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.
Now on the twenty-fourth day of the same month the people of Israel were assembled and they were fasting, and they were wearing sackcloth, and they put 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.
The descendants of Israel separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood and confessed their own sins and the evil actions of their ancestors.
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.
They stood up in their places, and for one-fourth of the day they read from the book of the law of Yahweh their God. For another fourth of the day they were confessing and bowing down before Yahweh 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.
The Levites, Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Kenani, stood on the stairs and they called out with a loud voice to Yahweh 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, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, “Stand up and give praise to Yahweh your God forever and ever.” “May they bless your glorious name, and may it be exalted above every 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 are Yahweh. You alone. You have made heaven, the highest heavens, with all their host, and the earth and everything on it, and the seas and all that is in them. You give life to them all, and the host of heaven worship 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 Yahweh, the God who chose Abram, and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldees, 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 was faithful before you, and you made with him the covenant to give to his descendants the land of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, and the Girgashites. 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 forefathers in Egypt and you heard their cry by the Sea of Reeds.
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 gave signs and wonders against Pharaoh, and all his servants, and on all the people of his land, for you knew that the Egyptians acted with arrogance against them. But you made a name for yourself which stands 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.
Then you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the middle of the sea on the dry land; and threw those who pursued them into the depths, as a stone into deep 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 by a pillar of cloud during by day, and by a pillar of fire during the night to light the way for them to go.
13 “Èɖiɖi va Sinai to la dzi, èƒo nu kpli wo tso dziƒo, eye nèna Se kple ɖoɖo nyui siwo le eteƒe la wo.
On Mount Sinai you came down and you spoke with them from heaven and gave to them righteous decrees and true laws, 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 made your holy Sabbath known to them, and you gave them commandments and statutes and a law through Moses your servant.
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.
You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger, and water from a rock for their thirst, and you said to them to go in to possess the land you swore on oath to give them.
16 Ke mía tɔgbuiwo nye dadalawo kple kɔlialiatɔwo, eye wogbe toɖoɖo wò Seawo.
But they and our ancestors acted disrespectfully, and they were stubborn, and did not listen to 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 they did not think about the wonders that you had done among them, but became stubborn, and in their rebellion they appointed a leader to return to their slavery. But you are a God who is full of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love. You did not abandon 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 had cast a calf out of molten metal and said, 'This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,' and had committed great 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 compassion, did not abandon them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them on the way did not leave them during day, neither did the pillar of fire by night to light the way for them to 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.
Your good Spirit you gave them to instruct them, and your manna you did not withhold from their mouths, and water you gave them 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 provided for them in the wilderness, and 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, assigning to them every corner of the land. Then they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land 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 made their children as numerous as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you told their ancestors to go in and possess.
24 Èbɔbɔ dukɔ blibowo ɖe anyi le wo ŋgɔ, Kanaan fiawo kple woƒe amewo gɔ̃ hã zu ŋusẽmanɔŋutɔwo!
So the people went in and possessed the land and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites. You gave them into their hands, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that Israel might do with them as they pleased.
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 the fortified cities and a productive land, and they captured houses full of all good things, cisterns already cut out, vineyards and olive orchards, and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were satisfied and grew fat and enjoyed themselves 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.
Then they became disobedient and they rebelled against you. They threw your law behind their backs. They murdered your prophets who had warned them to turn back to you, and they committed great 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 gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. In the time of their suffering, they cried out to you, and you heard them from heaven, and because of your great mercies you sent them rescuers who rescued them out of the hand 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 after they had rest, they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so their enemies ruled over them. Yet when they returned and cried out to you, you heard from heaven, and many times because of your compassion you rescued them.
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 warned them so they might turn back to your law. Yet they acted arrogantly and did not listen to your commands. They sinned against your decrees which give life to anyone who obeys them. They gave the stubborn shoulder-blade and stiffened their neck and refused to listen.
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.
For many years you put up with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they did not listen. So you gave them into the hand 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 mercies you did not make a complete end of them, or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful 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.
Now therefore, our God—you great, mighty, and awesome God who keep your covenant and steadfast love—do not let all this hardship seem little to you that has come on us, on our kings, on our princes, and on our priests, and on our prophets, and on our ancestors, and on 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 everything that has come on us, for you have dealt faithfully, but 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, our princes, our priests, and our ancestors have not kept your law, nor paid attention to your commandments or your covenant decrees by which you warned 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.
Even in their own kingdom, while they enjoyed your great goodness to them, in the large and productive land you set before them, they did not serve you or turn away from their evil 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!
Now we are slaves in the land you gave our ancestors to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, and behold, we are slaves in it!
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.”
The rich yield from our land goes to the kings you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over 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.”
Because of all this, we make a firm covenant in writing. On the sealed document are the names of our princes, Levites, and priests.”
