Nehemiah 9
1 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel came together, taking no food and putting haircloth and dust on their bodies.
Ɔsram Tisri (bɛyɛ Ahinime) da a ɛto so aduasa baako no, ɔmanfo no boaa wɔn ho ano, dii mmuada, furaa atweaatam, tuu mfutuma petee wɔn tirim.
2 And the seed of Israel made themselves separate from all the men of other nations, publicly requesting forgiveness for their sins and the wrongdoing of their fathers.
Bere a wɔreka wɔn ankasa bɔne ne wɔn agyanom bɔne no, Israelfo no twee wɔn ho fii ananafo nyinaa ho.
3 And for a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they were reading from the book of the law of their God; and for a fourth part of the day they were requesting forgiveness and worshipping the Lord their God.
Wɔkenkan Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn, mmara nhoma no den bɛyɛ sɛ nnɔnhwerew abiɛsa kyerɛɛ wɔn. Afei, wɔde nnɔnhwerew abiɛsa bio kekaa wɔn bɔne nnidisonnidiso a na wɔresom Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn.
4 Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani took their places on the steps of the Levites, crying in a loud voice to the Lord their God.
Na Lewifo no bi gyina atrapoe so reteɛ mu frɛ Awurade, wɔn Nyankopɔn. Saa nnipa no ne Yesua, Bani, Kadmiel, Sebania, Buni, Serebia, Bani ne Kenani.
5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Get up and give praise to the Lord your God for ever and ever. Praise be to your great name which is lifted up high over all blessing and praise.
Afei, Lewifo ntuanofo a wɔne Yesua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hasabnia, Serebia, Hodia, Sebania ne Petahia teɛɛ mu frɛɛ ɔmanfo no se, “Monsɔre nkamfo Awurade, mo Nyankopɔn, efisɛ ɔte hɔ afebɔɔ!” Wɔtoaa so se, “Monkamfo ne din kronkron no. Ɛso sen sɛnea yebetumi adwene anaa yɛbɛka.
6 You are the Lord, even you only; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their armies, the earth and all things in it, the seas and everything in them; and you keep them from destruction: and the armies of heaven are your worshippers.
Wo nko ara ne Awurade. Wo na wobɔɔ ɔsoro ne ɔsoro mu soro ne nsoromma nyinaa. Wo na wobɔɔ asase ne nea ɛwɔ so nyinaa ne ɛpo ne nea ɛwɔ mu nyinaa. Wo na wokora biribiara so ma no nkwa, na ɔsoro abɔfo nyinaa som wo.
7 You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;
“Woyɛ Awurade Nyankopɔn a wuyii Abram fii Ur a ɛwɔ Kaldea asase so, san too no din Abraham.
8 You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours:
Odii wo nokware no, wo ne no yɛɛ apam sɛ, wode Kanaanfo, Hetifo, Perisifo Yebusifo ne Girgasifo asase bɛma ɔne nʼasefo. Na wudii wo bɔhyɛ so, efisɛ daa wudi wʼasɛm so.
9 And you saw the trouble of our fathers in Egypt, and their cry came to your ears by the Red Sea;
“Wuhuu amane ne awerɛhow a yɛn agyanom kɔɔ mu wɔ Misraim, na wotee wɔn su fi Po Kɔkɔɔ no ho.
10 And you did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land; for you saw how cruel they were to them. So you got yourself a name as it is today.
Woyɛɛ nsɛnkyerɛnne a ɛyɛ hu ne anwonwade kyerɛɛ Farao, nʼasomfo ne ne manfo nyinaa, efisɛ na wunim nhyɛso kwan a na Misraimfo no de wɔn fa so. Wowɔ anuonyam a ahyeta a ani mpa so da.
11 By you the sea was parted before them, so that they went through the sea on dry land; and those who went after them went down into the deep, like a stone into great waters.
Wopaee po mu maa wo nkurɔfo, sɛnea wobetumi afa asase wosee so. Na wusum wɔn atamfo guu po bun mu. Wɔmemem sɛ abo wɔ bun a emu dɔ no ase.
12 And you went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light on the way they were to go.
Wonam omununkum fadum so dii yɛn agyanom anim awia ne ogya fadum so, dii wɔn anim anadwo sɛnea wobehu kwan.
13 And you came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders:
“Wusian bepɔw Sinai, kasa kyerɛɛ wɔn fi ɔsoro. Wode mmara a ɛyɛ turodoo ne ahyɛde a ɛyɛ nokware brɛɛ wɔn.
14 And you gave them word of your holy Sabbath, and gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant:
Wokyerɛɛ wɔn mmara a ɛfa wo homeda kronkron ho. Na wonam wo somfo Mose so hyɛɛ wɔn sɛnea wonsi nni wʼahyɛde ne wo mmara no nyinaa so.
