Nehemia 13
1 Gbe ma gbe ke esi wonɔ Mose ƒe Seawo xlẽm la, wokpɔ be woŋlɔ ɖi be womaɖe mɔ na Amonitɔwo alo Moabtɔwo woasubɔ Mawu le gbedoxɔ la me o,
Now on that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it, there was found written that the Ammonites and the Moabites must not enter the church of God, even for all time,
2 elabena womewɔ xɔlɔ̃ kple Israel o. Wotsɔ Balaam be woaƒo fi ade Israelviwo, ke Mawu trɔ fiƒode la wòzu yayra.
because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired Balaam against them, to curse them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Esi wose se sia la, wonya amedzrowo katã le Israel dome.
Now it happened that, when they had heard the law, they separated every foreigner from Israel.
4 Hafi nya sia nadzɔ la, Nunɔla Eliasib, ame si kpɔa gbedoxɔ la ƒe nudzraɖoƒewo dzi, eye wònye Tobia xɔlɔ̃ vevi aɖe la,
And Eliashib, the priest, was over this task; he had been given charge of the treasury of the house of our God, and he was a close relative of Tobiah.
5 trɔ nudzraɖoxɔawo dometɔ ɖeka wòzu amedzrodzeƒe nyui aɖe na Tobia. Tsã la, wodzraa nuɖuvɔsanuwo, atike ʋeʋĩwo, gagbɛwo kple bli, aha yeye kple ami ƒe ewoliawo ɖo ɖe xɔ sia me. Mose de se be nu siawo nye Levitɔwo, hadzihamenɔlawo kple agbonudzɔlawo tɔ, eye nu vɔ̃ ŋuti vɔsanuwo nye nunɔlawo tɔ.
Then he made for himself a large storeroom, and in that place, there was laid before him gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the gatekeepers, and the first-fruits of the priests.
6 Nyemenɔ Yerusalem ɣe ma ɣi o. Megbugbɔ yi Babilonia le Fia Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaetɔ̃-vɔ-evelia me. Emegbe la, mebia mɔfiala,
But during all this, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went to the king, and at the end of some days, I petitioned the king.
7 eye megbugbɔ va Yerusalem. Esi mese nu vɔ̃ɖi si Eliasib wɔ, be wòwɔ amedzrodzeƒe ɖe gbedoxɔ me na Tobia la,
And I went to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, such that he would make him a storeroom in the vestibules of the house of God.
8 medo dɔmedzoe, eye mefɔ Tobia ƒe nuwo le xɔ la me ƒu gbe.
And it seemed to me very evil. And I cast the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside of the storeroom.
9 Mena wokɔ xɔ la ŋu nyuie, eye megbugbɔ gbedoxɔ la ƒe agbawo, nuɖuvɔsanuwo kple atike ʋeʋĩwo de xɔ la me.
And I gave instructions, and they cleansed again the storeroom. And I brought back, into that place, the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.
10 Kpe ɖe esia ŋu la, mese be womele nu siwo nye Levitɔwo tɔ la tsɔm na wo o, ale woawo kple hadzihamenɔla siwo naa kpekpeɖeŋu le sɔlemedede me la gbugbɔ yi ɖanɔ dɔ wɔm le woƒe agblewo me.
And I realized that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, and that each one had fled into his own region, from the Levites, and from the singing men, and from those who were ministering.
11 Meka mo na kplɔlawo, eye mebia wo be, “Nu ka ta miegblẽ gbedoxɔ la ɖi ɖo?” Meyɔ Levitɔwo vɛ, eye mena wogade asi woƒe dɔwo wɔwɔ me.
And I brought the case before the magistrates, and I said, “Why have we forsaken the house of God?” And I gathered them together, and I caused them to stand at their stations.
12 Ale Yudatɔwo katã gade asi woƒe bli, wain yeye kple ami ƒe ewoliawo tsɔtsɔ va gbedoxɔ la ƒe nudzraɖoƒewo me.
And all of Judah brought the tithes of the grain, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.
