Nehemia 5

1 Ŋutsuwo kple wo srɔ̃wo tsitre ɖe wo nɔvi Yudatɔwo ŋu.

Nowe there was a great crie of the people, and of their wiues against their brethren the Iewes.

2 Ɖewo le gbɔgblɔm be, “Míawo, mía viŋutsuwo kple mía vinyɔnuwo sɔ gbɔ ŋutɔ, gake be míakpɔ nu aɖu, atsi agbe la, ele na mí be míadi bli.”

For there were that said, We, our sonnes and our daughters are many, therefore we take vp corne, that we may eate and liue.

3 Bubuwo hã le gbɔgblɔm be, “Míetsɔ míaƒe agblewo, waingblewo kple míaƒe aƒewo ɖo awɔbae be míaxɔ bli le dɔŋɔli sia.”

And there were that saide, We must gage our landes, and our vineyardes, and our houses, and take vp corne for the famine.

4 Ame bubuwo hã le gbɔgblɔm be, “Ele na mí be míado ga axe adzɔgae na fia la ɖe míaƒe agblewo kple waingblewo ta.”

There were also that said, We haue borowed money for the Kings tribute vpon our landes and our vineyardes.

5 Ame daheawo gblɔ be, “Wo nɔviwo míenye, eye mía viwo le ko abe woawo hã tɔwo ke ene. Ke ele be míadzra mía viŋutsuwo kple mía vinyɔnuwo hafi ate ŋu aɖu nu. Míedzra mía vinyɔnu aɖewo xoxo, eye míagate ŋu axɔ wo o, elabena míetsɔ míaƒe agblewo ɖo awɔbae na ame siawo ke!”

And nowe our flesh is as the flesh of our brethren, and our sonnes as their sonnes: and lo, we bring into subiection our sonnes and our daughters, as seruants, and there be of our daughters nowe in subiection, and there is no power in our handes: for other men haue our landes and our vineyardes.

6 Esi mese nya sia la, medo dɔmedzoe vevie.

Then was I very angrie when I heard their crie and these wordes.

7 Esi mebu nu siawo katã ŋuti vɔ la, mebu fɔ bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo. Megblɔ na wo be, “Miele miawo ŋutɔ mia nɔviwo bam!” Ale meyɔ takpekpe gã aɖe na ame hahoawo ne maɖɔ nya sia ɖo.

And I thought in my minde, and I rebuked the princes, and the rulers, and saide vnto them, You lay burthens euery one vpon his brethren: and I set a great assemblie against them,

8 Meka mo na wo be, “Abe ale si ke ŋutete le mía si ene ko la, miegbugbɔ mía nɔvi Yudatɔ siwo wodzra ɖe dukɔ bubuwo me la ƒle. Ke azɔ la, miegale wo dzram ale be woagbugbɔ wo agadzra na mi!” Wo katã wozi ɖoɖoe, elabena womekpɔ nya aɖeke agblɔ o.

And I said vnto them, We (according to our abilitie) haue redeemed our brethren the Iewes, which were solde vnto the heathen: and will you sell your brethren againe, or shall they be solde vnto vs? Then helde they their peace, and could not answere.

9 Meyi edzi gblɔ na wo be, “Nu si wɔm miele la nye nu vɔ̃. Ɖe miazɔ le mawuvɔvɔ̃ me oa? Ɖe futɔ, siwo le didim be yewoatsrɔ̃ mí la mesɔ gbɔ le mía ŋuti le dukɔ siwo ƒo xlã mí la me xoxo oa?

I said also, That which ye do, is not good. Ought ye not to walke in the feare of our God, for the reproche of the heathen our enemies?

10 Mí ame bubuawo ya míele ga kple nuɖuɖu dom na mía nɔvi Yudatɔwo, eye míele deme aɖeke xɔm o. Meɖe kuku na mi, bubumewo, midzudzɔ amebaba sia tɔgbi!

For euen I, my brethren, and my seruants doe lende them money and corne: I pray you, let vs leaue off this burden.

11 Migbugbɔ ame daheawo ƒe agblewo, waingblewo, amitigblewo kple aƒewo na wo egbe sia, eye deme alafa ɖekalia si miexɔna ɖe ga, bli, wain yeye kple ami dzi la natɔ.”

Restore, I pray you, vnto them this day their landes, their vineyardes, their oliues, and their houses, and remit the hundreth part of the siluer and of the corne, of the wine, and of the oyle that ye exact of them.

