2 Beresosɛm 6
1 Na Salomo bɔɔ mpae se, “Awurade, woaka se wobɛtena omununkum kabii mu.
Then Solomon said, “Yahweh, you said that you would live in a dark cloud.
2 Afei, masi Asɔredan a ɛho wɔ nyam ama wo, baabi a wubetumi atena afebɔɔ.”
But now I have built a glorious temple for you to live in forever!”
3 Na ɔhene no dan ne ho de kyerɛɛ Israelfo a wogyinagyina nʼanim no, hyiraa wɔn se,
Then while all the people stood there, Solomon turned toward the people and he [asked God to] bless them.
4 “Nhyira nka Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, a wadi bɔ a ɔhyɛɛ mʼagya Dawid no so, efisɛ ɔka kyerɛɛ mʼagya se,
He said to them, “Praise Yahweh, the God to whom we Israelis belong, who has caused to happen what he promised to my father David. What he said to David was this:
5 ‘Efi da a miyii me nkurɔfo fii Misraim no, minyii kuropɔn biara mfii Israel mmusuakuw no mu sɛ baabi a ɛsɛ sɛ wosi Asɔredan, de hyɛ me din anuonyam. Ɛnna nso, minyii ɔhene biara sɛ onni me nkurɔfo Israelfo anim.
‘From the time that I brought my people out of Egypt, I have never chosen a city in Israel in which a temple should be built for people to [worship] me there. Nor did I choose anyone to be the leader of my Israeli people.
6 Nanso afei mayi Yerusalem sɛ kuropɔn no, ne Dawid sɛ ɔhene no.’”
But now I have chosen Jerusalem to be the place for people to worship me, and I have chosen you to rule my Israeli people.’”
7 Afei, Salomo kae se, “Mʼagya Dawid pɛɛ sɛ osi Asɔredan yi de hyɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn din anuonyam.
[Then Solomon said], “My father David wanted to build a temple for Yahweh, the God to whom we Israelis belong.
8 Nanso Awurade ka kyerɛɛ no se, ‘Eye sɛ wopɛ sɛ wusi asɔredan de hyɛ me din anuonyam,
But Yahweh said to him, ‘You have wanted to build a temple for me, and what you wanted to do was good.
9 nanso ɛnyɛ wo na wobɛyɛ. Mmom, wo mmabarima no mu baako na obesi.’
However, you are not the one who I want to build the temple; it is one of your own sons who [I want to] build a temple for me.’
10 “Na afei Awurade ayɛ nea ɔhyɛɛ ho bɔ no, efisɛ efisɛ madi ade sɛ ɔhene, asi mʼagya anan mu. Masi saa Asɔredan yi de ahyɛ Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn din anuonyam.
“And Yahweh has done what he promised to do. I have become the king of Israel to succeed my father, and I am ruling the people, like Yahweh promised, and I have arranged for this temple to be built for us to worship Yahweh, the God to whom we Israelis belong.
11 Ɛhɔ na mede Adaka no asi, na Adaka no mu nso na apam a Awurade ne Israelfo yɛe no hyɛ.”
I have put the Sacred Chest in the temple, in which are the stone tablets [on which are engraved the Ten Commandments of] the agreement that Yahweh made with us Israeli people.”
12 Na Salomo trɛw ne nsam wɔ Awurade afɔremuka ne Israel manfo no nyinaa anim.
Then Solomon stood in front of the altar which was in front of the people of Israel who had gathered there.
13 Na wabɔ kɔbere mfrafrae apa a ne ntwemu yɛ anammɔn ason ne fa, ne trɛw yɛ anammɔn ason ne fa, na ne sorokɔ yɛ anammɔn anan ne fa, de asi asɔredan no adiwo mfimfini. Ogyinaa apa no so wɔ nnipa no nyinaa anim. Obuu nkotodwe, maa ne nsa so kyerɛɛ ɔsoro.
His workers had built a bronze platform there [for him to stand on], which was 7-1/2 feet long and 7-1/2 feet wide and 4-1/2 feet high. They put it in the outer courtyard. Solomon stood on that platform and then knelt down in front of all the people of Israel who had gathered there, and he spread out his arms toward heaven,
14 Ɔbɔɔ mpae se, “Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, Onyankopɔn biara nni hɔ sɛ wo wɔ ɔsoro ne asase so nyinaa. Wodi wo bɔhyɛ so, na woda wo dɔ a ɛwɔ hɔ daa no adi kyerɛ wɔn a wotie wo na wɔn ani gye sɛ wɔbɛyɛ wʼapɛde nyinaa.
and he prayed, “Yahweh, the God to whom we Israeli people belong, there is no God like you in heaven or on the earth. You solemnly promised that you would faithfully love us, and that is what you have done for us who earnestly do what you want us to do.
15 Wo bɔ a wohyɛɛ wo somfo Dawid a ɔyɛ mʼagya no, woadi so. Wʼankasa wʼano na wode hyɛɛ bɔ no, na nnɛ, wonam wʼankasa wo nsa so ama aba mu.
“You have done the things that you promised my father David, who served you [very well], that you would do. Truly, you promised to do those things for him, and today we see that by your power you have caused it all to happen.
