Ezra 8
1 Esiawoe nye ƒometatɔ siwo trɔ gbɔ kplim tso Babilonia le fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu me la ƒe ŋkɔwo kple ƒometɔ siwo ŋlɔ ŋkɔ ɖe wo gbɔ la ƒe ŋkɔwo:
This is a list of the names of the leaders of the clans who came with me up [to Jerusalem] from Babylonia when Artaxerxes was the king [of Persia]:
2 Ame siwo tso Finehas ƒe dzidzime me: Gersom; Ame siwo tso Itamar ƒe dzidzime me: Daniel; Ame siwo tso David ƒe dzidzime me: Hatus
Gershom, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s grandson] Phinehas Daniel, from the clan descended from [Aaron’s son] Ithamar Hattush, the son of Shecaniah, from the clan descended from King David
3 si tso Sekania ƒe dzidzime me; Ame siwo tso Paros ƒe dzidzime me: Zekaria kple ŋutsu alafa ɖeka blaatɔ̃ siwo ŋlɔ ŋkɔ ɖe egbɔ;
Zechariah and 150 [other] men from the clan descended from Parosh
4 Ame siwo tso Pahat Moab ƒe dzidzime me: Zerahia ƒe vi, Eliehoenai kple ŋutsu alafa eve siwo kpe ɖe eŋu la;
Eliehoenai the son of Zerahiah and 200 other men from the clan descended from Pahath-Moab
5 Ame siwo tso Zatu ƒe dzidzimeviwo dome: Sekania, Yahaziel ƒe vi kple ŋutsu alafa etɔ̃ siwo le eŋu la;
Shecaniah the son of Jahaziel and 300 other men from the clan descended from Zattu
6 Ame siwo tso Adin ƒe dzidzime me: Yonatan ƒe vi, Ebed kple ŋutsu blaatɔ̃ siwo nɔ eŋu la;
Ebed the son of Jonathan and 50 other men from the clan descended from Adin
7 Ame siwo tso Elam ƒe dzidzime me: Atalia ƒe vi, Yesaya kple ŋutsu blaadre siwo le eŋu la;
Jeshaiah the son of Athaliah and 70 other men from the clan descended from Elam
8 Ame siwo tso Sefatia ƒe dzidzime me: Mikael ƒe vi, Zebadia kple ŋutsu blaenyi siwo dze eyome la;
Zebadiah the son of Michael and 80 other men from the clan descended from Shephatiah
9 Ame siwo tso Yoab ƒe dzidzime me: Yehiel ƒe vi, Obadia kple ŋutsu alafa eve kple wuienyi siwo nɔ eŋu la;
Obadiah the son of Jehiel and 218 other men from the clan descended from Joab
10 Ame siwo tso Bani ƒe dzidzime me: Yosifia ƒe vi, Selomit kple ŋutsu alafa ɖeka kple blaade siwo nɔ eŋu la;
Shelomith the son of Josiphiah and 160 other men from the clan descended from Bani
11 Ame siwo tso Bebai ƒe dzidzime me: Bebai ƒe vi, Zekaria kple ŋutsu blaeve-vɔ-enyi siwo nɔ eŋu la;
Zechariah the son of Bebai and 28 other men from the clan descended from [another man whose name was] Bebai
12 Ame siwo tso Azgad ƒe dzidzime me: Hakatan ƒe vi, Yohanan kple ŋutsu alafa ɖeka kple ewo siwo nɔ eŋu la;
Johanan the son of Hakkatan and 110 other men from the clan descended from Azgad
13 Ame siwo tso Adonikam ƒe dzidzime me: Ame mamlɛ siwo ƒe ŋkɔwoe nye Elifelet, Yeuel kple Semaya kple ŋutsu blaade siwo nɔ wo ŋu la;
Also Eliphelet, Jeuel, and Shemaiah, who returned [here] later with 60 men from the clan descended from Adonikam
14 Ame siwo tso Bigvai ƒe dzidzime me: Utai kple Zakur kple ŋutsu blaadre siwo nɔ wo ŋu la.
And Uthai and Zaccur and 70 other men from the clan descended from Bigvai.
15 Tete meƒo wo nu ƒu ɖe tɔsisi si si ɖo ta Ahava la to eye míeƒu asaɖa anyi ɖe afi ma ŋkeke etɔ̃. Esi metsa le ameawo kple nunɔlaawo dome la, nyemekpɔ Levitɔ aɖeke o.
I gathered all of them together at the canal that goes [from Babylon] to Ahava [town]. We set up our tents there and stayed there for three days. [During that time] I checked the lists of names and found out that there were priests [going with us], but no [other] descendants of Levi [who could help them in the temple].
