Nehemia 12
1 Nunɔla kple Levitɔ siwo trɔ gbɔ kple Zerubabel, Sealtiel ƒe vi kple Yesua la woe nye: Seraya, Yeremia, Ezra,
[Many] priests and [other] descendants of Levi returned (from Babylonia/to Jerusalem) with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. They included Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amaria, Maluk, Hatus,
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Sekania, Rehum, Meremot,
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Ido, Gineton, Abiya,
Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5 Miyamin, Madia, Bilga,
Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
6 Semaya, Yoyarib, Yedaia,
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Salu, Amok, Hilkia kple Yedaia. Ame siawoe nye nunɔlawo ƒe kplɔlawo kple woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo le Yesua ƒe ɣeyiɣiwo me.
Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. All those men were leaders of the priests during the time that Jeshua [was the Supreme Priest].
8 Levitɔ siwo gbɔ la woe nye: Yesua, Binui, Kadmiel, Serebia, Yuda, Matania, ame si kple eƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo kpɔa
[Some of the other] descendants of Levi who returned were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. They were in charge of singing songs to thank [God].
9 Bakbukia kple Uni dzi; woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo kpena ɖe wo ŋu le akpedahawo dzidzi me.
Bakbukiah, Unni, and other descendants of Levi formed a choir that stood opposite the other group [and sang in reply to them].
10 Yesua nye Yoyakim fofo, Yoyakim nye Eliasib fofo, Eliasib nye Yoiada fofo,
Jeshua [who was the Supreme Priest] was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,
11 Yoiada nye Yonatan fofo, Yonatan nye Yaɖua fofo,
who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.
12 Nunɔla siwo wɔ dɔ le Yoyakim ƒe ŋkekewo me la ƒe hlɔ̃wo ƒe kplɔlawoe nye: Meraya si nye Seraya ƒe ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Hananiya nye Yeremia ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
When Joiakim was the Supreme Priest, these were the leaders of the clans of priests: Meraiah, from [the clan of] Seraiah; Hananiah, from [the clan of] Jeremiah;
13 Mesulam nye Ezra ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Yehohanan nye Amaria ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Meshullam, from [the clan of] Ezra; Jehohanan, from [the clan of] Amariah;
14 Yonatan nye Maluk ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Yosef nye Sebania ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Jonathan, from [the clan of] Malluch; Joseph, from [the clan of] Shecaniah;
15 Adana nye Harim ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Helkai nye Meremot ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Adna, from [the clan of] Harim; Helkai, from [the clan of] Meremoth/Maraioth;
16 Zekaria nye Ido ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Mesulam nye Gineton ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Zechariah, from [the clan of] Iddo; Meshullam, from [the clan of] Ginnethon;
17 Zikri nye Abiya ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Piltain nye Moadia ƒomea kple Miniamin ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Zicri, from [the clan of] Abijah. There was also a leader from [the clan of] Miniamin; Piltai, from [the clan of] Moadiah;
18 Samua nye Bilga ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Yehonatan nye Semaya ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Shammua, from [the clan of] Bilgah; Jehonathan, from [the clan of] Shemaiah;
19 Matenai nye Yoyarib ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Uzi nye Yedaia ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Mattenai, from [the clan of] Joiarib; Uzzi, from [the clan of] Jedaiah;
20 Kalai nye Salu ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Eber nye Amok ƒomea ƒe tatɔ,
Kallai, from [the clan of] Sallu/Sallai; Eber, from [the clan of] Amok;
21 Hasabia nye Hilkia ƒomea ƒe tatɔ, Netanel nye Yedaia ƒomea ƒe tatɔ.
Hashabiah, from [the clan of] Hilkiah; and Nethanel, from [the clan of] Jedaiah.
22 Woŋlɔ nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo ƒe ƒomeawo ƒe tatɔwo ƒe dzidzimewo da ɖi le Persia fia, Darius ƒe dziɖuɣi le Levitɔ siwo nye Eliasib, Yoiada, Yohanan kple Yaɖua la ŋɔli.
During the years that Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua [were Supreme Priests], they (wrote/kept a list of) the names of the clans who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was the king of Persia, they stopped writing that list.
23 Le Kronika alo Nyadzɔdzɔwo ƒe Agbalẽwo me la, woŋlɔ Levitɔwo ƒe tatɔwo ƒe ŋkɔwo ɖi va se ɖe Yohanan, Eliasib ƒe vi dzi.