12 Wolɔ̃ ɖe nya sia dzi, eye wodo ŋugbe be yewoakpe ɖe yewo nɔviwo ŋuti, eye yewomagana be woatsɔ woƒe anyigbawo aɖo awɔba, eye woadzra wo viwo na amewo o. Ale meyɔ Osɔfowo, bubumewo kple dɔnunɔlawo, eye mena kesinɔtɔ siawo ɖe adzɔgbe be yewoawɔ yewoƒe ŋugbedodo dzi.

Then said they, We will restore it, and will not require it of them: we will doe as thou hast said. Then I called the Priestes, and caused them to sweare, that they shoulde doe according to this promise.

13 Meʋuʋu nye awutoga hegblɔ na wo be, “Alea kee Mawu aʋuʋu ame sia ame si mawɔ ɖe ŋugbedodo sia dzi o la, ado goe le eya ŋutɔ ƒe aƒe me, hekpe ɖe eƒe nunɔamesiwo ŋu, eya ta nenem ƒe ame ma woatrɔe akɔ ɖi, eye woaɖi gbɔloe!” Esi megblɔ esia vɔ la, ame haho la katã xɔ ɖe edzi be, “Amen.” Wo katã wokafu Yehowa, eye ameawo wɔ abe ale si wodo ŋugbee ene.

So I shooke my lappe, and said, So let God shake out euery man that wil not perfourme this promise from his house, and from his labour: euen thus let him be shaken out, and emptied. And all the Cogregation said, Amen, and praised the Lord: and the people did according to this promise.

14 Le ƒe wuieve siwo me menye mɔmefia na Yuda, tso Artazerses ƒe fiaɖuɖu ƒe ƒe blaevelia me va se ɖe ƒe blaetɔ̃-vɔ-evelia me la, nye kple nye kpeɖeŋutɔwo siaa míexɔ fetu aɖeke alo kpekpeɖeŋu aɖeke tso Israelviwo gbɔ o.

And from the time that the King gaue me charge to be gouernour in the lande of Iudah, from the twentieth yeere, euen vnto the two and thirtieth yeere of King Artahshashte, that is, twelue yeere, I, and my brethren haue not eaten the bread of the gouernour.

15 Esia to vovo sãa tso mɔmefia siwo do ŋgɔ nam la ƒe wɔnawo gbɔ. Woawo xɔa nuɖuɖu kple wain kple klosaloga blaene gbe sia gbe le dukɔa si. Wotsɔ ameawo de asi na woƒe kpeɖeŋutɔwo, eye wowɔa fu ameawo. Ke nye la, mevɔ̃a Mawu, eye nyemewɔ nenema o.

For the former gouernours that were before me, had bene chargeable vnto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, besides fourtie shekels of siluer: yea, and their seruants bare rule ouer the people: but so did not I, because of the feare of God.

16 Mekpe asi ɖe gli la ɖoɖo ŋu, eye nyemedi anyigba aɖeke be maƒle na ɖokuinye o. Mena nye kpeɖeŋutɔwo hã kpe asi ɖe gli la ɖoɖo ŋu.

But rather I fortified a portion in the worke of this wall, and we bought no lande, and all my seruants came thither together vnto the worke.

17 Mewɔ esiawo katã togbɔ be menaa nuɖuɖu Yudatɔ alafa ɖeka kple blaatɔ̃ gbe sia gbe kpe ɖe amedzro siwo tsoa anyigba bubuwo dzi ŋu hã.

Moreouer there were at my table an hundreth and fiftie of the Iewes, and rulers, which came vnto vs from among the heathen that are about vs.

18 Nu siwo mehiãna gbe sia gbe la woe nye nyitsu ɖeka, alẽ dami ade kple koklo geɖewo, eye le ŋkeke ewo ɖe sia ɖe me la, mehiãa wain lita geɖe. Ke nyemeda nudzɔdzɔ tɔxɛ ɖe ameawo dzi o, elabena nuwo nɔ sesẽm na wo xoxo.

And there was prepared daily an oxe, and sixe chosen sheepe, and birdes were prepared for me, and within ten dayes wine for all in abundance. Yet for all this I required not the bread of the gouernour: for the bondage was grieuous vnto this people.

19 O! Nye Mawu, ɖo ŋku nu siwo katã mewɔ na ame siawo la dzi, eye nàyram ɖe wo ta.

Remember me, O my God, in goodnesse, according to all that I haue done for this people.