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.
Now when these things were accomplished, the princes approached me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the nations of the lands, notwithstanding their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the 'Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Emorites;
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.”
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons; and the holy seed have mingled themselves with the nations of these lands; and the hand of the princes and rulers hath been the first in this trespass.
3 Esi mese nya siawo la, medze nye dziwui kple nye awu ʋlaya, mekaka nye taɖa kple ge eye menɔ anyi le nuxaxa me.
And when I heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and I plucked out some of the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down astounded.
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.
And then assembled themselves unto me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of the exiles; and I sat astounded until the evening sacrifice.
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,
And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my fasting, and while rending my garment and my mantle, I knelt down upon my knees, and spread out my hands unto 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 I said, O my God, I am ashamed and confounded to lift up my face unto thee, my God! for our iniquities are increased above our head, and our guiltiness is grown up as far as 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 have we been in a great guiltiness even until this day; and through our iniquities have we been delivered, we, our kings, and our priests, into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to the shame of face, as it is 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.
And now for a little moment hath grace been extended from the Lord our God, to preserve us a remnant to escape, and to give us a stake in his holy place, that our God might enlighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
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.
For we are bondmen: yet in our bondage hath our God not forsaken us, but hath extended unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to exalt the house of our God, and to erect again its ruins, and to give us a fence in Judah and in 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 what shall we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy 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.
Which thou hast commanded through means of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to take possession thereof, is a land defiled through the defilement of the nations of the lands, through their abominations, with which they have filled it from one end to another through their uncleanness.
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.’
And now your daughters shall ye not give unto their sons, and their daughters shall ye not take for your sons, and ye shall not seek their peace and their welfare unto eternity: in order that ye may be strong, and eat the best of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children unto eternity.
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.
And after all that is come over us for our evil deeds, and for our great guiltiness, seeing that thou our God hast spared us [punishing us] less than our iniquities [deserved], and hast given us such deliverance 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?
Should we again make void thy commandments, and make marriage with these people of abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us even to make an end of us, so that there would not be any remnant or escape?
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, thou art righteous; for we have been left a remnant that hath escaped, as it is this day; behold, we are before thee in our guiltiness; for there is no standing before thee because of this.