They wrote the names of the leaders of the clans who were descendants of Levi in the Book of Events [in Israel], but they stopped writing those names when Eliashib’s grandson Johanan [was the Supreme Priest].
24 Le ɣe ma ɣi me la, Levitɔwo ƒe tatɔwoe nye: Hasabia, Serebia kple Yesua, Kadmiel ƒe vi. Woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo tsia tsitre ɖe wo ŋgɔ, eye wokpena ɖe wo ŋu le kafukafu kple akpedada wɔnawo me abe ale si David, Mawu ƒe ame la ɖoe da ɖi ene.
These are the leaders of the clans [who are] descendants of Levi: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel and others who were divided into two groups. The two groups faced each other, one group replying to the other, during the time that they praised and thanked God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God well, had instructed.
25 Agbonudzɔla siwo dzɔa nudzɔdzɔwo dzraɖoƒewo ƒe agboawo nu ŋu la woe nye: Matania, Bakbukia, Obadia, Mesulam, Talmon kple Akub.
These singers included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. The men who guarded the storerooms close to the gates [of the temple] were Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.
26 Ame siawoe wɔ dɔ le Yoyakim, Yesua ƒe vi kple Yozadak ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi ŋɔli kple esi Nehemia nye mɔmefia, eye Ezra nye nunɔla kple agbalẽfiala.
They did that work during the time that Joiakim, who was the son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, [was the Supreme Priest, ] and I was the governor, and Ezra was the priest who knew the Jewish laws very well.
27 Esi wonɔ Yerusalem ƒe gli yeyeawo ŋu kɔm la, Levitɔwo katã tso anyigba la ƒe akpa sia akpa va Yerusalem be yewoana kpekpeɖeŋu le wɔnawo me, eye yewoakpɔ gome le dzidzɔŋkekenyui la ɖuɖu me kple woƒe akpedada, gakogoewo, hadzidziwo kple kasaŋkuwo.
When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi [who help the priests] from the nearby places where they [were living]. We asked them to [join with us to] celebrate when we dedicated the wall. We wanted them to sing songs to thank [Yahweh] and make music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.
28 Hadzihamenɔlawo hã va Yerusalem tso kɔƒe siwo ƒo xlãe kple Netofatitɔwo ƒe kɔƒewo me
We summoned the descendants of Levi who habitually sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas [where they had settled], and from places around Netophah [town southeast of Jerusalem],
29 kple Bet Gilgal kple Geba nutowo me kple Azmavet, elabena woƒe hadzilawo tso kɔƒewo na wo ɖokuiwo le Yerusalem gbɔ.
and from three places [northeast of Jerusalem]—Beth Gilgal [city] and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Those singers had built villages to live in near Jerusalem.
30 Nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo kɔ wo ɖokuiwo ŋu gbã, emegbe la, wokɔ ameawo, agboawo kple gli la hã ŋu.
[When they came to Jerusalem], the priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests] performed rituals to cause themselves to be acceptable to God, and then they performed similar rituals to purify the [other] people, the gates, and the wall.
31 Mekplɔ Yudatɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo yi gli la tame, eye mena hã be hadziha gã eve nadzi akpedaha. Hadziha ɖeka azɔ gli la tame ato ɖusime aɖo ta Akɔligbo la gbɔ.
Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city [on top of the wall], thanking God. [As they faced the city, ] one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.
32 Hosaya kple Yuda ƒe kplɔlawo ƒe afã adze wo yome,
Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.
33 kpe ɖe Azaria, Ezra, Mesulam,
Behind them marched a group of priests who were blowing trumpets. They were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Next came Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.
34 Yuda, Benyamin, Semaya kple Yeremia ŋu.
35 Kpe ɖe ame siawo ŋu la, nunɔla siwo lé kpẽ ɖe asi kple Zekaria, Yonatan ƒe vi, Semaya ƒe vi, Matania ƒe vi, Mikaya ƒe vi, Zakur ƒe vi, Asaf ƒe vi,
36 kple eƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo, Semaya, Azarel, Milalai, Milalai, Gilalai, Mai, Netanel, Yuda kple Hanani la tsɔ woƒe haƒonuwo abe ale si David, Mawu ƒe ame la ɖoe da di ene. Ezra, agbalẽfiala la nɔ ŋgɔ na ameha la.
Behind them marched other members of Zechariah’s clan: Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played [many years previously]. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.
37 Esi woɖo Tsidzidzigbo la gbɔ la, woɖo ta ŋgɔ tẽe, lia atrakpui siwo yi mɔ la gbɔ le David ƒe du xoxo la me. Tso afi sia la, woyi Tsigbo la gbɔ le ɣedzeƒe lɔƒo.
