Nehemiah 5
1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
Saa bere no mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfo Yudafo no.
2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
Wɔkae se, “Yɛwɔ mmusua a emu nnipa dɔɔso. Yehia sika a ɛdɔɔso kakra a yɛde bɛtɔ aduan adi anya ahoɔden.”
3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛde yɛn mfuw, bobe nturo ne yɛn afi asisi awowa sɛnea yebenya aduan wɔ ɔkɔm bere mu.”
4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuw ne bobeturo bo yɛ pɛ de atua yɛn sonkahiri.
5 Even though we are the same people as our creditors and though our children are the same as their children, yet we going to have to turn our sons and daughters into slaves. In fact some of our daughters have already been enslaved, but we can't do anything about it, because our fields and our vineyards are now owned by others.”
Yefi abusua koro mu, na yɛn mma te sɛ wɔn de. Nanso ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔn yɛn mma, de wɔn kɔ nkoasom mu ansa na yenya sika de ahwɛ yɛn ho. Yɛatɔn yɛn mmabea bi dedaw, na yentumi nyɛ ho hwee, efisɛ yɛde yɛn mfuw ne bobeturo asisi awowa ama afoforo.”
6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuw yiye.
7 I thought it over and then I went to argue with the nobles and officials, telling them, “You are charging your own brothers interest!” So I called a large meeting to deal with them.
Medwenee saa asɛm no ho, na mekasa tiaa atitiriw ne adwumayɛfo no. Meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monam nsiho a mugye fi mo ara mo nkurɔfo bosea a wɔbɔ so no hyɛ wɔn so.” Na mefrɛɛ ɔmanfo nhyiamu kaa ho asɛm.
8 There I told them, “We have done as much as we can to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers as slaves! Are you expecting to sell them back to us?” They kept quiet because they couldn't think of anything to say.
Nhyiamu no ase no, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Yɛn a yɛaka no, yɛrebɔ yɛn ho mmɔden sɛ yebetumi agye yɛn abusuafo Yudafo a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn wɔn ho ma ahɔho abosonsomfo no. Nanso moresan atɔn wɔn akɔ nkoasom mu bio. Da biara na ɛsɛ sɛ yegye wɔn ana?” Na wɔantumi anka asɛm biara anyi wɔn ho ano.
9 “What you're doing isn't right,” I told them. “Don't you think you should respect our God so that enemy nations don't criticize us?
Afei, mekɔɔ so kae se, “Nea moreyɛ no nye. Ɛsɛ sɛ monantew Onyamesuro mu, sɛnea atamfo aman no nnya kwan mfa mo nyɛ aserewde.
10 I, as well as my brothers and my men have been have been lending the people money and food. Please, let's stop this business of charging interest!
Mʼankasa ne me nuanom mmarima ne mʼadwumayɛfo bɔ ɔmanfo no sika ne atoko bosea, nanso afei momma yennyae boseabɔ no.
11 Give them back right now their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the one percent interest on the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been charging them.”
Nnɛ yi ara, ɛsɛ sɛ mode wɔn mfuw, bobeturo, ngodua mfuw ne wɔn afi ma wɔn. Muntua nsiho a mugyee wɔn wɔ sika, atoko, nsa ne ngo bosea a mobɔɔ wɔn no mma wɔn.”
12 “We will give it back,” they replied, “and we won't demand anything more from them. We'll do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and made the nobles and officials swear an oath that they'd do what they had promised.
Na wobuae se, “Yɛde biribiara bɛma na yɛremmisa biribiara mfi nnipa no nkyɛn bio. Yɛbɛyɛ nea woka no.” Afei, mefrɛɛ asɔfo no, na memaa atitiriw no ne adwumayɛfo no kaa ntam sɛ wobedi wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
13 I shook out the folds of my robe and said, “This is how my God will shake you out of your homes and out of your possessions if you don't keep your promise! If you don't, you'll be shaken out and end up with nothing!” Everyone there said, “Amen,” and praised the Lord. The people did what they'd promised.
Meporow me batakari mu mu kae se, “Sɛ mubu bɔ a moahyɛ no so a, Onyankopɔn mporow mo mfi mo afi mu ne mo agyapade ho!” Bagua no gyee so se, “Amen.” Na wɔkamfoo Awurade. Na nnipa no dii wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
14 In addition to this, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me as governor in the land of Judah, which was from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year, a total of twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food which was allocated to the governor.
Bio, mfe dumien a ɛyɛ ɔhene Artasasta ahenni mfe aduonu kosi mfe aduasa abien so a meyɛɛ amrado wɔ Yuda no, me ne mʼadwumayɛfo nnyee yɛn akɔnhamabɔde da.
15 But the governors before me had placed a heavy burden on the people, taking forty shekels of silver from them as well as food and wine. Their assistants also extorted the people. But because of my respect for God I didn't act like that.
Eyi ne nsonoe kɛse a ɛda yɛne amradofo a wodii kan no ntam, efisɛ wɔde asodi kɛse too ɔmanfo no so. Na daa wogye nnuan ne nsa ka dwetɛ a ɛkari gram ahannan ne aduosia ho fi nnipa no hɔ. Mpo, wɔn aboafo faa ho didii ɔmanfo no ho. Nanso esiane suro a na misuro Onyankopɔn no nti, mamfa saa kwan no so.
16 I also made rebuilding the wall my top priority, and I assigned all my workers to help with that. We didn't acquire any land for ourselves.
Mikum me ho maa ɔfasu no ho adwumayɛ, na mampɛ sɛ menya asase biara. Mehwɛɛ sɛ mʼadwumayɛfo nyinaa de wɔn bere bɛyɛ adwuma wɔ fasu no ho.
17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
Mammisa hwee, nso na bere biara mema Yudafo adwumayɛfo ɔha aduonum didi wɔ me didipon so a, ahɔho a wofifi nsase foforo so no nka ho.
18 Every day I paid for one ox, six good sheep, and poultry. Every ten days I paid for a large supply of all kinds of wine. But I never demanded the governor's food allowance, because the people were already carrying a heavy burden.
Nneɛma a na ɛho hia me da biara a ɛyɛ mʼankasa me ka no yɛ nantwi baako, nguan akɛse asia ne nkokɔ bebree. Na nnafua du biara, na ɛsɛ sɛ yenya nsa ahorow nyinaa bi. Nanso mannye amrado akɔnhamabɔde biara, efisɛ na ɔmanfo no wɔ ahokyere mu dedaw.
19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
Me Nyankopɔn, kae nea mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
