Ezra 9
1 Some time later after all this had happened, the leaders came and told me, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the people around us whose disgusting religious practices are similar to those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
Kipindi mambo hayo yanatendeka, wakuu wakaja kwangu na kuniambia,”Watu wa Israel, Makuhani na walawi hawakuweza kujitenga wenyewe kutoka kwa watu wa nchi zingine na maovu yao: Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waperuzi, wayebusi, Waamoni, Wamoabu, Wamisri na Waamori.
2 Some Israelites have even married women from these people, both themselves and their sons, mixing the holy race with these people of the land. Our leaders and officials are at the forefront of this sinful behavior.”
Kwa kuwa wamewachukua baadhi ya binti na watoto wa kiume, wamejichanganya watu watakatifu na watu wa nchi nyingine na wakuu na viongozi wamekuwa wa kwanza katika imani hii potofu.
3 When I heard about this, I tore my clothes, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down, absolutely appalled.
Niliposikia haya, nikachana nguo zangu na kanzu na kunyoa nywele kichwani na ndevu na nikakaa chini kutafakari.
4 Everyone who respected the instructions of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this sin on the part of the exiles. I sat there shocked and appalled until the evening sacrifice.
Na wale wote waliotetemeka kwa neno la Mungu wa Israel kuhusu imani potofu walikusanyika kwangu wakati nimakaa chini nikiwa na aibu hadi kufikia kipindi cha sadaka za jioni.
5 At the evening sacrifice, I stood up from where I had been sitting in grief, with my clothes torn, and I kneeled down and held out my hands to the Lord my God.
Lakini katika sadaka ya jioni nikasimama kwenye nafasi yangu nikiwa mnyenyekevu na nguo ilichanika na kanzu, na nikapiga magoti na kunyoosha mikono yangu kwa Yahwe Mungu wangu. Nikasema
6 I prayed, “My God, I am so ashamed and embarrassed to come and pray to you, my God, because we are in over our heads in sin, and our guilt has risen to the heavens.
“Mungu wangu, nina aibu na sistahili kuinua uso wangu kwako, makosa yetu yamekuwa hadi kuvuka kichwani na maovu yetu yameongezeka kufika mbinguni.
7 From the time of our forefathers to now, we have been deeply guilty. Because of our sins, we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the earth, killed and taken prisoner, robbed and humiliated, just like we are today.
Kuanzia siku ya watangulizi wetu mpaka sasa tumekuwa katika maovu makuu. Makosa yetu, viongozi, makuhani, walikuwa katika mikono ya mfalme wa dunia hii, katika upanga, matekani na kunyanyaswa na tuna aibu ya uso hata leo.
8 Now for a short time the Lord our God has given us grace, preserving a few of us as a remnant, and giving us safety in his holy place. Our God has brightened our lives by giving us some relief from our slavery.
sasa kwa kipindi kifupi, neema kutoka kwa Yahwe Mungu wetu imekuja kutuacha mabaki wachache na kutupa kuhimmili sehemu takatifu. Hii ilikuwa ni kwa ajili ya Mungu wetu kututia nuru macho yetu na kutupa unafuuu sisi tulio watumwa.
9 Though we are slaves, our God did not abandon us in our slavery, but he showed us his trustworthy love by making the kings of Persia kind to us, by reviving us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruined state, and by giving us a wall of protection around Judah and Jerusalem.
Kwa kuwa sisi tu watumwa, lakini Mungu bado hajatusahau lakini ameongeza agano la uaminifu kwetu, ameyatenda haya mbele ya macho ya mfalme wa Uajemi ili kwamba haweze kutupatia nguvu mpya. Ili kwamba tuweze kujenga nyumba ya Mungu na tuweze kuondoa majuto. Alitenda hayo ili kwamba aweze kutupatia msingi wa usalama katika Yuda na Yerusalem.
10 But now, our God, what do we have to say for ourselves after all this? For we have given up following your commands
Lakini sasa Mungu wetu, tuseme nini baaada ya haya? Tumesahau amri zako.
11 that you gave through your servants the prophets, telling us, ‘The land you are entering to become its owners is contaminated by the sins of its peoples, the disgusting religious practices that they have filled it with, from one side to the other.
amri ambazo uliwapa manabii watumishi wako, pale uliposema, “Nchi hii mnayoingia kuimiliki ni nchi chafu. Imechanganyikana na watu wasio na utaratibu. ameenea kutoka sehemu moja hadi nyingine kwa uchafu wao.
12 So do not let your daughters marry their sons, or allow their daughters marry your sons. Never make a peace or friendship treaty with them, so that you may live well and eat the good food the land produces, and give the land as an inheritance to your children forever.’
Hivyo sasa, msiwape binti zenu kwa watoto wao, msichukue binti zao kwa ajili ya watoto wenu, msitafute amani kwao na fadhili, ili kwamba muweze kuwa imara na kula vizuri vya nchi, hivyo utasababisha watoto wenu kumiliki kwa wakati wote.”
13 Now that we are receiving all this punishment because of our sinful actions and our terrible guilt—though you, our God, have not punished us as much as our sins deserve, and have still given us this remnant—
Baada ya yote kutokea kwetu kwa sababu ya uovu wetu na makosa yetu makuu, tokea hapo, Mungu wetu, hukutazama makosa yetu na kutuadhibu tulivyostahili na ukatuacha kama mabaki.
14 shall we break your commandments once again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these disgusting religious practices? Wouldn't you become so angry with us that you would destroy us? No remnant would be left, not a single survivor.
Tunaweza kuvunja tena amri zako na kuingiliana katika ndoa, na hawa watu wasiofuata utaratibu? Je hautachukia na kututowesha sote hakuna wa kubaki, hakuna wa kutoroka?
15 Lord, God of Israel, you do what is right. Today we're all that is left, a remnant. We are before you in our guilt, but no one can stand before you because of it.”
Yahwe, Mungu wa Israel, wewe ni mwenye haki, kwa kuwa tumebaki wachache mabaki hadi siku ya leo. Tazama, tuko mbele yako na makosa yetu, kwa kuwa hakuna hata mmoja anayeweza kusimama mbele kwa sababu ya hili.