16 “Afei, Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn kɔ so di wo bɔ a woahyɛ wo somfo, mʼagya Dawid, no so. Efisɛ, woka kyerɛɛ no se, ‘Sɛ wʼasefo bɔ wɔn bra yiye, na wodi me mmara so sɛnea woayɛ no a, wobedi Israel so hene daa daa.’
“So now, Yahweh, the God we Israelis belong to, please do the things that you promised to my father David that you would do. You said that there would always be some of his descendants to rule Israel, if they faithfully conduct their lives as he did.
17 Afei, Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, di saa bɔ a woahyɛ wo somfo Dawid no so.
So now, God of us Israeli people, cause what you promised David, who served you [well], to happen.
18 “Ɛyɛ nokware sɛ Onyankopɔn bɛtena nnipa mu wɔ asase so? Ɔsorosoro nohɔ mpo ntumi nkora wo, na ɛbɛyɛ dɛn na Asɔredan a masi yi betumi akora wo.
“But, my God, will you really live on earth among people? There is surely not enough space for you in the sky, or even in the heaven! So there is surely not enough space for you to live in this temple that my workers have built.
19 Tie me mpaebɔ ne mʼabisade, Awurade, me Nyankopɔn. Tie sufrɛ ne mpae a wo somfo rebɔ no.
But Yahweh, my God, please listen to my prayer, while I am pleading with you this day and do what I am requesting.
20 Hwɛ saa Asɔredan yi so, baabi a woaka sɛ wode wo din bɛto so no, awia ne anadwo. Daa, tie me mpae a mebɔ wɔ ha no.
Please protect this temple day and night. This is the place about which you have said, ‘I will always be there.’ Please listen to my prayer about this place.
21 Tie mʼahobrɛase ne nokware adebisa a me ne wo nkurɔfo Israelfo bɔ mpae wɔ ha de to wʼanim no. Yiw, tie yɛn fi ɔsoro faako a wote no; na sɛ wote nso a, fa kyɛ.
Listen to me when I pray, and listen to your Israeli people when they pray. Listen from heaven, where you live; and when you hear us pray, forgive us.
22 “Sɛ obi fom obi, na ɛho hia sɛ ɔka ho ntam sɛ onnim ho hwee wɔ afɔremuka no anim wɔ Asɔredan no mu a,
“If someone is accused of doing something wrong to another person, and they bring him to testify in front of your altar outside this holy temple, and if he says, ‘I did not do that; may God punish me if I am not telling the truth,’
23 tie fi ɔsoro, na bu wʼasomfo baanu no a ɛyɛ nea wɔabɔ no sobo no ne sobobɔfo no ntam atɛn. Nea odi fɔ no, twe nʼaso na gyaa nea odi bem no.
then you listen from heaven, and you decide who is telling the truth. Then punish the person who is guilty as he deserves to be punished, and declare that the other person is innocent.
24 “Sɛ wo nkurɔfo Israelfo yɛ bɔne tia wo, na ɛno nti wɔn atamfo di wɔn so nkonim na wɔsan ba wo nkyɛn, bɔ wo din na wɔbɔ wo mpae wɔ Asɔredan yi mu a,
“And when your Israeli people are defeated by their enemies because they sinned against you, [and forced to go to some distant country, ] if they turn away from their sinful behavior and turn toward this temple and admit [that] you [have justly punished them], and plead [that you will forgive them],
25 tie fi ɔsoro, na fa wɔn bɔne kyɛ wɔn, na ma wɔnsan nkɔ asase a wode maa wɔn agyanom no so.
listen to them from heaven and forgive your Israeli people for the sins that they [have committed], and bring them back to this land that you gave to our ancestors.
26 “Sɛ wo nkurɔfo yɛ bɔne tia wo, na ɛno nti wɔto ɔsoro mu na osu antɔ na wɔbɔ mpae wɔ Asɔredan yi mu, bɔ wo din, twe wɔn ho fi wɔn bɔne ho, efisɛ woatwe wɔn aso a,
“When you do not allow any rain to fall because your people have sinned against you, if they turn toward this temple and admit [that] you [have justly punished them], and turn away from their sinful behavior and humbly pray to you,
27 tie fi ɔsoro, na fa wʼasomfo, wo nkurɔfo Israelfo, bɔne kyɛ wɔn. Kyerɛ wɔn ade trenee yɛ, na tɔ osu gu wʼasase a wode ama wo nkurɔfo sɛ wɔn agyapade sononko no so.
hear from heaven and forgive the sins of your Israeli people. Teach them the right way to conduct their lives. Then cause it to rain here on the land that you gave to your people to belong to them [permanently].
