Nehemiah 9

1 Now in the twenty and fourth day of this month the children of Israel were assembled with fasting, and with sackclothes, and earth upon them.

Katika siku ya ishirini na nne ya mwezi ule ule, Waisraeli walikusanyika pamoja, wakifunga na kuvaa nguo za gunia na kujitia mavumbi vichwani mwao.

2 And the seed of Israel separated themselves from all strangers, and stood and confessed their sins, and the iniquities of their fathers.

Wale wa uzao wa Israeli walijitenga na wageni wote. Wakasimama mahali pao, na kuungama dhambi zao na uovu wa baba zao.

3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the LORD their God [one] fourth part of the day; and [another] fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the LORD their God.

Wakasimama pale walipokuwa, wakasoma kutoka kwenye kile Kitabu cha Sheria ya Bwana Mungu wao kwa muda wa robo siku, na wakatumia robo nyingine kwa kuungama dhambi na kumwabudu Bwana Mungu wao.

4 Then stood up upon the stairs, of the Levites, Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, [and] Chenani, and cried with a loud voice unto the LORD their God.

Walawi wafuatao walikuwa wamesimama kwenye ngazi: Yeshua, Bani, Kadmieli, Shebania, Buni, Sherebia, Bani na Kenani. Hawa walimlilia Bwana Mungu wao kwa sauti kubwa.

5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabniah, Sherebiah, Hodijah, Shebaniah, [and] Pethahiah, said, Stand up [and] bless the LORD your God for ever and ever: and blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.

Nao Walawi Yeshua, Kadmieli, Bani, Hashabnea, Sherebia, Hodia, Shebania na Pethahia wakasema: “Simameni mkamsifu Bwana Mungu wenu, yeye ambaye ni Mungu tangu milele hata milele. “Libarikiwe jina lake tukufu, litukuzwe juu ya baraka zote na sifa.

6 Thou, [even] thou, [art] LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all [things] that [are] therein, the seas, and all that [is] therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

Wewe peke yako ndiwe Bwana. Uliziumba mbingu, hata mbingu za mbingu na jeshi lote la mbinguni, dunia na vyote vilivyo ndani yake, na pia bahari na vyote vilivyomo ndani yake. Huvipa vitu vyote uhai, nalo jeshi la mbinguni linakuabudu wewe.

7 Thou [art] the LORD the God, who didst choose Abram, and broughtest him forth out of Ur of the Chaldees, and gavest him the name of Abraham;

“Wewe ni Bwana Mungu uliyemchagua Abramu na kumtoa kutoka Uru ya Wakaldayo, nawe ukamwita Abrahamu.

8 And foundest his heart faithful before thee, and madest a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Jebusites, and the Girgashites, to give [it, I say], to his seed, and hast performed thy words; for thou [art] righteous:

Uliona kuwa moyo wake ni mwaminifu kwako, nawe ukafanya Agano naye kuwapa wazao wake nchi ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waamori, Waperizi, Wayebusi na Wagirgashi. Umetimiza ahadi yako kwa sababu wewe ni mwenye haki.

9 And didst see the affliction of our fathers in Egypt, and heardest their cry by the Red sea;

“Uliona mateso ya baba zetu huko Misri, ukasikia kilio chao huko Bahari ya Shamu.

10 And shewedst signs and wonders upon Pharaoh, and on all his servants, and on all the people of his land: for thou knewest that they dealt proudly against them. So didst thou get thee a name, as [it is] this day.

Ulituma ishara za miujiza na maajabu dhidi ya Farao, dhidi ya maafisa wake wote na watu wote wa nchi yake, kwa kuwa ulifahamu jinsi Wamisri walivyowafanyia ufidhuli. Ukajifanyia jina linalodumu hadi leo.

11 And thou didst divide the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on the dry land; and their persecutors thou threwest into the deeps, as a stone into the mighty waters.

Ukagawa bahari mbele yao, ili waweze kupita katikati yake penye nchi kavu, lakini uliwatupa Wamisri waliowafuatilia katika vilindi, kama jiwe kwenye maji mengi.

12 Moreover thou leddest them in the day by a cloudy pillar; and in the night by a pillar of fire, to give them light in the way wherein they should go.

Mchana uliwaongoza kwa nguzo ya wingu, na usiku kwa nguzo ya moto kuwamulikia njia iliyowapasa kuiendea.

13 Thou camest down also upon mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, and true laws, good statutes and commandments:

“Ulishuka katika Mlima Sinai, ukanena nao kutoka mbinguni. Uliwapa masharti na sheria zile ambazo ni za kweli na haki, pia amri na maagizo mazuri.

