Ezra 5

5 ¹Then di prophets Haggai and Zechariah, Iddo im pikin, prophesy give di Jews wey dey Judah and Jerusalem, for di name of our Papa, di God of Israel, wey dey watch over dem. ²Then Zerubbabel, Shealtiel im pikin, and Jeshua, Jozadak im pikin, stand up and start to build our Papa house again for Jerusalem, and di prophets of our Papa dey with dem, dey support dem.

³Then Tattenai, wey be governor of Beyond-di-River, Shethar-bozenai, and dem people come ask, “Na who give una power to build dis house and finish dis structure?” ⁴Dem still ask, “Wetin be di names of di men wey dey build dis building?” ⁵But dem Papa eye dey watch over di Jewish elders, so nobody stop dem until di matter reach Darius and dem write answer come back.

Letter Wey Dem Send Give King Darius

⁶Dis na di copy of di letter wey Tattenai, wey be governor of Beyond di River, and Shethar-bozenai with im fellow officials of Beyond di River, send give King Darius. ⁷Dem send am report wey talk say: To King Darius, complete peace.

⁸Make you know, king: we go Judah province, go di house of di great God. Dem dey build am with big-big stones, and dem put timber for inside di walls. Di work dey go on well-well and e dey prosper for dem hand. ⁹So we ask di elders, “Na who give una power to build dis house and finish dis structure?” ¹⁰We still ask dem names, so we fit tell you, and so we fit write down di names of di leaders. ¹¹Dem answer us, “We be servants of our Papa, di God of heaven and earth, and we dey build again di house wey one great king of Israel build and finish plenty years wey don pass. ¹²But because our great-grand-papa-dem vex our Papa, di God of heaven, e hand dem give Nebuchadnezzar di Babylonian, king of Babylon, wey destroy dis house and carry di people go exile for Babylon. ¹³But for di first year of Cyrus, king of Babylon, Cyrus di king command say make dem build dis house of our Papa again. ¹⁴Cyrus di king still bring comot from di temple of Babylon di gold and silver vessels of di house of our Papa wey Nebuchadnezzar bin take comot from di temple for Jerusalem and carry go di temple of Babylon. E give dem to one man wey dem dey call Sheshbazzar, wey e make governor, ¹⁵e tell am say, ‘Take dis vessels, go put dem for di temple of Jerusalem, and make dem build di house of God again for im place.’ ¹⁶Then dis Sheshbazzar come lay di foundation of our Papa house for Jerusalem; from dat time until now dem dey build am, e never finish sef.”

¹⁷So, if di king gree, make dem search inside di royal records for Babylon, to see whether King Cyrus bin give order say make dem build dis house of God for Jerusalem again. Then make di king send us wetin e decide about dis matter.