16 Ale meyɔ Eliezer, Ariel, Semaya, Elnatan, Yarib, Elnatan, Natan, Zekaria kple Mesulam, ame siwo nye kplɔlawo, kpe ɖe Yoyarib kple Elnatan ŋu, ame siwo nye agbalẽnyala gãwo,
So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, two men whose names were Elnathan, and Jarib, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, who were all leaders [of the people]. I also summoned Joiarib and another Elnathan, who were wise.
17 eye medɔ wo ɖo ɖe dudzikpɔla Ido gbɔ le Kasifia. Megblɔ nya si wòle be woagblɔ na Ido kple nɔvia siwo nye dɔlawo le gbedoxɔ me le Kasifia, ale be woaɖo dɔwɔlawo ɖe mí hena dɔwo wɔwɔ le míaƒe Mawu la ƒe aƒe me.
I sent them all to Iddo, the leader of the descendants of Levi, who was living in Casiphia [town], to request that he and his relatives and other men who had worked in the temple send to us some men who would [go/come with us to] work in God’s new temple [in Jerusalem].
18 Esi wònye be míaƒe Mawu la ƒe amenuvevesie nɔ mía dzi ta la, wokplɔ Serebia, ŋutsu si ŋu ŋutete geɖe nɔ la vɛ na mí, ame si nye Mahli, Levi ƒe dzidzimevi. Ke Mahli nye Levi ƒe vi, eye Levi nye Israel ƒe vi, kpe ɖe Serebia ƒe viŋutsuwo kple nɔvia ŋutsuwo ŋu, eye wo katã wole ame wuienyi.
Because God was kind to us, they brought to us a man named Sherebiah and 18 of his sons and other relatives. Sherebiah was a very wise man, a descendant of Mahli, [who was a grandson] of Levi.
19 Woawo kple Hasabia, kpe ɖe Yesaya si tso Merari ƒe dzidzimeviwo dome la ŋuti kple nɔvia ŋutsuwo kple woƒe ƒometɔ bubuwo, ale wo katã wole ŋutsu blaeve.
They also sent to us Hashabiah, along with Jeshaiah, descendants of [Levi’s son] Merari, and 20 of their relatives.
20 Woawo hã kplɔ gbedoxɔmedɔwɔla alafa eve kple blaeve ɖe asi, ame siwo David kple eƒe dɔnunɔlawo ɖo be woakpe ɖe Levitɔwo ŋu. Woŋlɔ wo katã ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖi.
They also sent 220 other men to work in the temple. Those men’s ancestors had been appointed by King David to assist the descendants of Levi [who helped the priests in the temple]. I listed/wrote the names of all those men.
21 Le Ahava tɔsisi la to, le afi ma meɖe gbeƒã nutsitsidɔ, ale be míabɔbɔ mía ɖokuiwo le míaƒe Mawu la ŋkume be míabia dedinɔnɔ na míawo ŋutɔ kple mía viwo kple míaƒe nunɔamesiwo ƒe dedinɔnɔ.
There alongside the Ahava Canal, I told them that we all would (fast/abstain from eating food) and pray. I also told them that we should humble ourselves in the presence of our God. We prayed that God would protect us while we traveled, and also protect our children and our possessions/belongings.
22 Ŋu le kpeyem be mabia fia la be wòana asrafowo kple sɔdolawo mí, woadzɔ mía ŋu le mɔa dzi le míaƒe futɔwo ta, elabena megblɔ na fia la be, “Míaƒe Mawu la ƒe amenuvevesi nɔa ame sia ame si ɖoa dzi ɖe eŋu la dzi, ke eƒe dziku gã la nɔa ame siwo katã gbee la dzi.”
Previously we had told the king that our God takes care of all those who truly trust in him, but that he becomes very angry with those who refuse to obey him. So I would have been ashamed if I had asked the king to send soldiers and men riding on horses to protect us from our enemies while we were traveling along the road.
23 Ale míetsi nu dɔ, ƒo koko na míaƒe Mawu la tso nu sia ŋuti, eye wòɖo míaƒe gbedodoɖa ŋu.
So we (fasted/abstained from eating food) and requested God to protect us, and he (answered our prayers/did what we requested.)
24 Tete meɖe nunɔla siwo bi ɖe dɔa me nyuie la dometɔ wuieve ɖe aga kpe ɖe Serebia, Hasabia kple wo nɔviŋutsu ewo bubuwo ŋu.
I chose twelve of the leaders of the priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives.
25 Meda sika, klosalo kple nu bubu siwo fia la, eƒe aɖaŋuɖolawo, eƒe dɔnunɔlawo kple Israel blibo si nɔ afi ma la na hena míaƒe Mawu ƒe aƒe la.
I appointed them to supervise carrying to Jerusalem the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items that the king and his advisors and other officials, and the Israeli people [who were living in Babylonia], had contributed for the temple of our God.