14 And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath, and commandedst them precepts, statutes, and laws, by the hand of Moses thy servant:

Uliwafahamisha Sabato yako takatifu na ukawapa amri, maagizo na sheria kupitia mtumishi wako Mose.

15 And gavest them bread from heaven for their hunger, and broughtest forth water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and promisedst them that they should go in to possess the land which thou hadst sworn to give them.

Katika njaa yao uliwapa mkate kutoka mbinguni, na katika kiu yao uliwatolea maji kutoka kwenye mwamba. Uliwaambia waingie na kuimiliki nchi ambayo ulikuwa umeapa kuwapa kwa mkono ulioinuliwa.

16 But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to thy commandments,

“Lakini wao, baba zetu, wakawa na kiburi na shingo ngumu, nao hawakutii maagizo yako.

17 And refused to obey, neither were mindful of thy wonders that thou didst among them; but hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage: but thou [art] a God ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and forsookest them not.

Wakakataa kusikiliza na kushindwa kukumbuka miujiza uliyoifanya miongoni mwao. Wakawa na shingo ngumu, na katika uasi wao wakamchagua kiongozi ili warudi kwenye utumwa wao. Lakini wewe ni Mungu mwenye kusamehe, mwenye neema na mwingi wa huruma, si mwepesi wa hasira, ni mwingi wa upendo. Kwa hiyo hukuwaacha,

18 Yea, when they had made them a molten calf, and said, This [is] thy God that brought thee up out of Egypt, and had wrought great provocations;

hata wakati walijitengenezea sanamu ya ndama ya kusubu na kusema, ‘Huyu ni mungu wenu, aliyewapandisha kutoka nchi ya Misri,’ au walipofanya makufuru makubwa.

19 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go.

“Kwa sababu ya huruma zako kuu hukuwaacha jangwani. Wakati wa mchana ile nguzo ya wingu haikukoma kuwaongoza katika njia yao, wala nguzo ya moto haikuacha kuwamulikia usiku njia iliyowapasa kuiendea.

20 Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst.

Uliwapa Roho wako mwema ili kuwafundisha. Hukuwanyima mana yako vinywani mwao, nawe ukawapa maji kwa ajili ya kiu yao.

21 Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, [so that] they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.

Kwa miaka arobaini uliwatunza jangwani. Hawakukosa chochote, na nguo zao hazikuchakaa wala miguu yao haikuvimba.

22 Moreover thou gavest them kingdoms and nations, and didst divide them into corners: so they possessed the land of Sihon, and the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og king of Bashan.

“Uliwapa falme na mataifa, ukiwagawia hata mipaka ya mbali. Wakaimiliki nchi ya Sihoni mfalme wa Heshboni, na nchi ya Ogu mfalme wa Bashani.

23 Their children also multipliedst thou as the stars of heaven, and broughtest them into the land, concerning which thou hadst promised to their fathers, that they should go in to possess [it].

Uliwafanya wana wao kuwa wengi kama nyota za angani, nawe ukawaleta katika nchi ambayo uliwaambia baba zao kuingia na kuimiliki.

24 So the children went in and possessed the land, and thou subduedst before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gavest them into their hands, with their kings, and the people of the land, that they might do with them as they would.

Wana wao wakaingia na kuimiliki nchi. Uliwatiisha Wakanaani mbele yao, walioishi katika nchi, ukawatia Wakanaani mikononi mwao, pamoja na wafalme wao na watu wa nchi, wawafanyie kama wapendavyo.

25 And they took strong cities, and a fat land, and possessed houses full of all goods, wells digged, vineyards, and oliveyards, and fruit trees in abundance: so they did eat, and were filled, and became fat, and delighted themselves in thy great goodness.

Wakateka miji yenye ngome na nchi yenye rutuba, wakamiliki nyumba zilizojazwa na vitu vizuri vya kila aina, visima vilivyochimbwa tayari, mashamba ya mizabibu, mashamba ya mizeituni na miti yenye matunda kwa wingi. Wakala, wakashiba nao wakanawiri sana, wakajifurahisha katika wema wako mwingi.

26 Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against thee, and cast thy law behind their backs, and slew thy prophets which testified against them to turn them to thee, and they wrought great provocations.

“Lakini hawakukutii nao wakaasi dhidi yako, wakatupa sheria zako nyuma yao. Wakawaua manabii wako, waliowaonya ili wakurudie, na wakafanya makufuru makubwa.

