< Daniel 9 >
1 Le Ahasuerus (Mediatɔ ƒe vi), Darius, ame si wotsɔ ɖo fiae ɖe Babilonia fiaɖuƒea nu ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe gbãtɔ me la,
[Now I am going to tell you about what happened] when Darius, who was from the Mede people-group and who was the son of Xerxes, ruled as the King of Babylonia.
2 nye Daniel, mese egɔme tso Ŋɔŋlɔ Kɔkɔe la me, tso nya si Yehowa tsɔ na Nyagblɔɖila Yeremia me, be Yerusalem ƒe aƒedozuzu anɔ anyi ƒe blaadre.
During the first year that he was the king, I, Daniel, was studying/reading the [holy] books/Scriptures the message that Yahweh had given to the prophet Jeremiah. In that message Jeremiah had written that Jerusalem would [be destroyed and] remain ruined for seventy years.
3 Ale metrɔ ɖe Yehowa, nye Mawu ŋu eye meƒo koko nɛ to gbedodoɖa, kukuɖeɖe, nutsitsidɔ, akpanyatata kple dzowɔsisi me.
[After I read that], I pleaded to Yahweh my God [to help us], praying and (fasting/abstaining from eating food). [While doing that, I was wearing] rough cloth and [sitting in] ashes [to show that I was very sad about what was going to happen to us].
4 Medo gbe ɖa na Yehowa, nye Mawu eye meʋu nye nu vɔ̃ me be, “O Yehowa, Mawu gã si ŋu ŋɔdzi le, ame si léa lɔlɔ̃ ƒe nubabla me ɖe asi na ame siwo katã lɔ̃nɛ eye wowɔa eƒe sewo dzi,
I confessed [the sins that we had committed], and [this is what I] prayed: Lord, you are great and awesome! You have faithfully done what you said that you would do for us. You faithfully love those who love you and who do what you have commanded [that they should do].
5 míewɔ nu vɔ̃ eye míeda vo. Míesẽ ŋuta eye míedze aglã. Míeɖe asi le wò ɖoɖowo kple sewo ŋuti.
But we [Israelis] have sinned. We have done things that are wrong. We have done wicked things, and we have rebelled [against you]. We have turned away from [obeying] your commands [DOU].
6 Míeɖo to wò dɔla nyagblɔɖilawo, ame siwo ƒo nu le wò ŋkɔ me na míaƒe fiawo, dumegãwo kple mía fofowo kple anyigbadzitɔwo katã o.
Your prophets spoke for you [MTY], [giving your messages to] kings, to our other rulers, to our [other] ancestors, and to all the Israeli people, but we have refused to (pay attention to/heed) those prophets.
7 “Aƒetɔ, ènye dzɔdzɔetɔ, ke egbe la, ŋukpe lé mí, Yudatɔwo kple Yerusalemtɔwo kple Israelviwo katã, kpuiƒetɔwo kple didiƒetɔwo siaa, le dukɔ siwo me nèka mí hlẽ ɖo le míaƒe nuteƒemawɔmawɔ na wò ta.
Lord, you always do what is righteous/just/fair, but we have caused ourselves to be ashamed [IDM]. This is [still] true about all of the Israelis who live in Jerusalem and who live in other places in Judea. It is [also] true about all us Israelis whom you scattered, who [were taken to] other countries, some near [Israel] and some far away, because we were very unfaithful/disloyal to you.
8 O Yehowa, ŋukpe lé mí, míaƒe fiawo, míaƒe dumegãwo kple mía fofowo le ale si míeda vo ɖe ŋuwò la ta.
Lord, we and our kings and our other rulers and our [other] ancestors have done very shameful things and have sinned against you.
9 Aƒetɔ, mía Mawu la kpɔa nublanui eye wòtsɔa nu vɔ̃ kena togbɔ be míedze aglã ɖe eŋu hã.
Although we have rebelled against you, you act mercifully [toward us] and you [are willing/ready] to forgive us.
10 Míeɖo to Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la o, eye míelé se siwo wòde na mí to eƒe dɔla, nyagblɔɖilawo dzi la me ɖe asi o.
Yahweh our God, when you gave your laws to your prophets who served you, and they told us to conduct our lives according to those laws, we did not (listen to/heed) you.
11 Israel blibo la da le wò sewo dzi, wotrɔ le yowòme, eye wogbe toɖoɖo wò eya ta wotrɔ fiƒode kple atam siwo woŋlɔ ɖe Mawu ƒe dɔla Mose ƒe sewo me la, kɔ ɖe mía dzi elabena míewɔ nu vɔ̃ ɖe ŋutiwò.