When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to David’s City, past his palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side [of the city].
38 Menɔ hatsotso evelia me, míeto mɔ evelia be míaɖado go wo. Míezɔ tso Kpodzoxɔ Kɔkɔ la gbɔ yi Gli Keke la gbɔ,
The other group of those who were thanking [Yahweh] marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. [We marched] past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.
39 heyi Efraimgbo kple Agbo Xoxo la gbɔ. Míeto Tɔmelãgbo la kple Hananel ƒe Xɔ Kɔkɔ la ŋu, eye míeyi Alafa ƒe Xɔ Kɔkɔ la gbɔ, heyi Alẽgbo la gbɔ, eye míetɔ ɖe Gaxɔgbo la gbɔ.
[From there we marched] past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.
40 Hadziha eve siwo dzia akpedaha la nɔ wo nɔƒe le gbedoxɔ la me. Nenema kee nye nye hã kple dɔnunɔlawo ƒe afã
Both the groups reached the temple while they were thanking God. They stood in their places there. The leaders who were with me [also stood with me in our places].
41 kple nunɔla siawo: Eliakim, Maaseya, Miniamin, Mikaya, Elioenai, Zekaria kple Hananiya kple woƒe kpẽwo,
My group included these priests who were [all blowing] trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah,
42 eye ame siawo hã kpe ɖe wo ŋuti: Maaseya, Semaya, Eleazar, Uzi, Yehohanan, Malkiya, Elam kple Ezer. Hadziha siawo dzi ha le Yezrahia ƒe kpɔkplɔ te.
[another] Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, whose leader was Jezrahiah, sang loudly.
43 Míesa vɔ geɖewo le dzidzɔŋkeke sia dzi, elabena Mawu na mɔnukpɔkpɔ mí be míakpɔ dzidzɔ gã aɖe. Nyɔnuwo kple ɖeviwo hã kpɔ dzidzɔ, eye wose dzidzɔɣli tso Yerusalem le didiƒewo ke!
[After we went outside the temple, ] we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.
44 Gbe ma gbe la, woɖo ŋutsu aɖewo be woakpɔ nudzraɖoƒewo, nu vɔ̃ ŋuti vɔsanuwo, nu ewoliawo nana kple nuŋeŋe gbãtɔwo nana dzi, eye woaxɔ nu siawo tso agblewo me abe ale si Mose ƒe Sewo ɖoe da ɖi ene. Wotsɔ nunana siawo na nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo, elabena Yuda ƒe viwo kpɔ ŋudzedze le nunɔlawo kple Leviviwo ƒe dɔwɔwɔ ŋu.
On that day, men were appointed {they appointed men} to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people contributed [for the temple]. They also kept there [the other things that the people contributed—] the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. Those men collected those things from the fields/farms near the cities, and [took them to Jerusalem and] gave them to the priests and the [other] descendants of Levi, as [Moses had said in his] laws that they should do. All the Israeli people were happy about the work that the priests and the descendants of Levi did,
45 Wokpɔ ŋudzedze le hadzilawo, agbonudzɔlawo, ame siwo naa kpekpeɖeŋu le mawusubɔsubɔ kple ameŋutikɔkɔ wɔnawo me le Fia David kple via Fia Solomo ƒe ɖoɖoawo nu hã ŋu.
because they performed the rituals to purify things, and the other rituals that God had commanded. The musicians in the temple also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.
46 Ɖoɖo be hafialawo nakplɔ hadzilawo le kafukafuhawo kple akpedahawo dzidzi na Mawu me la li xoxo tso David kple Asaf ŋɔli.
Ever since the time that David had been the king and Asaph had been his chief musician, the musicians had led the people while they sang songs to praise and thank God.
47 Ale fifia, le Zerubabel kple Nehemia ŋɔli la, Israel blibo la naa gbe sia gbe ƒe nuɖuɖu hadzihamenɔlawo, agbonudzɔlawo kple Levitɔwo. Levitɔwo hã tsɔa nu si woxɔna la ƒe akpa aɖe na Aron, nunɔla la ƒe dzidzimeviwo.
During the years that Zerubbabel and I governed the Israeli people, they all contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed each day. They gave (a tithe/10%) of their crops to the descendants of Levi [who helped the priests], and those descendants of Levi gave (a tithe/10%) of that to [the priests, who were] descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest].