15 And you gave them bread from heaven when they were in need, and made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land which your hand had been lifted up to give them.
Bere a ɔkɔm dee wɔn no, womaa wɔn brodo a efi ɔsoro ne nsu a efi ɔbotan mu, bere a osukɔm dee wɔn no. Wohyɛɛ wɔn sɛ wɔnkɔfa asase a woaka ho ntam sɛ wode bɛma wɔn no.
16 But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and gave no attention to your orders,
“Nanso yɛn agyanom yɛɛ ahantan ne asoɔden, na wɔanni wʼahyɛde so.
17 And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.
Wɔantie, na wɔankae wʼanwonwade a woyɛ maa wɔn no. Mmom, wɔtew atua yii ntuanoni sɛ ɔnsan mfa wɔn nkɔ wɔn nkoasom mu wɔ Misraim. Nanso woyɛ ɔdebɔnekyɛ, ahummɔbɔ ne ɔdomfo Nyankopɔn a wo bo kyɛ fuw na wʼadɔe dɔɔso. Enti woampo wɔn,
18 Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry;
bere a wɔyɛɛ nantwi ba na wɔka se, ‘Oyi ne mo nyame a, oyii mo fii Misraim no.’ Wɔyɛɛ bɔne, kekaa abususɛm a ɛyɛ hu.
19 Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the waste land: the pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go.
“Nanso wo mmɔborɔhunu mu no, woannyaa wɔn amma wɔanwuwu wɔ sare no so. Omununkum fadum no kɔɔ so dii wɔn anim awia, na ogya fadum no kyerɛɛ wɔn kwan anadwo.
20 And you gave your good spirit to be their teacher, and did not keep back your manna from their mouths, and gave them water when they had need of it.
Wosomaa wo honhom pa no kyerɛɛ wɔn nea wɔnyɛ, na woannyae sɛ wobɛma wɔn brodo afi ɔsoro anaa nsu bere a osukɔm de wɔn.
21 Truly, for forty years you were their support in the waste land, and they were in need of nothing; their clothing did not get old or their feet become tired.
Wohwɛɛ wɔn so mfe aduanan wɔ sare so. Saa bere no, biribiara anhia wɔn. Wɔn ntade antetew, na wɔn anan ase antaatae.
22 And you gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution to them in every part of the land: so they took for their heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.
“Woboaa yɛn agyanom ma wodii ahemman akɛse ne aman bebree so, na wode wo nkurɔfo duaa aman no afanan nyinaa so. Wɔfaa ɔhene Sihon a ofi Hesbon ne Basanhene Og asase no nyinaa.
23 And you made their children as great in number as the stars of heaven, and took them into the land, of which you had said to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for themselves.
Womaa wɔn asefo dɔɔso sɛ ɔsoro nsoromma, na wode wɔn baa asase a woahyɛ wɔn agyanom ho bɔ no so.
24 So the children went in and took the land, and you overcame before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their pleasure to do.
Wɔkɔfaa asase no. Wobrɛɛ aman no nyinaa ase wɔ wɔn anim. Na mpo, ahemfo ne Kanaanfo a wɔtenaa asase no so no tumi sae. Wo nkurɔfo ne wɔn dii no sɛnea wɔpɛ.
25 And they took walled towns and a fat land, and became the owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of fruit-trees: so they had food enough and became fat, and had joy in the good you gave them.
Yɛn agyanom faa nkurow a wɔabɔ ho ban ne nsasebere no. Wɔfaa afi a nnepa wɔ mu ne asuten a wɔatutu dedaw no ne bobeturo ne ngofuw ne nnuabafuw no bebree. Enti wodidii ara kosii sɛ wɔdodɔ yɛɛ akɛse, na wɔn ani gyee wɔn ho wɔ wo nhyira mu.
26 But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority, turning their backs on your law, and putting to death your prophets, who gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you, and they did much to make you angry.
“Nanso eyinom nyinaa akyi no, wɔyɛɛ asoɔden, tew wʼanim atua. Wɔtow wo mmara no guu nkyɛn. Wokunkum adiyifo a wɔhyɛɛ wɔn nkuran sɛ wɔnsan mmra wo nkyɛn no, na wɔkaa abususɛm a ɛyɛ hu.
27 And so you gave them up into the hands of their haters who were cruel to them: and in the time of their trouble, when they made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; and in your great mercy gave them saviours, who made them free from the hands of their haters.