All [of us] Israeli people have disobeyed your laws, and we have turned away from [obeying] what you said. We have sinned against you. As a result, [you] have caused us to experience the terrible things that your servant Moses said/wrote [would happen to us] if we sinned against you.
12 Èwɔ nya siwo wogblɔ ɖe míawo kple míaƒe dziɖulawo ŋu la dzi, to dzɔgbevɔ̃e gã hehe va mía dzi me. Le dziƒo blibo la te la, womewɔ naneke kpɔ abe nu si wowɔ Yerusalem la ene o.
You warned us and our rulers that you would punish Jerusalem severely by causing a great disaster there, a disaster that would be worse than any disaster that any other city had ever experienced, and you have done what you said that you would do.
13 Abe ale si woŋlɔ ɖe Mose ƒe sewo me ene la, dzɔgbevɔ̃e sia katã dzɔ ɖe mía dzi, míedi Yehowa, mía Mawu la ƒe amenuveve to asiɖeɖe le míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ŋu kple ŋkuléle ɖe wò nyateƒe la ŋu me o.
[You] punished us just like Moses wrote [that you would do]. But, Yahweh our God, we still have not tried, by turning away from our sinning and by heeding your truth, to persuade you to act mercifully toward us.
14 Yehowa mehe ɖe megbe le dzɔgbevɔ̃e la hehe va mía dzi me o elabena Yehowa, míaƒe Mawu la dzɔdzɔetɔe wònye le nu sia nu si wòwɔna la me gake míeɖo toe o.
So, because we did not obey you, you prepared to punish us, and [then] you did punish us, because you always do what is righteous/just/fair.
15 “Azɔ la, O Aƒetɔ, mía Mawu, wò ame si kplɔ wò amewo do goe tso Egipte kple asi sesẽ eye nède ŋkɔ ɖokuiwò ŋu, ŋkɔ si le ŋuwò va ɖo egbe sia, míewɔ nu vɔ̃ eye míeda vo.
O Lord our God, you brought your people out of Egypt by your great power [MTY], and by doing that you have caused people from that time until the present time to know that you are great [IDM] [even though] we have sinned and done wicked things.
16 O Aƒetɔ, le wò nu dzɔdzɔewo katã wɔwɔ me la, na wò dziku kple dɔmedzoe helĩhelĩ naɖe ɖa le Yerusalem, wò du kple wò to kɔkɔe la ŋu. Míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo kple mía fofowo ƒe dzidadawo na Yerusalem kple wò amewo zu fewuɖunu na ame siwo katã ƒo xlã mí.
Lord, Jerusalem is your city, and [your temple was built there] on your sacred hill. Now all the people who live in nearby [countries/nations] despise Jerusalem and [us] your people because of our sins and because of the evil things that our ancestors did. But [now], because you do what is righteous/just, [we ask you to] not be angry with Jerusalem any longer.
17 “Azɔ, mía Mawu, se wò dɔla ƒe gbedodoɖa kple kokoƒoƒo. Le wò ŋutɔ ta, O Aƒetɔ, kpɔ wò Kɔkɔeƒe si zu aƒedo la ɖa kple amenuveve.
O Lord our God, listen to what I am praying and pleading [for you to do]. (For your own sake/In order that people will know that you are very great), act kindly [IDM] concerning your temple, which was destroyed [by the armies of Babylonia].
18 Ɖo to, O Mawu eye nàse nu; ʋu wò ŋkuwo eye nàkpɔ wò du si ŋu wò Ŋkɔ le la ƒe aƒedozuzu ɖa. Míele nu biam wò le míaƒe dzɔdzɔenyenye ta o, ke boŋ le wò nublanuikpɔkpɔ gã la ta.
My God, listen [to my prayer]. Look [at us] and see our troubles, and see that this city that belongs to you [MTY] has been ruined/destroyed. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done what is right/good.
19 O Aƒetɔ, ƒu to anyi! O Aƒetɔ, tsɔe ke dzro! O Aƒetɔ, se nu eye nàwɔ nu! Le wò ŋutɔ ta, O nye Mawu, mègahe ɖe megbe o elabena wò Ŋkɔ le wò du kple wò amewo ŋu.”
Lord, listen [to us]! Lord, forgive us! Lord, this city and these people belong to you, so [we plead with you to] heed what we are saying and act [to help us] right now, (for your own sake/in order that people will know that you are very great)!
