Ezra 9
1 Some time later, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many Israelis, and even some priests and [other men who are] descendants of Levi [who work in the temple], have not kept themselves from [doing what] the other people who are living in this land [do]. They are practicing the detestable things that the Canaan, Heth, Periz, Jebus, Ammon, and Amor people-groups, and the people from Moab and Egypt do.
Le nu siawo wɔwɔ vɔ megbe la, kplɔlawo va gbɔnye gblɔ nam be, “Israel blibo la, nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo hã, meɖe wo ɖokui ɖa tso dukɔ bubuwo abe Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Yebusitɔwo, Amonitɔwo, Moabtɔwo, Egiptetɔwo kple Amoritɔwo ene ƒe ŋunyɔnuwo gbɔ o.
2 [Specifically, some] Israeli men have married women who are not Israelis, and they have allowed their sons to do the same thing. So we, God’s sacred people, have become (contaminated/polluted in God’s sight). And some of our leaders and officials have been the first/worst ones to do this.”
Woawo ŋutɔ ɖe woƒe nyɔnuwo na wo ɖokui kple wo viŋutsuwo, eye wotsaka dukɔ kɔkɔe la kple dukɔ siwo ƒo xlã wo, eye kplɔlawo kple amegãwoe nɔ ŋgɔ le nuteƒemawɔmawɔ sia me.”
3 When I heard that, [I became very angry, with the result that] I tore my clothes and tore some hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down, very shocked/dismayed. [The Israelis knew that God had warned us that he would punish us if we disobeyed] what he had said to us [about marrying women who are not Israelis].
Esi mese nya siawo la, medze nye dziwui kple nye awu ʋlaya, mekaka nye taɖa kple ge eye menɔ anyi le nuxaxa me.
4 [So] many of the Israelis trembled/were afraid when they heard that some of those who had returned from Babylonia had sinned by disobeying the God of us Israelis like that. They came and sat with me until it was time to offer the evening sacrifices [of grain].
Tete ame siwo katã dzodzonyanya lé le Israel ƒe Mawu la ƒe nyawo ta la va ƒo xlãm le aboyometsolawo ƒe nuteƒemawɔmawɔ sia ta. Menɔ anyi de kɔ to kple nuxaxa nenema va se ɖe fiẽvɔsaɣi.
5 When it was time to offer those sacrifices, I was still sitting there, wearing those torn clothes and mourning/sad. I stood up, and then I quickly prostrated myself on the ground. I lifted up my hands to Yahweh, my God,
Le fiẽvɔsaɣi la, metsi tsitre tso nye ɖokuibɔbɔ la me, dziwui kple awu ʋlaya vuvu la nɔ ŋunye, eye meyi ɖadze klo, keke nye abɔwo me do ɖe Yehowa, nye Mawu la gbɔ,
6 and this is what I prayed: “Yahweh my God, I am very ashamed to raise my head in front of you. The sins that we Israelis have committed [are very great; it is as though they] have risen up higher than our heads, and our guilt [for committing those sins, it is as though it] rises up to the heavens.
hedo gbe ɖa be: “O nye Mawu, ŋu kpem eye nye mo tsi dãa ale gbegbe be nyemate ŋu awu mo dzi ɖe wò, nye Mawu la ŋuti o, elabena míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo kɔ gbɔ míaƒe tawo ŋu, eye míaƒe dzidadawo yi ɖatɔ dziƒo ke.
7 Since the time that our ancestors lived until now, we have been very guilty. That is the reason that we and our kings and our priests have been defeated by [the armies of] the kings of other lands. They killed [some of our people], they captured [some], they robbed [some], and they [caused them all to be] disgraced, just like we are today.
Tso mía fofowo ŋɔli ke va se ɖe fifia la, míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo kpe ŋutɔ. Le míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta la, wotsɔ yi he to na míawo ŋutɔ, míaƒe fiawo kple míaƒe nunɔlawo, eye woɖe aboyo mí. Dutafiawo ha mí, eye wodo ŋukpe mí abe ale si wòle egbea ene.
8 “But now, Yahweh God, you have been very kind to us. You have allowed some of us to (survive/continue to live). You have revived our spirits [IDM] and allowed us to escape from being slaves [in Babylonia] and to return safely [IDM] to live in this sacred place.