Enti wode wɔn hyɛɛ wɔn atamfo nsa. Nanso wɔn amanehunu mu no, wosu frɛɛ wo, na wutiee wɔn fi ɔsoro. Na ahummɔbɔ a ɛso mu na wosomaa agyefo a wogyee wɔn fii wɔn atamfo nsam.
28 But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation;
“Nanso na nneɛma nyinaa rekɔ so yiye no, wo manfo san kɔɔ bɔne mu bio, na wosan maa wɔn atamfo dii wɔn so. Nanso bere biara a wo nkurɔfo besu afrɛ wo bio, apɛ mmoa no, wufi ɔsoro tiee wɔn bio. Wʼahummɔbɔ nwonwaso nti, wugyee wɔn ntoatoaso.
29 And gave witness against them so that you might make them come back again to your law: but their hearts were lifted up, and they gave no attention to your orders and went against your decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him), and turning their backs on you, made their necks stiff and did not give ear.
“Wobɔɔ wɔn kɔkɔ sɛ wɔnsan mmedi wo mmara no so, nanso wɔyɛɛ ahomaso ne asobrakye a wɔanni wʼahyɛde no so. Wɔanni wo mmara a sɛ nnipa di so a wɔnam so benya nkwa no so. Wɔnam ahomaso so, dan wɔn akyi kyerɛɛ wo a wɔampɛ sɛ wobetie wo.
30 Year after year you put up with them, and gave witness against them by your spirit through your prophets: still they did not give ear: and so you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands.
Wo dɔ nti, wunyaa wɔn ho ntoboase mfe bebree. Wosomaa wo honhom ma ɔnam adiyifo so bɔɔ wɔn kɔkɔ faa wɔn bɔne ho. Nanso wɔantie. Enti womaa abosonsomfo a wɔwɔ asase yi so no ho kwan ma wodii wɔn so bio.
31 Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace and mercy.
Nanso wo mmɔborɔhunu a ɛdɔɔso nti, woantɔre wɔn ase anaa woannyaa wɔn afebɔɔ. Woyɛ ɔdomfo ne ahummɔbɔ Nyankopɔn.
32 And now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be feared, who keeps faith and mercy, let not all this trouble seem small to you, which has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day.
“Afei, yɛn Nyankopɔn, ɔkɛse, otumfo ne ɔnwonwani Nyankopɔn a ne dɔ apam a ɔyɛe no ommu so, mma yɛn amanehunu a yɛkɔɔ mu no nyinaa nnyɛ ɔkwa wɔ wʼanim. Ɔhaw kɛse aba yɛn ne yɛn ahemfo, yɛn ahenemma ne asɔfo ne adiyifo ne yɛn agyanom so fi bere a Asiria ahemfo didii yɛn so nkonim, de besi saa bere yi.
33 But still, you have been in the right in everything which has come on us; you have been true to us, but we have done evil:
Bere biara a wobɛtwe yɛn aso no, na ɛfata. Yɛayɛ bɔne kɛse a wotwe yɛn aso sɛnea ɛsɛ wɔ so.
34 And our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them.
Yɛn ahemfo, ahenemma, asɔfo, ne yɛn agyanom no anni wo mmara so anaa wʼahyɛde ne wo kɔkɔbɔ dennen no so.
35 For they have not been your servants in their kingdom, and in all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them, and they have not been turned away from their evil-doing.
Mpo, bere a wɔn ankasa nyaa wɔn ahemman no, wɔansom wo wɔ bere a woahwie wʼayamye adom agu wɔn so no. Womaa wɔn nsase pa akɛse, nanso wɔannu wɔn ho amfi wɔn amumɔyɛsɛm ho.
36 Now, today, we are servants, and as for the land which you gave to our fathers, so that the produce of it and the good might be theirs, see, we are servants in it:
“Enti mprempren, yɛyɛ nkoa wɔ asase a nnepa abu so wɔ so a wode maa yɛn agyanom no so. Dodow yi nyinaa mu, yɛyɛ nkoa.
37 And it gives much increase to the kings whom you have put over us because of our sins: and they have power over our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great trouble.
Nnɔbae a ebu so boro so no nyinaa akodi ahemfo a esiane yɛn bɔne nti, woatu wɔn sɛ wɔnhwɛ yɛn so no nsam. Wɔwɔ yɛn ne yɛn anantwi so tumi. Yɛsom wɔn sɛnea wɔpɛ, na yɛwɔ ahokyere kɛse mu.
38 And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing; and our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.
“Eyinom nyinaa nti, yɛnam kurukyerɛw so rehyɛ bɔ a emu yɛ den. Saa nsɔwano krataa yi mu na yɛn ahenemma ne Lewifo ne asɔfo din wɔ.”