28 “Sɛ ɔkɔm si asase no so anaa ɔyaredɔm ba so anaa nnɔbae nyarewa ba anaa mmoadabi ne asa begu nnɔbae so, anaa wo nkurɔfo atamfo ba asase no so betua wɔn nkurow a, sɛnea ɔhaw no te biara no,
“And when the people of this land experience famines or if there is a plague, or when their crops are destroyed by very hot winds or by mildew or by locusts or grasshoppers, or when their enemies surround any of their cities [in order to attack them], if any of those bad things happen to them,
29 sɛ wo nkurɔfo bɔ mpae wɔ wɔn haw ne awerɛhow ho, na wɔpagyaw wɔn nsa wɔ asɔredan yi mu a,
when your Israeli people earnestly plead with you, knowing in their inner beings that they are suffering [because they have sinned], if they stretch out their hands toward this temple and pray,
30 tie fi ɔsoro, nea wote hɔ, na fa kyɛ. Fa biribiara a ɛfata wo nkurɔfo no ma wɔn, na wo na wunim wɔn koma mu, efisɛ wo nko ara na wunim nnipa koma mu.
hear from your home in heaven, and forgive them. You alone know what each person is thinking, so reward each person according to everything that he does,
31 Ɛno akyi no wobesuro wo na wɔanantew wʼakwan so mmere dodow a wɔte asase a wode maa yɛn agyanom no so.
in order that they will revere you and conduct their lives as you want them to, all the time that they live in this land that you gave to our ancestors.
32 “Na sɛ ananafo te wo nka ne wo nsɛnkyerɛnne akɛse no, na wofi akyirikyiri bɛsom wo din kɛse no, bɔ mpae de wɔn ani kyerɛ Asɔredan yi a,
“There will be some foreigners who do not belong to your Israeli people who have come here from countries far away because they have heard that you are very great and that you perform great miracles. If they turn toward this temple and pray,
33 tie fi ɔsoro nea wote hɔ, na yɛ wɔn abisade ma wɔn. Na ɛbɛma nnipa a wɔte asase so nyinaa ahu, asuro wo, sɛnea wo nkurɔfo Israelfo no yɛ pɛpɛɛpɛ. Wɔn nso behu sɛ, wo din na ɛda saa Asɔredan a masi yi so.
from your home in heaven listen to their prayer, and do for them what they request you to do. Do that in order that all the people-groups in the world will know about you and revere you, like we, your own Israeli people do. And then they will know that this is the temple that I have caused to be built for you.
34 “Sɛ wohyɛ wo nkurɔfo ma wopue, kɔko tia wɔn atamfo, na sɛ wɔbɔ mpae, srɛ Awurade fa saa kurow yi a woayi yi, ne saa Asɔredan a masi de wo din ato so yi ho a,
“When you send your people to go to places to attack their enemies, if they pray to you, wherever they are, if they turn toward this city that you have chosen and toward this temple that I have caused to be built to honor you,
35 tie wɔn mpaebɔ fi ɔsoro, na yɛ wɔn abisade ma wɔn.
listen in heaven to their prayers; listen to what they plead for you [to do], and assist them.
36 “Sɛ wɔyɛ bɔne tia wo mpo a, hena na ɔnyɛɛ bɔne da? Wo bo befuw wɔn ama wɔn atamfo adi wɔn so, afa wɔn nkoa de wɔn akɔ ananasase so, sɛ ɛwɔ akyiri anaa ɛbɛn.
[“It is true that] everyone sins. So, when your people sin against you, and you become angry with them, you may allow their enemies to capture them and take them to their countries, even to countries that are far away.
37 Na saa ahɔhosase no so, wɔde ahonu san ba wo nkyɛn, bɔ mpae se, ‘Yɛayɛ bɔne; yɛayɛ amumɔyɛsɛm ne atirimɔdensɛm,’
When that happens, while they are in the countries to which they were forced to go, if they are sorry for having sinned, if they say, ‘We have sinned; we have done things that are wrong and have done things that are very wicked,’
38 na sɛ wɔde wɔn koma ne wɔn kra nyinaa ba wo nkyɛn, bɔ mpae fa asase a wode maa wɔn agyanom, saa kuropɔn yi a woayi ne saa asɔredan a masi de ahyɛ wo din anuonyam yi ho a,
if they repent very sincerely, and if they turn toward this land that you gave to our ancestors, and toward this city that you have chosen [to be the place where we should worship you], and toward this temple that I have caused to be built for you and pray,
39 tie wɔn mpaebɔ no fi ɔsoro, nea wote hɔ. Di wɔn asɛm ma wɔn, na fa bɔne a wo nkurɔfo ayɛ atia wo no kyɛ wɔn.
then from your home in heaven hear their prayer, and listen to them while they plead [for your help], and do what they ask you to do, and forgive your people who have sinned against you.
40 “Afei me Nyankopɔn, bue wʼaniwa na wɛn wʼaso tie mpae a wɔbɔ wɔ ha no nyinaa.
“Now, my God, look at us and listen to us as we pray to you in this place.
41 “Afei, Awurade Nyankopɔn, sɔre na bra wʼahomegyebea,
Yahweh our God, come and stay in this place with the Sacred Chest, the chest that shows that you are powerful. Yahweh God, cause your priests to know clearly that you have blessed them. Cause us your people to rejoice because of all the good things [that you do for us].
42 “Awurade Nyankopɔn, nyi wʼani mfi nea woasra no ngo no so.
Yahweh God, do not reject me [the king] whom you have appointed [to be the king of Israel]; do not forget that you greatly loved David, who served you [very well].”
