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 done, the princes came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the 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 of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief 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.
When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
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 were assembled to me because of the trespass of the exiles; and I sat confounded 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 rose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and 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 I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up 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.
Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion 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.
Now for a little moment grace has been shown from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a stake in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and revive us a little 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 bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall 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,
“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your 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 you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land to which you go to possess is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness.
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 don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children 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 on us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,
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 join ourselves with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any 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.”
LORD, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.”