20 Esime menɔ nu ƒom, henɔ gbe dom ɖa nɔ nye kple nye dukɔ, Israel, ƒe nu vɔ̃ me ʋum eye menɔ koko ƒom na Yehowa, nye Mawu, ɖe eƒe to kɔkɔe la ta
I continued praying and confessing the sins that my people and I had committed, and pleading with Yahweh my God that he would restore [the temple on] the sacred hill [in Jerusalem].
21 eye meganɔ gbe dom ɖa ko la, Gabriel, ame si mekpɔ le nye ŋutega si do ŋgɔ me la va do ɖe dzinye kpoyi le fiẽvɔsaɣi.
While I was praying, Gabriel, the angel/one whom I had seen in the vision previously, came flying rapidly to me, at the time in the evening when [the priests] offered sacrifices.
22 Efia num, gblɔ nam be, “Daniel, meva azɔ be mana sidzedze kple gɔmesese wò.
He said to me, “Daniel, I have come to you to enable you to understand [DOU] clearly [the message that God gave to Jeremiah].
23 Esime nèdze gbedodoɖa gɔme teti ko la, wona ŋuɖoɖo aɖe si meva be magblɔ na wò elabena wobua wò ŋutɔ eya ta bu gbedeasi la ŋu eye nàse ŋutega la gɔme:
When you began to plead [with God], he gave me a message [to pass on to you]. He loves you very much, so [he has sent me] to tell you what he said to me. So [now] (pay attention/listen carefully) in order that you may understand the meaning of what he revealed [to Jeremiah].
24 “Woɖo Kɔsiɖa blaadre na wò amewo kple wò du kɔkɔe la be miawu sedzidada nu, miadzudzɔ nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ, woalé avu ɖe vɔ̃ɖivɔ̃ɖi ta, woatsɔ dzɔdzɔenyenye mavɔtɔ vɛ, woatre ŋutegawo kple nyagblɔɖiwo nu eye woasi ami na kɔkɔeƒe ƒe kɔkɔeƒe la.
[God] has determined/declared that there will be 490 years until he frees/saves your people from [the guilt of] their sins and to atone for the evil things that they have done. Then [God] will rule everyone justly, and he will do that forever. And [what you saw in] the vision and what [Jeremiah] prophesied will (come true/be fulfilled), and the sacred temple will be dedicated [to God again].
25 “Nya nu sia eye nàse egɔme. Tso sedede sia be woagbugbɔ Yerusalem atu dzi va se ɖe esime Amesiamina la, dziɖula la nava la, anye kɔsiɖa adre eye woagbugbɔe atu kple mɔtatawo kple tsisitoƒewo gake woawɔe le xaxaɣi.
You need to know and understand this: There will be 49 years from the time that [the king] commands that Jerusalem should be rebuilt until the leader/king that God has chosen will come. Then 434 years later, Jerusalem will be rebuilt, and it will have streets and will have a (moat/deep ditch filled with water) around it [to protect the city]. But that will be a time when [God’s people] will have [a lot of] troubles/difficulties/suffering.
26 Le kɔsiɖa blaade-vɔ-eveawo megbe la, woaɖe Amesiamina la ɖa eye naneke manɔ esi o. Dziɖula si ava la ƒe amewo agbã du la kple kɔkɔeƒe la. Nuwuwu la ava abe tsiɖɔɖɔ ene. Aʋawɔwɔ ayi edzi va se ɖe nuwuwu la eye woaɖe mɔ le aƒedozuzu ŋuti.
After those 434 years, the leader/king whom God has appointed will be killed [when it seems that] he will have accomplished nothing (unjustly/without having done anything wrong). After that, the temple will be destroyed by [the army of] a powerful ruler. The city and the temple will be destroyed like a flood [MET] [destroys everything]. That will be the beginning of the war and destruction that [God] has decreed [will happen].
27 Aɖo kpe nu si wòbla kple ame geɖewo la dzi kɔsiɖa ɖeka. Le kɔsiɖa ɖeka la titina la, atɔ te vɔsawo kple nunanawo. Le gbedoxɔ la ƒe dzogoe ɖeka dzi la, ali ŋunyɔnu si hea gbegblẽ vɛ la ɖi va se ɖe esime woatrɔ nuwuwu si woɖo ɖi la akɔ ɖe edzi.”
That ruler will make a strong agreement with many people. He will promise to do for seven years what he has said in that agreement. But when that time is half finished, he will prevent [priests from] giving any more offerings and sacrifices [to God]. A disgusting idol will be put on the highest part of the temple, and it will stay there until [God] gets rid of the one who put it there, which is what he said that he would do.”