Ezara 9
1 Na rĩrĩ, thuutha wa gwĩka maũndũ macio, atongoria magĩũka kũrĩ niĩ, makĩnjĩĩra atĩrĩ, “Andũ a Isiraeli, o hamwe na athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii, matiĩamũranĩtie kuuma kũrĩ andũ arĩa matũrigiicĩirie, na kuuma kũrĩ mĩtugo yao ĩrĩ magigi, ta ĩrĩa ya Akaanani, na Ahiti, na Aperizi, na Ajebusi, na Aamoni, na Amoabi, na Amisiri, na Aamori.
After these things had been accomplished, the leaders approached me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the surrounding peoples whose abominations are like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 Nĩmahikĩtie airĩtu amwe ao magatuĩka atumia ao na a ariũ ao, na magatukania rũrĩrĩ rũrĩa rũtheru na andũ arĩa matũrigiicĩirie. Atongoria na anene ao nĩo matongoretie andũ arĩa angĩ ũhoro-inĩ ũyũ wa kwaga kwĩhokeka.”
Indeed, the Israelites have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, so that the holy seed has been mixed with the people of the land. And the leaders and officials have taken the lead in this unfaithfulness!”
3 Rĩrĩa ndaiguire ũhoro ũcio, ngĩtembũranga nguo yakwa ya thĩinĩ na ya igũrũ, na ngĩmunya njuĩrĩ cia mũtwe wakwa o na nderu, ngĩikara thĩ ndĩ na kĩeha kĩnene.
When I heard this report, I tore my tunic and cloak, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down in horror.
4 Hĩndĩ ĩyo andũ othe arĩa mainainire nĩ ũndũ wa ciugo icio cia Ngai wa Isiraeli makĩgomana harĩ niĩ nĩ ũndũ wa kwaga kwĩhokeka kũu kwa andũ arĩa maatahĩtwo. Ngĩikara thĩ hau ndĩ na kĩeha kĩnene o nginya hĩndĩ ya igongona rĩa hwaĩ-inĩ.
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel gathered around me because of the unfaithfulness of the exiles, while I sat there in horror until the evening offering.
5 Na rĩrĩ, ihinda rĩa igongona rĩa hwaĩ-inĩ rĩakinya-rĩ, ngĩũkĩra ngiuma hau ndaikarĩte ndĩnyiihĩtie, nguo yakwa ya thĩinĩ na ya igũrũ irĩ ndembũkangu, ngĩturia ndu ndambũrũkĩtie moko makwa kũrĩ Jehova Ngai wakwa,
At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,
6 ngĩhooya ũũ: “Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩngũigua thoni mũno na ngaconoka na ndingĩhota gũgũtiirĩra gĩthiithi, Wee Ngai wakwa, tondũ mehia maitũ nