Nehemiah 13
1 At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
Ɛda no ara, ɛberɛ a wɔgu so rekenkan Mose Nwoma no, ɔmanfoɔ no hunuu asɛm bi a ɛka sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔma Amonni anaa Moabni kwan ma ɔkɔ Onyankopɔn adwabɔ ase.
2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
Aseɛ ne sɛ, ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ firii Misraim no, wɔne wɔn anni no yie. Mmom, wɔbɔɔ Balaam paa sɛ ɔnnome wɔn, nanso yɛn Onyankopɔn danee nnome no ma ɛyɛɛ nhyira.
3 As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
Wɔkenkan saa mmara no wiee no, wɔpamoo amanfrafoɔ no nyinaa firii badwa no ase.
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
Ansa na saa asɛm yi rebɛsi no, na ɔsɔfoɔ Eliasib a wɔyii no sɛ ɔnyɛ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no adekoradan sohwɛfoɔ no a na ɔsane yɛ Tobia busuani no,
5 and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
adane adekoradan kɛseɛ no bi mu de ahyɛ Tobia nsa. Na anka saa dan no mu na wɔkora atokoɔ afɔrebɔdeɛ, aduhwamfufuo, Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka ne atokoɔ ntotosoɔ dudu, nsã foforɔ, ngo ne kyɛfa sononko a wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔmfa mma asɔfoɔ. Na Mose ahyɛ sɛ saa afɔrebɔdeɛ no yɛ Lewifoɔ, nnwomtofoɔ ne aponoanohwɛfoɔ dea.
6 While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king
Saa ɛberɛ no, na menni Yerusalem. Na masane kɔ Babiloniahene Artasasta nkyɛn wɔ nʼahennie afe a ɛtɔ so aduasa mmienu so. Akyire no na ɔmaa me kwan sɛ mensane mmra.
7 to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.
Mebɛduruu Yerusalem, na metee bɔne a Eliasib ayɛ, sɛ ɔde Onyankopɔn Asɔredan adihɔ dan bi ama Tobia no,
8 And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
ɛtɔɔ me so, na meyii Tobia nneɛma a ɛwɔ dan no mu no nyinaa guiɛ.
9 Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
Afei mehyɛɛ sɛ, wɔnnwira adan no nyinaa ho, na mede Awurade Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka no, atokoɔ afɔrebɔdeɛ ne aduhwamfufuo no sane bɛguu mu.
10 I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.
Mesane hunuu sɛ wɔmfaa deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ Lewifoɔ no nya no mmaa wɔn, enti, na wɔne nnwomtofoɔ no a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhwɛ ɔsom no so no asane akɔyɛ adwuma wɔ wɔn mfuo mu.
11 So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
Ɛhɔ ara na mekɔɔ ntuanofoɔ no nkyɛn, kɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moayi mo ani afiri Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no so?” Na mefrɛɛ Lewifoɔ no nyinaa, maa wɔsane baeɛ, de wɔn tuatuaa nnwuma a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ano.
12 and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
Na bio, Yudafoɔ nyinaa hyɛɛ aseɛ de wɔn atokoɔ ntotosoɔ dudu, nsã foforɔ ne ngo baa Asɔredan no adekoradan no mu.
13 I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.
Na mede adekoradan no hyɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Selemia, mmara no ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ Sadok ne Lewifoɔ no mu baako a wɔfrɛ no Pedaia nsa sɛ wɔnhwɛ so. Na meyii Sakur babarima Hanan a ɔyɛ Matania nana sɛ wɔn ɔboafoɔ. Na saa mmarima yi wɔ edin pa, na wɔn adwuma ne sɛ, wɔde nokorɛ bɛkyɛ nneɛma ama wɔn mfɛfoɔ Lewifoɔ no.
14 Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ, Ao me Onyankopɔn, na mma wo werɛ mfiri deɛ mefiri nokorɛdie mu ayɛ nyinaa de ama me Onyankopɔn Asɔredan.
15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
Ɛda koro Homeda bi, mehunuu Yuda mmarima bi sɛ wɔretiatia wɔn nsakyiamena so. Na wɔrehyehyɛ atokoɔ afiafi wɔ wɔn mfunumu so de aba. Na saa da no, na wɔde wɔn nsã, bobe aba, borɔdɔma ne mfudeɛ bebree reba Yerusalem abɛtɔn. Na mekaa wɔn anim sɛ, wɔretɔn wɔn mfudeɛ homeda.
16 Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
Na mmarima bi nso firi Tiro a wɔde nsuomnam ne adwadeɛ ahodoɔ bebree aba. Na wɔretɔn no Homeda ama Yudafoɔ wɔ Yerusalem fie ankasa!
17 Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ Yuda ntuanofoɔ no so, kɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na mode saa bɔne yi gu homeda ho fi?
18 Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
Monnim sɛ mo agyanom yɛɛ saa bi no enti na yɛn Onyankopɔn de saa ɔhaw a ɛwɔ yɛn so seesei yi brɛɛ yɛn ne yɛn kuro yi? Gu a moregu Homeda no ho fi ntrasoɔ seesei no bɛma abufuhyeɛ aba Israelfoɔ so.”
19 When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
Na afei, mehyɛɛ sɛ, ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no rekorɔ, Efiada biara anwummerɛ, wɔntoto kuro no apono mu a wɔmmue ara kɔsi sɛ Homeda no bɛtwam. Bio, memaa mʼankasa mʼasomfoɔ kɔwɛnn apono no, sɛdeɛ wɔrentumi mfa adwadeɛ mma homeda no.
20 Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
Adwadifoɔ ne nsaanodwumayɛfoɔ a wɔde adwadeɛ ahodoɔ ba no soɛɛ Yerusalem mfikyire pɛnkorɔ anaa mprenu.
21 but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.
Nanso, mekasa kyerɛɛ wɔn anibereɛ so sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na motete ɔfasuo yi akyi reyɛ? Sɛ moyɛ saa bio a, mɛkyere mo!” Ɛfiri hɔ, wɔamma Yerusalem wɔ Homeda bio.
22 Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
Na mehyɛɛ Lewifoɔ no sɛ, wɔnnwira wɔn ho, na wɔnnwɛn apono no sɛdeɛ Homeda no kronnyɛ no bɛka hɔ. Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ nso, Ao me Onyankopɔn, na wʼadɔeɛ kɛseɛ a ɛnsa da no enti, hunu me mmɔbɔ.
23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Saa ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, mehunuu sɛ Yuda mmarima no bi awareware mmaa a wɔfiri Asdod, Amon ne Moab.
24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
Na deɛ na ɛnyɛ koraa ne sɛ, na wɔn mma no mu fa ka Asdod ne nnipa foforɔ bi kasa a na wɔntumi nka Yudafoɔ kasa no koraa.
25 I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
Enti, mekɔɔ wɔn so, kɔdomee wɔn. Mehwee wɔn mu bi, tutuu wɔn tirinwi. Memaa wɔkaa ntam Awurade anim sɛ, wɔremma wɔn mma ne abosonsomfoɔ a wɔwɔ asase no so nni awadeɛ.
26 Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
Mebisaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ yei bi pɛpɛɛpɛ na ɛde Israelhene Salomo kɔɔ bɔne mu no?” Na wode ɔman biara so ɔhene to ne ho a, ɛnyɛ yie. Onyankopɔn dɔɔ no, na ɔsii no ɔhene wɔ Israel nyinaa so. Nanso, ɔno mpo ananafoɔ awadeɛ de no kɔɔ bɔne mu.
27 Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
Ɛdeɛn na ɛha mo ma modwene sɛ mobɛware ananafoɔ mmaa, na monam so ayɛ bɔne a ɛte saa, na monni Onyankopɔn nokorɛ?
28 Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.
Esiane sɛ ɔsɔfopanin Eliasib babarima Yehoiada aware Horonni Sanbalat babaa enti, mepamoo no firii mʼanim.
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
Kae wɔn, Ao me Onyankopɔn, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagu asɔfodwuma, asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ bɔhyɛ ne ntam ho fi.
30 Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
Enti, meguu biribiara a ɛyɛ ananasɛm, na mede nnwuma hyehyɛɛ asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ nsa, hwɛɛ sɛ obiara nim nʼadwuma.
31 I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
Mehwɛɛ nso sɛ, nnyina a ɛba afɔrebukyia so no nso bɛba mmerɛ a ɛsɛ mu, na afei wɔbɛgye otwa a ɛdi ɛkan no mu nnɔbaeɛ de abrɛ asɔfoɔ no. Kae yei na dom me, Ao me Onyankopɔn.
