< Ezra 10 >

1 While I was kneeling down in front of the temple and praying and crying, I was confessing [the sins that the Israeli people had committed]. Many people, men and women and children, gathered around me and also cried very much.
Ɛberɛ a Ɛsra bɔɔ mpaeɛ, kaa saa bɔne yi no, na ɔresu de ne ho toto fam wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim. Na nnipadɔm a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ, mmarima, mmaa ne mmɔfra bɛkaa ne ho ne no twaa adwo.
2 Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel from the clan of Elam, said this to me: “We have disobeyed God. [Some of] us have married women who are not Israelis. But we can still confidently expect [Yahweh to be merciful to] us Israeli people.
Na Yehiel babarima Sekania a ɔyɛ Elam aseni no ka kyerɛɛ Ɛsra sɛ, “Yɛpae mu ka sɛ yɛanni yɛn Onyankopɔn nokorɛ, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa a wɔwɔ asase no so. Nanso, yei akyi no, anidasoɔ wɔ hɔ ma Israel.
3 We will do what you, and the others who have an awesome respect for what our God has commanded, tell us to do. We will do what God told us in his laws. We will make an agreement with our God, saying that we will divorce our wives who are not Israelis, and we will send them away with their children.
Afei, momma yɛne yɛn Onyankopɔn nyɛ apam, na yɛnnyaa yɛn yerenom abosonsomfoɔ no awadeɛ, na yɛmpam wɔne wɔn mma. Yɛbɛtie afotuo a wo ne afoforɔ a wɔdi yɛn Onyankopɔn mmara no so de ama yɛn. Yɛbɛdi Onyankopɔn mmara no so.
4 (It is your responsibility to/Because you are our leader, you must) [tell us what to do]. So get up, and be courageous, and do [what is necessary]. We will (support you/tell people to do what you say).”
Ma wo bo nyɛ duru, ɛfiri sɛ, ɛyɛ wʼasɛdeɛ sɛ wokyerɛ yɛn ɛkwan a yɛbɛfa so ama biribiara akɔ so tee, na yɛde yɛn ahoɔden nyinaa bɛboa.”
5 So I stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests, the [other] descendants of Levi, and all [the other] Israeli people solemnly declare that they would do what Shecaniah said that they should do. So they all solemnly promised to do that.
Na Ɛsra sɔre gyinaeɛ, na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ asɔfoɔ no ntuanofoɔ, Lewifoɔ ne Israelfoɔ nyinaa nka ntam sɛ, wɔbɛyɛ deɛ Sekania aka no. Na wɔn nyinaa kaa ntam a ano yɛ den.
6 Then I went away from the front of the temple and went to the room where Jehohanan lived. I stayed there that night, but I did not eat or drink anything. I was still sad because some of the Israelis who had returned [from Babylonia] had not faithfully obeyed [God’s laws].
Na Ɛsra sɔre firii Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim kɔɔ Eliasib babarima Yehohanan dan mu. Ɔdaa hɔ, nanso wannidi annom. Na ɔda so di awerɛhoɔ ɛsiane asutwafoɔ a wɔasane aba no nokorɛ a wɔannie no enti.
7 Then we sent a message to all [the people in] Jerusalem and [in other towns in] Judah, saying that all those who had returned [from Babylonia] should come to Jerusalem immediately.
Afei, wɔbɔɔ dawuro Yuda ne Yerusalem nyinaa sɛ, asutwafoɔ a wɔasane aba no nyinaa mmra Yerusalem.
8 We said that if any of them did not arrive within three days, the leaders of the people would order that all the property of those people would be taken from them, and that they would no longer be considered to belong to the Israeli people; [they would be considered to be foreigners].
Na wɔn a wɔamma nnansa ntam no, sɛ ntuanofoɔ ne mpanimfoɔ pɛ a, wɔde wɔn nsa bɛto wɔn agyapadeɛ so, na wɔapam wɔn afiri asutwafoɔ no mu.
