Nehemiah 5
1 Around this time some people and their wives started a tremendous argument with the other Jews.
Saa ɛberɛ yi mu mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfoɔ Yudafoɔ.
2 They were complaining, “Our families are so large we need more food so we can eat and live.”
Wɔkaa sɛ, “Yɛwɔ mmusua a emu nnipa dɔɔso. Yɛhia sika a ɛdɔɔso kakra a yɛde bɛtɔ aduane adi anya ahoɔden.”
3 Others added, “We've had to mortgage our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to buy food during the famine.”
Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn mfuo, bobe nturo ne yɛn afie asisi awowa sɛdeɛ yɛbɛnya aduane wɔ ɛkɔm ɛberɛ mu.”
4 Still more said, “We've had to borrow money on our fields and vineyards to pay the king's tax.
Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuo ne bobefuo ano boɔ yɛ pɛ, de atua yɛn apeatoɔ.
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.”
Yɛfiri abusua korɔ mu, na yɛn mma te sɛ wɔn deɛ. Nanso, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔn yɛn mma, de wɔn kɔ nkoasom mu ansa na yɛanya sika de ahwɛ yɛn ho. Yɛatɔn yɛn mmammaa bi dada, na yɛrentumi nyɛ ho hwee, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛde yɛn mfuo ne bobefuo asisi awowa ama afoforɔ.”
6 I became very angry when I heard them protesting their grievances.
Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuu yie.
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 yi ho, na mekasa tiaa atitire ne adwumayɛfoɔ no. Meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monam nsiho a mogye firi mo ara mo nkurɔfoɔ bosea a wɔbɔ so no hyɛ wɔn so.” Na mefrɛɛ ɔmanfoɔ 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, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Yɛn a yɛaka no, yɛrebɔ yɛn ho mmɔden sɛ yɛbɛtumi agye yɛn abusuafoɔ Yudafoɔ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn wɔn ho ma ahɔhoɔ abosonsomfoɔ. Nanso, moresan atɔn wɔn akɔ nkoasom mu bio. Ɛda biara na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛgye wɔn anaa?” 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 kaa sɛ, “Deɛ moreyɛ no nyɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ monante Onyamesuro mu, sɛdeɛ atamfoɔ aman no nnya kwan mfa mo nyɛ aseredeɛ.
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 mʼadwumayɛfoɔ bɔ ɔmanfoɔ no sika ne atokoɔ bosea, nanso, afei momma yɛnnyae 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.”
Ɛnnɛ yi ara, ɛsɛ sɛ mode wɔn mfuo, bobeturo, ngo dua mfuo ne wɔn afie ma wɔn. Montua nsiho a mogyee wɔn wɔ sika, atokoɔ, nsã ne ngo bosea a mobɔɔ wɔn no ho 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 wɔbuaa sɛ, “Yɛde biribiara bɛma na yɛremmisa biribiara mfiri nnipa no nkyɛn bio. Yɛbɛyɛ deɛ woka no.” Afei, mefrɛɛ asɔfoɔ no, na memaa atitire no ne adwumayɛfoɔ no kaa ntam sɛ, wɔbɛdi 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.
Meporoo mʼabɔɔmu mu kaa sɛ, “Sɛ mobu ɛbɔ a moahyɛ no so a, Onyankopɔn mporo mo mfiri mo afie mu ne mo agyapadeɛ ho!” Badwa no gyee so sɛ, “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.
Na mepɛ sɛ meka sɛ, mfeɛ dumienu a ɛyɛ ɔhene Artasasta ahennie mfeɛ aduonu kɔsi mfeɛ aduasa mmienu so a meyɛɛ amrado wɔ Yuda no, me ne mʼadwumayɛfoɔ nnyee yɛn akɔnhomabɔdeɛ 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.
Yei ne nsonsonoeɛ kɛseɛ a ɛda yɛne amradofoɔ a wɔdii ɛkan no ntam, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde asodie kɛseɛ too ɔmanfoɔ no so. Na daa wɔgye nnuane ne nsã ka a ɛkari gram ahanan ne aduosia ho firi nnipa no hɔ. Mpo, wɔn aboafoɔ faa ho didii ɔmanfoɔ no ho. Nanso, ɛsiane suro a na mesuro Onyankopɔn no enti, mamfa saa ɛkwan 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.
Mekum me ho maa ɔfasuo no ho adwumayɛ, na mampɛ sɛ mɛnya asase biara. Mehwɛɛ sɛ mʼadwumayɛfoɔ nyinaa de wɔn berɛ bɛyɛ adwuma wɔ ɔfasuo no ho.
17 I had 150 Jews and officials eating at my table, as well as visitors from nearby countries.
Mammisa hwee, nso na ɛberɛ biara mema Yudafoɔ adwumayɛfoɔ ɔha aduonum didi wɔ me didipono so a, ahɔhoɔ a wɔfifiri nsase foforɔ so 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 nantwie baako, nnwan akɛseɛ nsia ne nkokɔ bebree. Na dadu biara, na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛnya nsã ahodoɔ nyinaa bi. Nanso, mannye amrado akɔnhomabɔdeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔmanfoɔ no wɔ ahokyere mu dada.
19 Please remember me positively, my God, for all that I've done for this people.
Ao me Onyankopɔn, kae deɛ mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