13 Metsɔ Selemia, nunɔla la kple Zadok, agbalẽfiala la kple Pedaya, Levitɔ la ɖo avawo dzi kpɔkpɔ nu, eye mena Hanan, Zakur ƒe vi kple Matania ƒe tɔgbuiyɔvi zu woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔ. Ame siawo nye ame siwo ŋu ŋkɔ nyui nɔ, eye woƒe dɔdeasie nye be woama nuawo na wo nɔvi Levitɔwo abe ale si dze ene.
And we appointed over the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and next to them Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they had proven to be faithful. And so the portions of their brothers were entrusted to them.
14 O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku dɔ nyui sia si mewɔ la dzi, eye mègaŋlɔ nu siwo katã mewɔ le gbedoxɔ la ŋu be o.
Remember me, O my God, because of this, and may you not wipe away my acts of compassion, which I have done for the house of my God and for his ceremonies.
15 Le ɣe ma ɣiwo me la, mekpɔ amewo wonɔ wain fiam le Dzudzɔgbe la dzi, eye wonɔ ƒu ƒom woƒe lu bablawo kple wain tsetsewo kple gbotsetsewo kple agblemenu vovovowo nɔ agba dom na woƒe tedziwo, eye wotsɔ nu siawo katã gbɔna Yerusalem le Dzudzɔgbe la dzi, eya ta mede se na wo le nudzadzra le ŋkeke ma dzi la ŋuti.
In those days, I saw, in Judah, some who were treading the presses on the Sabbath, and who were carrying sheaves, and placing on donkeys burdens of wine, and of grapes, and of figs, and all manner of burdens, and who were bringing these into Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I contended with them, so that they would sell on a day when it was permitted to sell.
16 Tirotɔ aɖewo hã nɔ Yerusalem, ame siwo nɔ tɔmelã kple adzɔnu vovovowo dzram le Yerusalem le Dzudzɔgbe la dzi.
And some Tyrians dwelt within, who were bringing fish and all kinds of items for sale. And they were selling on the Sabbaths to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 Meka mo na Yuda ƒe kplɔlawo, eye mebia wo be, “Nu ka ta miele kɔ gblẽm ɖo na Dzudzɔgbe la?
And I put the nobles of Judah under oath, and I said to them: “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Mia fofowo wɔ nu sia tɔgbi, eye wohe dzɔgbevɔ̃e siwo li fifia la va miawo ŋutɔ kple miaƒe du la dzi. Ɖe esia mesɔ gbɔ na mi oa? Ke azɔ la, miegale Mawu ƒe dɔmedzoe flam ɖe Israelviwo ŋu ɖe edzi, to ɖiƒoƒo Dzudzɔgbe la to mɔ sia dzi me!”
Did not our fathers do these things, and so our God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? And you are adding more wrath upon Israel by violating the Sabbath!”
19 Ale mede se be tso gbe ma gbe dzi la, ne ɣe ɖo to le Fiɖagbe ko la, woatu agboawo katã, eye womagaʋu wo o va se ɖe esime Dzudzɔgbe la nava yi. Meɖo nye subɔla aɖewo ɖa be woadzɔ agboawo ŋu, ale be ame aɖeke magatsɔ adzɔnu aɖeke ava Yerusalem le Dzudzɔgbe la dzi o.
And it happened that, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested on the day of the Sabbath, I spoke, and they closed the gates. And I instructed that they should not open them until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my servants over the gates, so that no one would carry in a burden on the day of the Sabbath.
20 Asitsala aɖewo va tɔ ɖe dua godo zi eve aɖewo,
And so the merchants and those who sold all kinds of items remained just outside of Jerusalem, once and again.
21 ke meƒo nu na wo kple adã be, “Nu ka dim miele hafi va tsi gli la godo dɔ? Ne miegawɔe azɔ la, malé mi.” Eyae nye zi mamlɛtɔ si wova le Dzudzɔgbe la dzi.