9 So within three days, on December 19, all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. They were there, sitting in the courtyard in front of the temple. They were trembling because it was raining hard and because they were worried [that they would be punished for what they had done].
Nnansa ntam no, na Yudafoɔ ne Benyaminfoɔ aboa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem. Asɛm yi sii wɔ Kislew bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnima) da a ɛtɔ so dunkron, na wɔn nyinaa tenatenaa adwaberem hɔ wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim. Na wɔn ho repopo, ɛfiri sɛ, deɛ ɛdi ɛkan no, na asɛm no mu yɛ duru, na deɛ ɛtɔ so mmienu no, na osuo nso retɔ.
10 Then I stood up and said to them, “[Some of] you men have committed a very bad sin. You have married women who are not Israelis. By doing that, you have made us Israeli people more guilty [than we were before].
Na ɔsɔfoɔ Ɛsra sɔre gyina kaa sɛ, “Moayɛ bɔne, ɛfiri sɛ, moawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa. Enti seesei, yɛwɔ afɔbuo a ano yɛ den mu sene kane deɛ no.
11 So now you must confess to Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped/belonged to], the sin which you have committed, and you must do what he wants. Separate yourselves from the people of other nations and from the women from those nations whom you have married.”
Mompae mu nka mo bɔne nkyerɛ Awurade, mo agyanom Onyankopɔn, na monyɛ nʼapɛdeɛ. Monte mo ho mfiri nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so ne abosonsomfoɔ mmaa no ho.”
12 The whole group answered, shouting loudly, “Yes, what you have said is right! We will do what you have said.”
Afei badwa no nyinaa maa wɔn nne so kaa sɛ, “Ampa, wʼasɛm no yɛ nokorɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ deɛ woaka no.
13 But then [one of] them said, “But we are a very large group, and it is raining hard. Also, there are many of us who have committed this bad sin. This is something that we cannot (take care of/handle) in one or two days, and we cannot stand here in this rain.
Wɔtoaa so sɛ: Yei nyɛ da koro anaa nnanu adwuma, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛn mu bebree na saa bɔne kɛseɛ yi ka yɛn. Saa ɛberɛ yi yɛ osutɔberɛ, enti yɛrentumi ntena ha nkyɛre.
14 So allow our leaders to decide for all of us what we should do. Tell everyone who has married a woman who is not Israeli to come at a time that you decide. They should come with the elders and judges from each city. If we do that, our God will stop being angry with us [because of what we have done].”
Momma yɛn mpanimfoɔ nsi yɛn anan nyɛ biribiara. Obiara a ɔware ɔbosonsomni baa no ne ntuanofoɔ ne atemmufoɔ a wɔwɔ kuro yi mu bɛhyia ɛberɛ a yɛahyɛ no sɛdeɛ ɛbɛyɛ a Onyankopɔn abufuhyeɛ a ɛfa saa asɛm yi ho no bɛfiri yɛn so.”
15 Jonathan the son of Asahel, Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai, a descendant of Levi, were the only ones who objected to this.
Asahel babarima Yonatan ne Tikwa babarima Yahasia na wɔtiaa saa asɛm yi mu, na Mesulam ne Sabetai a ɔyɛ Lewini no foaa wɔn so.
16 All the others who had returned from Babylonia said that they would do it. So I chose leaders of each of the clans, and I wrote down their names. On December 29, these men came and sat down to investigate the matter.
Enti, yei ne nhyehyɛeɛ a wɔfaa so. Ɛsra yii ntuanofoɔ maa wɔsii wɔn mmusua anan, na ɔde edin bi too ntuanoni biara so. Bosome Kislew (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnimaa) da a ɛtɔ so aduonu nkron no, ntuanofoɔ no tenaa ase hwehwɛɛ asɛm no mu.
17 By March 27 of the next year they finished determining which men had married women who were not Israelis.
Afe a ɛdi so no mu, Abib bosome (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛtɔ so aduonu nson no na wɔawie mmarima a wɔawareware abosonsomfoɔ mmaa no nyinaa ho asɛnka.