“Ke azɔ la, le ɣeyiɣi kpui siawo me la, Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la ve mía nu, gblẽ ame mamlɛawo ɖi na mí hena afɔɖoƒe sesẽ mí le eƒe kɔkɔeƒe la, ale míaƒe Mawu la na míaƒe ŋkuwo dzi kɔ kple gbɔdzɔe vi aɖe tso míaƒe kluvinyenye me.
9 We were slaves, but you did not abandon us. Instead, because you faithfully love us, you caused the kings of Persia to be very kind to us. You have allowed us to continue to live and to rebuild your temple which had been completely destroyed. You have allowed us to start to live safely here in Jerusalem and in [other towns in] Judah.
Togbɔ be míenye kluviwo hã la, míaƒe Mawu la megblẽ mí ɖe kluvinyenye me o. Ekpɔ nublanui na mí le Persia fiawo ƒe ŋkume. Ena agbe yeye mí be míagbugbɔ míaƒe Mawu la ƒe xɔ atu, eye míaɖɔ eƒe gli gbagbãwo ɖo. Ke eɖo dedinɔnɔ ƒe gli ƒo xlã mí le Yuda kple Yerusalem.
10 “Our God, what more can we say now [RHQ]? In spite of all that [you have done for us], we have disobeyed your commands.
“Ke azɔ la, O míaƒe Mawu, nu ka gblɔ ge míala le esia megbe? Elabena míegbe nu le wò sededewo gbɔ,
11 They are commands that you gave to your servants, the prophets, to tell to us. They said that the land that we would occupy was polluted because of the detestable/disgusting things that were done by the people who lived there. They said that in the land there were people from one end to the other who did immoral/shameful things.
se siwo nède to wò nyagblɔɖilawo dzi esi nègblɔ be, ‘Anyigba si dzi mieyina be miaxɔ la nye anyigba makɔmakɔ to edzinɔlawo ƒe ŋunyɔnuwo wɔwɔ me. Woto woƒe ŋunyɔnuwo wɔwɔ me tsɔ makɔmakɔnyenye yɔ edzii tso go ɖeka dzi, yi go bubu dzi.
12 They said, ‘Do not allow your daughters to marry their sons! Do not allow your sons to marry their daughters! Do not even try to cause things to go well for those people-groups! If you obey these instructions, your nation will be strong, and you will enjoy the good crops that grow on the land, and the land will belong to your descendants forever.’
Eya ta migatsɔ mia vinyɔnuwo na wo viŋutsuwo woaɖe alo aɖe wo vinyɔnuwo na mia viŋutsuwo o. Migabla ɖekawɔwɔ ƒe nu kpli wo ɣe aɖeke ɣi o, ale be miakpɔ ŋusẽ aɖu anyigba la ƒe nu nyuiwo, eye miagblẽ wo ɖi na mia viwo, woanye domenyinu mavɔ na wo.’
13 “You punished us because we were very guilty for having done wicked things. But you have not punished us as much as we deserve to be punished. [I say this because] you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive.
“Nu si dzɔ ɖe mia dzi la nye míaƒe nu tovo wɔwɔwo kple agɔ gã si míedze la ƒe metsonu. Ke hã la, wò, míaƒe Mawu, èhe to na mí vie ko. To si nèhe na mí la le sue wu esi míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo dze na, eye nèsusɔ amewo ɖi na mí abe esiawo ene.
14 However, some of us are again disobeying your commands, and we are marrying women who do those detestable things. If we continue to do that, surely you will get rid of all of us [RHQ], with the result that none of us will remain alive.
Ɖe míagada le wò seawo dzi, ahaɖe srɔ̃ tso ame siwo wɔ ŋunyɔnu siawo domea? Ɖe màdo dziku ɖe mía ŋu ale gbegbe be, nàtsrɔ̃ mí eye màgble ame aɖeke ɖi alo ame ɖeka hã teti natsi agbe oa?
15 Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship/belong to], you are fair/just. We are guilty. We are only a few people who have escaped [from Babylonia], but we pray to you, even though we do not deserve to stand in your presence.”
O Yehowa, Israel ƒe Mawu, wò la, èle dzɔdzɔe! Wogble mí ɖi egbea abe ame siwo susɔ la ene. Míawoe nye si le ŋkuwò me le míaƒe agɔdzedze me togbɔ be, le esia ta mía dometɔ ɖeka hɔ̃ɔ hã mate ŋu atsi tsitre ɖe ŋkuwò me o hafi hã.”
