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.
Pea ʻi he fai ʻo ʻosi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, naʻe haʻu ai ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki kiate au, ʻo pehē, ʻOku teʻeki vahevahe ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻo ʻIsileli, mo e kau taulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, mei he kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ʻi he fai ʻo fakatatau ki heʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻio, ʻoe kakai Kēnani, mo e kakai Heti, mo e kakai Pelesi, mo e kakai Sepusi, mo e kakai ʻAmoni, mo e kakai ʻAmoli.
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.”
He kuo nau ʻomi honau ngaahi ʻofefine moʻonautolu, pea mo honau ngaahi foha: ko ia kuo fakafehakoʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻe he hako māʻoniʻoni mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua ko ia: ʻio, kuo kau lahi ʻae nima ʻoe houʻeiki mo e ngaahi pule ʻi he meʻa hala ni.
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].
Pea ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he meʻa ni, naʻaku hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau fusi hoku ngaahi fulufuluʻi ʻulu mei hoku ʻulu, pea mo ʻeku kava, peau nofo ki lalo ʻo tāfuʻua.
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].
Pea naʻe kātoa kiate au ʻakinautolu taki taha kotoa pē naʻe tetetete ki he ngaahi folofola ʻae ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e meʻa ʻi he talangataʻa ʻokinautolu naʻe fetuku fakapōpula: peau nofo tāfuʻua pe ʻo aʻu ki he feilaulau fakaefiafi.
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,
Pea ʻi he feilaulau fakaefiafi ne u tuʻu hake mei heʻeku māfasia; peau hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau tūʻulutui ʻi hoku tui, peau mafao atu hoku nima kia Sihova ko hoku ʻOtua,
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.
Pea naʻaku pehē, “ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ʻoku ou mā pea kula hoku mata ke hiki hake hoku mata kiate koe, ʻe hoku ʻOtua: he kuo tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻemau ngaahi hia ʻi ʻolunga ki homau ʻulu, pea ko ʻemau fai hala kuo tupu hake ki he ngaahi langi.
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.
Talu mei he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻemau ngaahi tamai kuo mau moʻua ʻi he hala lahi ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni; pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau ngaahi hia, naʻe tukuange ai ʻakimautolu, mo homau ngaahi tuʻi, mo homau ngaahi taulaʻeiki, ki he nima ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ki he heletā, pea ki he pōpula, pea ki he maumau, pea ki he puputuʻu ʻoe mata, ʻo hangē ʻi he ʻaho ni.
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.
Pea ko eni kuo fakahā ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he kuonga siʻi meia Sihova ko homau ʻOtua, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ha toenga [kakai], ke hoa, pea ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae faʻo ʻi hono potu māʻoniʻoni, koeʻuhi ke fakamaama homau mata ʻe homau ʻOtua, pea foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake siʻi ʻi homau nofo pōpula.
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.
He ko e kau tangata hopoate ʻakimautolu; ka naʻe ʻikai liʻaki ʻakimautolu ʻe homau ʻOtua ʻi heʻemau nofo pōpula, ka kuo fakahoko ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake, ke fokotuʻu ʻae fale ʻo homau ʻOtua, pea ke fakafoʻou hono ngaahi potu maumau pea ke foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae ʻā maka ʻi Siuta pea ʻi Selūsalema.
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.
Pea ko eni, ʻE homau ʻOtua, ko e hā te mau lea [ʻaki ]hili ʻae meʻa ni kotoa pē? He kuo mau liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau,
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.
ʻAia naʻa ke fekau ʻi hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau palōfita, ʻo pehē, Ko e fonua ʻoku mou ʻalu ke maʻu, ko e fonua taʻemaʻa ia ʻi he ngaahi angaʻuli ʻoe kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, mo ʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻaia kuo nau fakafonu ʻaki ia mei hono potu ʻe taha ki hono potu ʻe taha ʻi heʻenau anga taʻemaʻa;
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.’
Pea ko eni, ʻoua naʻa mou foaki homou ngaahi ʻofefine ki honau ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou toʻo honau ngaahi ʻofefine mo homou ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou kumi ki heʻenau melino pe ki heʻenau koloa ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ke mou mālohi, pea kai ʻae lelei ʻoe fonua, pea tuku ia ko e ʻapi tofiʻa ki hoʻomou fānau ke taʻengata.
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.
Pea hili ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kimautolu ʻi heʻemau ngaahi ngāue kovi, pea ʻi heʻemau hala lahi, he ko koe ko homau ʻOtua kuo siʻi hifo hao tautea ʻakimautolu kae lahi ʻemau ngaahi hia, pea kuo ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae ngaahi fakamoʻui pehē ni;
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.
He te mau toe liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau, pea hoko ʻo fakataha ʻakimautolu mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi angakovi ni? Pea ʻikai te ke houhau ai kiate kimautolu ke ʻoua ke fakaʻauha ʻakimautolu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha niʻihi ʻe toe, pe ha meʻa ke hao ai?
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.”
ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku ke māʻoniʻoni koe: he ʻoku mau kei nofo hao pe, ʻo hangē ko e ʻaho ni: vakai, ʻoku mau ʻi ho ʻao ʻi heʻemau ngaahi angahala: he ʻoku ʻikai te mau faʻa tuʻu ʻi ho ʻao koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni.”
