkaka a yɛde rehyɛ wo nsa de adi mo Onyankopɔn asɔredan no ho dwuma no, fa ne nyinaa ma Onyankopɔn a ɔwɔ Yerusalem no.
And the vessels that have been given thee for the service of the house of thy God, deliver before the God of Jerusalem.
20 Sɛ mo sika sa wɔ biribi a ɛho hia mo Onyankopɔn asɔredan ho anaa biribi a ɛte saa ho a, mommisa sika mfiri adehyeɛ fotoɔ mu.
And whatever more shall be needful for the house of thy God which thou shalt have occasion to bestow, bestow it out of the king's treasure house.
21 Me ɔhene Artasasta, hyɛ mmara de kɔ agyapadeɛ akoraeɛ a ɛwɔ asuo Eufrate apueeɛ fam sɛ: Biribiara a Ɛsra bisa no, momfa mma no, ɛfiri sɛ, ɔyɛ ɔsɔfoɔ ne ɔsorosoro Onyankopɔn no mmara kyerɛkyerɛni.
And I, I Artaxerxes the king, do give orders to all the treasurers that are beyond the river, that whatever Ezra the priest and scribe of the law of the God of the heavens shall require of you, it be done diligently,
22 Ɛsɛ sɛ moma no kɔsi dwetɛ nkariboɔ kilogram mpem mmiɛnsa ne ahanan, atokoɔ susukora ahanum, nsã gyare ahanum aduonum, ngo gyare ahanum aduonum ne nkyene a wɔbu ano a ɛnyɛ yie.
unto a hundred talents of silver, and to a hundred measures of wheat, and to a hundred baths of wine, and to a hundred baths of oil, and salt without prescribing [how much].
23 Monhwɛ yie, na biribiara a Onyankopɔn a ɔte ɔsorosoro abisa ama nʼasɔredan no, momfa mmra. Adɛn enti na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛma Onyankopɔn abufuo ba ɔhene ne ne mmammarima so?
Whatever is commanded by the God of the heavens, let it be carefully done for the house of the God of the heavens; for why should there be wrath against the realm of the king and his sons?
24 Mesane hyɛ sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ ɔsɔfoɔ, Lewini, dwomtofoɔ, ɛpono ano sohwɛfoɔ, asɔredan mu ɔsomfoɔ anaa obiara a ɔyɛ adwuma wɔ asɔredan mu tua toɔ biara.
Also we inform you, as regards all the priests and Levites, singers, doorkeepers, Nethinim, and ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose tribute, tax, and toll upon them.
25 Na wo Ɛsra, ɛsɛ sɛ wode nyansa a Onyankopɔn de ama wo no yi asɛnnifoɔ ne atemmufoɔ a wɔnim mo Onyankopɔn mmara no, na wɔdi nnipa a wɔwɔ asuo Eufrate atɔeɛ fam no nyinaa so. Sɛ nnipa nnim saa mmara no a, ɛsɛ sɛ wokyerɛkyerɛ wɔn.
And thou, Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God, which is in thy hand, set magistrates and judges who may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye him that knows [them] not.
26 Obiara a ɔbɛbu mo Onyankopɔn, ne ɔhene mmara so no, wɔbɛkum no, wɔbɛtwa no asuo, wɔbɛfa nʼagyapadeɛ anaa wɔde no bɛto afiase sɛ asotwe.
And whosoever will not do the law of thy God and the law of the king, let judgment be executed diligently upon him, whether unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.
27 Ayɛyie nka Awurade, yɛn agyanom Onyankopɔn a ɔmaa ɔhene adwene sɛ ɔnsiesie Awurade asɔredan a ɛwɔ Yerusalem no.
Blessed be Jehovah the God of our fathers, who has put [such a thing] as this in the king's heart, to beautify the house of Jehovah which is at Jerusalem;
28 Na ayɛyie nka no sɛ, ɔdaa ne dɔ kann adi kyerɛɛ me, hyɛɛ me animuonyam wɔ ɔhene, nʼagyinatufoɔ ne nʼahenemma atumfoɔ no anim. Ɛhyɛɛ me nkuran, ɛfiri sɛ, na Awurade, me Onyankopɔn nsa wɔ me so. Na meboaboaa Israel ntuanofoɔ no bi ano sɛ, wɔnka me ho na yɛnkɔ Yerusalem.
and has extended mercy to me before the king and his counsellors, and before all the king's mighty princes. And I was strengthened, as the hand of Jehovah my God was upon me; and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
