Nehemia 9
1 Le ɣleti sia ke ƒe ŋkeke blaeve-vɔ-enelia gbe la, Israelviwo gava kpe ta. Azɔ la, wotsi nu dɔ, ta akpanya, eye wolɔ ke kɔ ɖe ta me.
On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.
2 Israelviwo ɖe wo ɖokui ɖe aga tso amedzrowo gbɔ. Wotsi tsitre ɖe wo nɔƒewo, eye woʋu woawo ŋutɔ ƒe nu vɔ̃ kple wo fofowo ƒe nu tovowo wɔwɔ me.
Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all the foreigners, and they stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.
3 Woxlẽ Seawo tso Yehowa, woƒe Mawu, ƒe Segbalẽ la me gaƒoƒo etɔ̃, eye wowɔ gaƒoƒo etɔ̃ bubu ŋu dɔ heʋu woƒe nu vɔ̃wo me hesubɔ Yehowa, woƒe Mawu la.
While they stood in their places, they read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day, and they spent another quarter of the day in confession and worship of the LORD their God.
4 Levitɔ aɖewo nɔ agba la dzi, eye wonɔ Yehowa kafum kple aseyetsohawo. Ame siawoe nye, Yesua, Bani, Kadmiel, Sebania, Buni, Serebia, Bani kple Kenani.
And the Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani—stood on the raised platform and cried out in a loud voice to the LORD their God.
5 Levitɔwo ƒe kplɔlawo gblɔ na ameawo be, “Mitsi tsitre miakafu Yehowa, miaƒe Mawu la, elabena eli tso mavɔ me yi mavɔ me. Mikafu eƒe ŋkɔ kɔkɔe la! Elolo sãa wu nu si míate ŋu abu kple ale si míate ŋu agblɔ!” Kplɔla siawoe nye Yesua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hasabneia, Serebia, Hodia, Sebania kple Petahia.
Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
6 Ezra do gbe ɖa be, “O! Yehowa, wò ɖeka koe nye Mawu. Wòe wɔ dziƒo kple dziƒowo ƒe dziƒo, anyigba kple atsiaƒu kple nu siwo katã le wo me. Wòe kpɔa wo katã dzi, eye wòe mawudɔlawo katã subɔna.
You alone are the LORD. You created the heavens, the highest heavens with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to all things, and the host of heaven worships You.
7 “Wòe nye Yehowa Mawu, ame si tia Abram, eye nèkplɔe do goe tso Ur le Kaldea, eye nètrɔ ŋkɔ nɛ be Abraham.
You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram, who brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham.
8 Esi wòwɔ nuteƒe na wò la, èbla nu kplii tegbee be yeatsɔ Kanaantɔwo, Hititɔwo, Amoritɔwo, Perizitɔwo, Yebusitɔwo kple Girgasitɔwo ƒe anyigba anae kple eƒe dzidzimeviwo tegbetegbe. Èwɔ wò ŋugbedodo dzi, elabena ènye nuteƒewɔla.
You found his heart faithful before You, and made a covenant with him to give the land of the Canaanites and Hittites, of the Amorites and Perizzites, of the Jebusites and Girgashites— to give it to his descendants. You have kept Your promise, because You are righteous.
9 “Èkpɔ mía tɔgbuiwo ƒe fukpekpe kple nuxaxa le Egipte, eye nèse woƒe ɣlidodo tso Ƒu Dzĩ la to.
You saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt; You heard their cry at the Red Sea.
10 Èwɔ dzesi kple nukunu triakɔwo fia Fia Farao kple eƒe amewo, elabena ènya fu siwo Egiptetɔwo nɔ wo wɔm. Èxɔ ŋkɔ gã le nu gã siwo nèwɔ, eye womaŋlɔ wo be akpɔ o la ta.
You performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh, all his officials, and all the people of his land, for You knew they had acted with arrogance against our fathers. You made a name for Yourself that endures to this day.
11 Èma atsiaƒu la ɖe akpa eve me, ale be wò amewo nate ŋu azɔ anyigba ƒuƒui dzi atso atsiaƒu la! Gake ètsrɔ̃ woƒe futɔwo ɖe atsiaƒu la ƒe gogloƒe. Wonyrɔ abe kpe ene ɖe atsiaƒu la me.
You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.
12 Ètsɔ lilikpo dodo kplɔ mía tɔgbuiwo le ŋkeke me, eye nèkplɔ wo kple dzosɔti le zã me, ale be woate ŋu akpɔ mɔ.
You led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they should travel.
13 “Èɖiɖi va Sinai to la dzi, èƒo nu kpli wo tso dziƒo, eye nèna Se kple ɖoɖo nyui siwo le eteƒe la wo.
You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.
14 Ède Se na wo tso Dzudzɔgbe kɔkɔe la ŋu, ède Seawo na wo to wò dɔla, Mose dzi be woawɔ wo katã dzi.
You revealed to them Your holy Sabbath and gave them commandments and statutes and laws through Your servant Moses.
15 “Esi dɔ wu wo la, èna nuɖuɖu wo tso dziƒo, eye esi tsikɔ wu wo la, èna tsi wo tso agakpe la me. Èɖe gbe na wo be woayi aɖaxɔ anyigba si nèka atam be yeana wo.
In their hunger You gave them bread from heaven; in their thirst You brought them water from the rock. You told them to go in and possess the land which You had sworn to give them.
16 Ke mía tɔgbuiwo nye dadalawo kple kɔlialiatɔwo, eye wogbe toɖoɖo wò Seawo.
But they and our fathers became arrogant and stiff-necked and did not obey Your commandments.
17 “Wogbe wò Seawo dzi wɔwɔ, eye womebu nukunu siwo nèwɔ le wo dome o, ke boŋ wodze aglã, eye wotia kplɔla aɖe be wòakplɔ yewo atrɔ ayi kluvinyenye me le Egipte! Ke tsɔtsɔke ƒe Mawu kple amenuvela nènye. Mèdoa dɔmedzoe kabakaba o; lɔlɔ̃ kple nublanuikpɔkpɔ sɔ gbɔ le mewò, eya ta megble wo ɖi o,
They refused to listen and failed to remember the wonders You performed among them. They stiffened their necks and appointed a leader to return them to their bondage in Egypt. But You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in loving devotion, and You did not forsake them.
18 togbɔ be wowɔ sikanyivilegba, eye wogblɔ be ‘Esiae nye míaƒe mawu! Eyae kplɔ mi tso Egipte’ hã. Wowɔ nu vɔ̃ le mɔ geɖewo nu,
Even when they cast for themselves an image of a calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and when they committed terrible blasphemies,
19 ke le wò amenuveve ƒe agbɔsɔsɔ ta la, mègble wo ɖi be woaku le gbedzi o! Alilĩkpododo la kplɔa wo yia ŋgɔe gbe sia gbe, eye dzosɔti la fiaa mɔ wo le zã me.
You in Your great compassion did not forsake them in the wilderness. By day the pillar of cloud never turned away from guiding them on their path; and by the night the pillar of fire illuminated the way they should go.
20 Èɖo wò Gbɔgbɔ nyui la ɖa be wòafia nu wo. Mèdzudzɔ mananana wo tso dziƒo o, mèdzudzɔ tsinana wo be wòatsi woƒe tsikɔwuame nu o.
You gave Your good Spirit to instruct them. You did not withhold Your manna from their mouths, and You gave them water for their thirst.
21 Èkpɔ wo dzi ƒe blaene le gbedzi, naneke mehiã wo le ɣeyiɣi ma me o. Woƒe awuwo mevuvu o, eye woƒe afɔwo hã mete o!
For forty years You sustained them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell.
22 “Èkpe ɖe wo ŋu woɖu fiaɖuƒe gãwo kple dukɔ geɖewo dzi, eye nèda wò amewo ɖe anyigba la ƒe dzogoe ɖe sia ɖe dzi. Woxɔ Fia Sixɔn, Amoritɔwo ƒe fia, si nɔ Hesbon kple Ɔg, Basan fia, ƒe anyigbawo.
You gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner of the land. So they took the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and of Og king of Bashan.
23 Èna Israelviwo dzi sɔ gbɔ fũu abe dziƒoɣletiviwo ene, eye nèkplɔ wo va anyigba si ŋugbe nèdo na wo tɔgbuiwo la dzi.
You multiplied their descendants like the stars of heaven and brought them to the land You had told their fathers to enter and possess.
24 Èbɔbɔ dukɔ blibowo ɖe anyi le wo ŋgɔ, Kanaan fiawo kple woƒe amewo gɔ̃ hã zu ŋusẽmanɔŋutɔwo!
So their descendants went in and possessed the land; You subdued before them the Canaanites dwelling in the land. You delivered into their hands the kings and peoples of the land, to do with them as they wished.
25 Wò amewo xɔ du gã siwo woglã la kple agbledenyigba nyuiwo. Woxɔ aƒe geɖe siwo me nu nyuiwo abe vudo, waingblewo, amitivewo kple kutsetseti geɖewo ene la le. Ale woɖu nu ɖi ƒo, eye wò yayrawo sɔ gbɔ ɖe wo dzi.
They captured fortified cities and fertile land and took houses full of all goods, wells already dug, vineyards, olive groves, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled; they grew fat and delighted in Your great goodness.
26 “Ke, togbɔ be nèwɔ esiawo katã na wo hã la, wosẽ to, eye wodze aglã ɖe ŋuwò. Woɖe asi le wò sewo ŋu, wowu nyagblɔɖila siwo gblɔ na wo be woatrɔ ava gbɔwò, eye wogawɔ nu vɔ̃ vɔ̃ɖi bubu geɖewo.
But they were disobedient and rebelled against You; they flung Your law behind their backs. They killed Your prophets, who had admonished them to return to You. They committed terrible blasphemies.
27 Ale nètsɔ wo de asi na woƒe futɔwo. Ke le woƒe xaxaɣiwo me la, wodo ɣli na wò, èse woƒe ɣlidodo tso dziƒo, eye le wò amenuveve ta la, èɖo amewo ɖa be woaɖe wo tso woƒe futɔwo ƒe
So You delivered them into the hands of enemies who oppressed them, and in their time of distress they cried out to You. From heaven You heard them, and in Your great compassion You gave them deliverers who saved them from the hands of their enemies.
28 “Ke esi nuwo nɔ yiyim na wo nyuie ko la, wò amewo gatrɔ ɖe nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ ŋu, eye nègana woƒe futɔwo gaɖu wo dzi. Ke ne wò amewo trɔ va gbɔwò, ɖe kuku na wò, bia wò kpekpeɖeŋu ko la, ègaɖoa to wo tso dziƒo, eye nèɖea wo to wò amenuveve gã la me!
But as soon as they had rest, they again did evil in Your sight. So You abandoned them to the hands of their enemies, who had dominion over them. When they cried out to You again, You heard from heaven, and You delivered them many times in Your compassion.
29 Èhea to na wo ale be nàtrɔ wo ɖe wò seawo ŋu. Ke, togbɔ be wò seawo dzi wɔwɔe naa agbe ame hã la, wò amewo nye dadalawo, eye womeɖo to o, ke boŋ woyi nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ dzi.
You admonished them to turn back to Your law, but they were arrogant and disobeyed Your commandments. They sinned against Your ordinances, by which a man will live if he practices them. They stubbornly shrugged their shoulders; they stiffened their necks and would not obey.
30 Ègbɔ dzi ɖi na wo ƒe geɖewo, eye to wò Gbɔgbɔ dzi la, èna nyagblɔɖilawo ƒo nu na wo be woadzudzɔ nu vɔ̃ wɔwɔ, ke womeɖo to wo o. Ale nègana dukɔ siwo subɔa trɔ̃wo la gaɖu wo dzi.
You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.
31 Ke le wò amenuveve sɔ gbɔ la ta la, mètsrɔ̃ wo keŋkeŋ alo gble wo ɖi o. Mawu amenuvetɔ kple dɔmenyotɔ gãe nènye!
But in Your great compassion, You did not put an end to them; nor did You forsake them, for You are a gracious and compassionate God.
32 “Eya ta, azɔ la, Oo, Mawu gã, si ŋu ŋɔdzi le, wò ame si wɔa wò lɔlɔ̃ kple amenuveve ƒe ŋugbedodo dzi la, mègana fukpekpe siwo katã va mía dzi la, naɖi nu tsɛ aɖeke le wò ŋkume o. Fukpekpe geɖewo va míawo ŋutɔ, míaƒe fiawo, fiaviwo, nyagblɔɖilawo kple tɔgbuiwo dzi ɣeyiɣi si Asiria fia ɖu mía dzi zi gbãtɔ va se ɖe egbe.
So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders, our priests and prophets, our ancestors and all Your people, from the days of the kings of Assyria until today.
33 Tɔwò dzɔ ɣe sia ɣi si nèhe to na mí. Míewɔ nu vɔ̃ ale gbegbe be nu si dze mí la koe nèwɔ mí.
You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.
34 Míaƒe fiawo, dumegãwo, nunɔlawo kple mía tɔgbuiwo mewɔ wò sewo dzi o, eye womeɖo to wò nuxlɔ̃amenyawo o.
Our kings and leaders and priests and fathers did not obey Your law or listen to Your commandments and warnings that You gave them.
35 Togbɔ be èwɔ nukunu geɖewo na wo, eye nèkɔ wò amenuveve ɖe wo dzi fũu hã la, womesubɔ wò o. Èna anyigba gã aɖe si nyoa nu la wo, gake wogbe asiɖeɖe le woƒe mɔ vɔ̃wo ŋu.
For even while they were in their kingdom, with the abundant goodness that You had given them, and in the spacious and fertile land that You had set before them, they would not serve You or turn from their wicked ways.
36 “Ale míeganye kluviwo le afii, le anyigba si dzi nu nyuiwo bɔ ɖo fũu la dzi! Míeganye kluviwo le nu nyui gbogbo siawo dome!
So here we are today as slaves in the land You gave our fathers to enjoy its fruit and goodness— here we are as slaves!
37 Anyigba sia dzi nuku nyuiwo va yi fia siwo nèna woɖu mía dzi le míaƒe nu vɔ̃wo ta la ƒe asime. Wokpɔ ŋusẽ ɖe míaƒe ŋutilã kple míaƒe lãwo dzi. Míesubɔa wo abe ale si wodi ene, eye míezu nublanuitɔ gãwo.”
Its abundant harvest goes to the kings You have set over us because of our sins. And they rule over our bodies and our livestock as they please. We are in great distress.
38 “Le esiawo katã ta la, míegale ŋugbe dom be míasubɔ Aƒetɔ la, eya ta mí kple míaƒe dumegãwo kple Levitɔwo kple nunɔlawo míele asi dem nubabla sia te.”
In view of all this, we make a binding agreement, putting it in writing and sealing it with the names of our leaders, Levites, and priests.”