26 Meda klosalo tɔn blaeve-vɔ-eve na wo kple klosalonu bubu siwo ƒe kpekpeme nɔ tɔn etɔ̃ kple afã la na wo, kpe ɖe sika tɔn etɔ̃ kple afã
As I gave these various items to those priests, I weighed each of the items. This was the total: 25 tons of silver, 100 items made from silver that altogether weighed 7,500 pounds, (7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.) of gold,
27 kple sikagba blaeve siwo ƒe home anɔ sikaga kilogram enyi kple afã, kpe ɖe akɔblinu vevi eve siwo ŋu wozrɔ̃ wole dzo dam abe sika adodea ene la ŋu.
20 gold bowls that altogether weighed (19 pounds/8.6 kg.), and two items made of polished bronze that were as valuable as ones made of gold.
28 Eye megblɔ na wo be, “Wokɔ miawo ŋutɔ kple nu siawo katã ŋuti na Yehowa. Klosalo kple sika nye lɔlɔ̃nununanawo na Yehowa, mia fofowo ƒe Mawu la.
I said to those priests, “You belong to Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors (worshiped/also belonged to), and these valuable things also belong to him. The people themselves gave these things to be offerings to Yahweh (voluntarily/because they wanted to).
29 Midzɔ wo ŋu nyuie eye midzra wo ɖo va se ɖe esime miada wo ɖe Yehowa ƒe aƒe la ƒe xɔwo me le Yerusalem le nunɔla tsitsiawo, Levitɔwo kple Israel ƒe ƒometatɔwo ŋkume.”
So guard them carefully, and [when we arrive] in Jerusalem, weigh them in the presence of the priests, the descendants of Levi [who will help the priests], and the other Israeli leaders there. They will then put them in the storerooms in the new temple.”
30 Ale nunɔlaawo kple Levitɔwo xɔ klosalo, sika kple nu kɔkɔe bubu siwo woda be woatsɔ ayi ɖe míaƒe Mawu ƒe aƒe la mee le Yerusalem.
So the priests and [other] descendants of Levi took from me all the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items, in order to carry them to the temple in Jerusalem.
31 Le dzinu gbãtɔ ƒe ŋkeke wuievelia dzi la, míedze mɔ tso Ahava tɔsisi la to ɖo ta Yerusalem. Míaƒe Mawu la ƒe asi nɔ mía dzi, eye wòɖe mí tso futɔwo kple adzohawo ƒe asime le mɔa dzi.
On April 19, we left the Ahava Canal and started to travel to Jerusalem. Our God took care of us, and while we traveled, he prevented our enemies and bandits from (ambushing us/suddenly attacking us).
32 Ale míeva ɖo Yerusalem, eye míedzudzɔ ŋkeke etɔ̃.
After we arrived in Jerusalem, we rested for three days.
33 Le ŋkeke enelia dzi, le míaƒe Mawu la ƒe aƒe me, míeda sika, klosalo kple nu kɔkɔe bubuawo de asi na Uria ƒe vi, nunɔla Meremot. Eleazar, Finehas ƒe vi, nɔ egbɔ hekpe ɖe Levitɔwo, Yozabad, Yesua ƒe vi kple Noadia, Binui ƒe vi ŋuti.
Then on the fourth/next day we went to the temple. There the silver and gold and the other items were weighed and given to the priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah. Eleazar the son of Phinehas and two descendants of Levi, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui, were with him.
34 Míena akɔnta tso nu sia nu ŋuti, le woƒe xexlẽme kple kpekpeme nu, eye woŋlɔ kpekpeme ɖe sia ɖe da ɖi le ɣe ma ɣi me.
They counted everything, and wrote down how much they weighed, and wrote [a description of] each item.
35 Tete ame siwo gbɔ tso aboyo me la sa numevɔ na Israel ƒe Mawu la kple nu siawo: Nyitsu wuieve, ɖe Israel ƒe toawo nu, agbo blaasiekɛ-vɔ-ade, alẽvi blaadre-vɔ-adre kple gbɔ̃tsu wuieve abe nu vɔ̃ vɔsa ene. Wotsɔ esiawo katã wɔ numevɔsae na Yehowa.
We who had returned from Babylonia offered to God sacrifices on the altar. We offered twelve bulls for all us Israeli people. We also offered 96 rams and 27 lambs. We also sacrificed twelve goats [to atone] for the sins that all the people had committed. These were all completely burned on the altar.
36 Wotsɔ fia la ƒe sededewo hã na fiateƒenɔlawo kple mɔmefia siwo le Frat tɔsisi la godo, ame siwo na kpekpeɖeŋu dukɔ la kple Mawu ƒe aƒe la.
Some of us who returned [from Babylonia] took to the governors and other officials of the province west of the [Euphrates] River the letter that the king had given to us. [After they read the letter, ] they did all [that they were able to do] for us Israeli people and for the temple of God.
