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.
When these things were done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the other lands and their abominations: 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.”
For they have taken some of their daughters and sons, and have mixed the holy people with the people of other lands, and the officials and leaders have been first in this faithlessness.”
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, I tore apart my clothing and robe and pulled out hair from my head and beard, and I sat down, devastated.
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.
All those who trembled at the words of the God of Israel about this faithlessness gathered to me while I was sitting ashamed 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,
But at the evening offering I arose from my position of humiliation in my torn clothes and robe, and knelt down and spread my hands to Yahweh 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.
I said, “My God, I am ashamed and disgraced to raise my face to you, for our iniquities increase over our head, and our guilt grows to 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 ancestors until now we have been in great guilt. In our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests were given into the hand of kings of this world, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder and ashamed faces, as we are today.
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.
Yet now for a short time, mercy from Yahweh our God has come to leave us a few survivors and to give us a foothold in his holy place. This was for our God to enlighten our eyes and to give us a little relief in our slavery.
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 slaves, but our God has not forgotten us but has extended covenant faithfulness to us. He has done this in the sight of the king of Persia in order to give us new strength, so we could rebuild our God's house and raise its ruins. He did this so that he could give us a wall of safety 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,
But now, our God, what can we say after this? We have forgotten your commands,
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.
the commands that you gave to your servants the prophets, when you said, “This land that you are entering to possess is an unclean land. It is contaminated by the people of the lands with their abominations. They have filled it from one end to the other with 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.’
So now, do not give your daughters to their sons; do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their ongoing peace and welfare, so that you will be strong and eat the good of the land, so you will cause your children to possess it for all time.”
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.
Yet after everything that came on us for our evil practices and our great guilt—since you, our God, have held back what our iniquities deserve and left us survivors—
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 break your commandments and make mixed marriages with these abominable people? Will you not be angry and annihilate us so there will be no one left, no one to 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.”
Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have remained as a few survivors at this day. Look! We are here before you in our guilt, for there is no one who can stand before you because of this.