18 This is a list of the names of the priests who had married non-Israeli women, and the clans to which they belonged. From the clan of Jeshua and his brothers, who were sons of Jehozadak, there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
Asɔfoɔ a na wɔawareware abosonsomfoɔ no din nie: Yosadak babarima Yesua ne ne nuammarimanom: Maaseia, Elieser, Yarib ne Gedalia.
19 They solemnly promised to divorce their wives, and they each sacrificed a ram to be an offering [to atone] for their sins.
Wɔkaa ntam sɛ wɔbɛgyaa wɔn yerenom, wɔn mu biara gyee nʼafɔdie too mu, na wɔde nnwennini bɛbɔɔ ɛfɔdie ho afɔdeɛ.
20 From the clan of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah.
Imer abusua mu no: Hanani ne Sebadia.
21 From the clan of Harim there were Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
Harim abusua mu no: Maaseia, Elia, Semaia, Yehiel ne Usia.
22 From the clan of Pashhur there were Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
Pashur abusua mu no: Elioenai, Maaseia, Ismael, Netanel, Yosabad ne Elasa.
23 The [other] descendants of Levi [who had married non-Israeli women] were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (whose other name was Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Yeinom ne Lewifoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so: Yosabad, Simei, Kelaia, Kelita, Petahia, Yuda ne Elieser.
24 There was Eliashib the musician. From the temple guards there were Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
Dwomtofoɔ a na afɔdie da ne so no yɛ: Eliasib. Yeinom ne aponoanohwɛfoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so: Salum, Telem ne Uri.
25 This is a list of the names of the other Israelis who had married foreign wives: From the clan of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.
Yeinom ne nnipa bi a wɔyɛ Israelfoɔ a na afɔdie da wɔn so: Paros abusua mu no: Ramia, Yisia, Malkia, Miamin, Eleasa, Malkia ne Benaia.
26 From the clan of Elam there were Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
Elam abusua mu no: Matania, Sakaria, Yehiel, Abdi, Yeremot ne Elia.
27 From the clan of Zattu there were Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
Satu abusua mu no: Elioenai, Eliasib, Matania, Yeremot, Sabad ne Asisa.
28 From the clan of Bebai there were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
Bebai abusua mu no: Yehohanan, Hanania, Sabai ne Atlai.
29 From the clan of Bani there were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
Bani abusua mu no: Mesulam, Maluk, Adaia, Yasub, Seal ne Yeremot.
30 From the clan of Pahath-Moab there were Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
Pahat-Moab abusua mu no: Adna, Kelal, Benaia, Maaseia, Matania, Besaleel, Binui ne Manase.
31 From the clan of Harim there were Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
Harim abusua mu no: Elieser, Yisia, Malkia Semaia ne Simeon.
32 Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
Benyamin, Maluk ne Semaria.
33 From the clan of Hashum there were Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
Hasum abusua mu no: Matenai, Matata, Sabad, Elifelet, Yeremai, Manase ne Simei.
34 From the clan of Bigvai there were Maadai, Amram, Uel,
Bani abusua mu no: Maadai, Amram ne Uel,
35 Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
Benaia, Bedeia, Keluhi,
36 Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
Wania, Meremot, Eliasib,
37 Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
Matania, Matenai ne Yaasu.
38 From the clan of Binnui there were Shimei,
Binui abusua mu no: Simei,
39 Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
Selemia, Natan, Adaia,
40 Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
Maknadebai, Sasai, Sarai,
41 Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
Asarel, Selemia, Semaria,
42 Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
Salum, Amaria ne Yosef.
43 From the clan of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
Nebo abusua mu no: Yeiel, Matitia, Sabad, Sebina, Yadau, Yoɛl ne Benaia.
44 Each of those men had married a woman who was not an Israeli. [But immediately] they divorced those women and sent them and their children away.
Na mmarima yi mu biara aware ɔbosonsomni baa a na wɔn mu bi mpo ne wɔn yerenom yi wɔ mma.

< Ezra 10 >