27 Therefore thou deliveredst them into the hand of their enemies, who vexed them: and in the time of their trouble, when they cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and according to thy manifold mercies thou gavest them saviours, who saved them out of the hand of their enemies.

Hivyo ukawatia mikononi mwa adui zao, ambao waliwatesa. Lakini walipoteswa, wakakulilia wewe. Kutoka mbinguni uliwasikia, nawe kwa huruma zako kuu ukawapa waokozi, waliowaokoa kutoka mikononi mwa adui zao.

28 But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest [them] from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

“Lakini mara walipokuwa na raha, wakafanya maovu tena machoni pako. Kisha ukawaacha mikononi mwa adui zao, nao wakawatawala. Walipokulilia tena, ukasikia kutoka mbinguni, na kwa huruma zako ukawaokoa kila mara.

29 And testifiedst against them, that thou mightest bring them again unto thy law: yet they dealt proudly, and hearkened not unto thy commandments, but sinned against thy judgments, (which if a man do, he shall live in them; ) and withdrew the shoulder, and hardened their neck, and would not hear.

“Ukawaonya warudi katika sheria yako, lakini wakawa na kiburi na hawakutii amri zako. Wakatenda dhambi dhidi ya maagizo yako ambayo kwayo mtu ataishi kama akiyatii. Kwa ukaidi wakakugeuzia kisogo, wakawa na shingo ngumu na wakakataa kusikiliza.

30 Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands.

Kwa miaka mingi ulikuwa mvumilivu kwao. Kwa njia ya Roho wako ukawaonya kupitia manabii wako. Hata hivyo hawakujali, basi ukawatia mikononi mwa mataifa jirani.

31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies’ sake thou didst not utterly consume them, nor forsake them; for thou [art] a gracious and merciful God.

Lakini kwa rehema zako kuu hukuwakomesha wala kuwaacha, kwa kuwa wewe ni Mungu mwenye neema na rehema.

32 Now therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the terrible God, who keepest covenant and mercy, let not all the trouble seem little before thee, that hath come upon us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our fathers, and on all thy people, since the time of the kings of Assyria unto this day.

“Basi sasa, Ee Mungu wetu, uliye mkuu, mwenye nguvu na Mungu wa kuogofya, mwenye kushika agano lake la upendo, usiache taabu hizi zote zionekane kuwa kitu kidogo mbele za macho yako, taabu hizi zilizotupata, juu ya wafalme wetu na viongozi, juu ya makuhani wetu na manabii, juu ya baba zetu na watu wako wote, tangu siku za wafalme wa Ashuru hadi leo.

33 Howbeit thou [art] just in all that is brought upon us; for thou hast done right, but we have done wickedly:

Katika hayo yote yaliyotupata, umekuwa mwenye haki, na umetenda kwa uaminifu, wakati sisi tumetenda mabaya.

34 Neither have our kings, our princes, our priests, nor our fathers, kept thy law, nor hearkened unto thy commandments and thy testimonies, wherewith thou didst testify against them.

Wafalme wetu, viongozi wetu, makuhani wetu na baba zetu hawakufuata sheria yako. Hawakuzingatia amri zako wala maonyo uliyowapa.

35 For they have not served thee in their kingdom, and in thy great goodness that thou gavest them, and in the large and fat land which thou gavest before them, neither turned they from their wicked works.

Hata walipokuwa wangali katika ufalme wao, wakiufurahia wema wako mkuu katika nchi kubwa na yenye rutuba uliyowapa, hawakukutumikia wala kugeuka kutoka njia zao mbaya.

36 Behold, we [are] servants this day, and [for] the land that thou gavest unto our fathers to eat the fruit thereof and the good thereof, behold, we [are] servants in it:

“Lakini tazama, sisi ni watumwa leo, watumwa katika nchi uliyowapa baba zetu ili wapate kula matunda yake na vitu vingine vizuri inayozalisha.

37 And it yieldeth much increase unto the kings whom thou hast set over us because of our sins: also they have dominion over our bodies, and over our cattle, at their pleasure, and we [are] in great distress.

Kwa sababu ya dhambi zetu, mavuno yake mengi huenda kwa wafalme uliowaweka watutawale. Wanatawala juu ya miili yetu na mifugo yetu kama wapendavyo. Tuko katika dhiki kuu.

38 And because of all this we make a sure [covenant], and write [it; ] and our princes, Levites, [and] priests, seal [unto it].

“Kwa sababu ya haya yote, tunajifunga katika mapatano, na kuyaandika, nao viongozi wetu, Walawi wetu na makuhani wetu wanatia mihuri yao.”