And I contended with them, and I said to them: “Why are you remaining just beyond the wall? If you do this again, I will send hands upon you.” And so, from that time, they no longer came on the Sabbath.
22 Azɔ la, meɖe gbe na Levitɔwo be woakɔ wo ɖokui ŋuti, woadzɔ agboawo ŋu, eye woakpɔ egbɔ be ame sia ame wɔ Dzudzɔgbe la kɔkɔe. O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku nye wɔna sia hã dzi! Ve nunye le wò lɔlɔ̃ sɔ gbɔ la nu.
I also spoke to the Levites, so that they would be cleansed, and would arrive to guard the gates and to sanctify the day of the Sabbath. Because of this also, O my God, remember me and spare me, in accord with the multitude of your mercies.
23 Le ɣe ma ɣi ke la, mede dzesii be Yuda ŋutsu geɖewo ɖe srɔ̃ tso Asdod, Amon kple Moab,
But also in those days, I saw some Jews taking wives from the Ashdodites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites.
24 eye wo viwo dometɔ geɖewo gblɔa Asdod gbe alo dzrogbe bubuwo, eye wometea ŋu gblɔa Yuda gbe kura o.
And their sons spoke partly in the speech of Ashdod, and they did not know how to speak the Jewish language, and they were speaking according to the language of one people or another.
25 Ale mehe nya kple dzila siawo, meƒo fi de wo, meƒo wo dometɔ aɖewo, menyɔ woƒe taɖa, eye mena woka atam le Mawu ŋkume gblɔ be, “Míagatsɔ mía vinyɔnuwo na wo viŋutsuwo woaɖe o, alo míaɖe wo vinyɔnuwo na mía viŋutsuwo o, alo míawo ŋutɔ míaɖe wo o.
And I put them under oath, and I cursed them. And I struck some of their men, and I shaved off their hair, and I made them swear to God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:
26 Alo menye srɔ̃ sia tɔgbiwo ɖeɖee na be Israel fia Solomo wɔ nu vɔ̃ oa? Le dukɔ geɖewo me la, fia aɖeke mede enu o. Mawu lɔ̃ eya amea, eye wòɖoe fiae ɖe Israel katã dzi, gake dzronyɔnuwo blee de nu vɔ̃ me.
“Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin in this kind of thing? And certainly, among many nations, there was no king similar to him, and he was beloved of his God, and God set him as king over all of Israel. And yet foreign women led even him into sin!
27 Ke azɔ la, ɖe míase be miawo hã miele nu vɔ̃ɖi sia tɔgbi wɔm, eye miele nuteƒe wɔm na Mawu o to dzronyɔnuwo ɖeɖe mea?”
So how could we disobey and do all this great evil, so that we would transgress against our God, and take foreign wives?”
28 Yoiada, Eliasib, nunɔla la ƒe viŋutsuwo dometɔ ɖeka ɖe Sanbalat, Horonitɔ la ƒe vinyɔnu, ale menyae le gbedoxɔ la me.
Now one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was a son-in-law to Sanballat, a Horonite, and I made him flee from me.
29 O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku wo dzi, elabena wogblẽ kɔ ɖo na nunɔlawo ƒe dɔ kple nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo ƒe nubabla.
O Lord, my God, remember against those who defile the priesthood and the law of the priests and the Levites!
30 Ale mekɔ nunɔlawo kple Levitɔwo ŋu tso dzronuwo me, eye mena dɔ wo, ame sia ame kple etɔ.
And so I cleansed them from all foreigners, and I established the orders of the priests and the Levites, each one in his ministry.
31 Kpe ɖe esiawo ŋu la, mewɔ ɖoɖo ɖe nakenana ɖe ɣeyiɣi dzi kple nu gbãtɔwo nana hã ŋu. O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku dzinye, le wò dɔmenyo la nu.
O my God, remember me also, for good, because of the offering of wood, at the appointed times, and because of the first-fruits. Amen.
