Ezra 9
1 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.
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 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.”
Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
3 Esi mese nya siawo la, medze nye dziwui kple nye awu ʋlaya, mekaka nye taɖa kple ge eye menɔ anyi le nuxaxa me.
When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
4 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.
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
5 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,
At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
6 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.
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
7 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.
From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.
8 “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.
But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.
9 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.
Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “Ke azɔ la, O míaƒe Mawu, nu ka gblɔ ge míala le esia megbe? Elabena míegbe nu le wò sededewo gbɔ,
And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
11 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.
that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end.
12 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.’
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
13 “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.
After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),
14 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?
shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?
15 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.”
O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
