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
NOW after these things, in the reign of Artaxerxes king of Persia, Ezra the son of Seraiah, the son of Azariah, the son of Hilkiah,
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 the Lord God of Israel had given: and the king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the Lord 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 porters, and the Nethinims, unto 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 day of the first month began he to go up from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month came he 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 prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach in Israel statutes and judgments.
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:
Now this is the copy of the letter that the king Artaxerxes gave unto Ezra the priest, the scribe, even a scribe of the words of the commandments of the Lord, 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, unto Ezra the priest, a scribe of the law of the God of heaven, perfect peace, and at such a time.
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 make a decree, that all they of the people of Israel, and of his priests and Levites, in my realm, which are minded of their own freewill to go up 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.
Forasmuch as thou art sent of the king, and of his seven counsellers, to inquire concerning Judah and Jerusalem, according to the law of thy God which is in thine 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 counsellers have freely offered unto the God of Israel, whose habitation is in 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, with the freewill offering of the people, and of the priests, offering willingly for the house of their God which is in 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.
That thou mayest buy speedily with this money bullocks, rams, lambs, with their meat offerings and their drink offerings, and offer them upon the altar of the house of your God which is in Jerusalem.
18 Sika biara a ɛbɛka no, wo ne wʼafɛfoɔ mfa nni dwuma biara a mogye di sɛ ɛyɛ mo Onyankopɔn pɛ.
And whatsoever shall seem good to thee, and to thy brethren, to do with the rest of the silver and the gold, that do after 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.
The vessels also that are given thee for the service of the house of thy God, those deliver thou 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 whatsoever 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, even I Artaxerxes the king, do make a decree to all the treasurers which are beyond the river, that whatsoever Ezra the priest, the scribe of the law of the God of heaven, shall require of you, it be done speedily,
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 an hundred talents of silver, and to an hundred measures of wheat, and to an hundred baths of wine, and to an 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?
Whatsoever is commanded by the God of heaven, let it be diligently done for the house of the God of heaven: 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 certify you, that touching any of the priests and Levites, singers, porters, Nethinims, or ministers of this house of God, it shall not be lawful to impose toll, tribute, or custom, 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, that is in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know 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 speedily upon him, whether it be 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 the Lord God of our fathers, which hath put such a thing as this in the king’s heart, to beautify the house of the Lord which is in 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 hath extended mercy unto me before the king, and his counsellers, and before all the king’s mighty princes. And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me, and I gathered together out of Israel chief men to go up with me.
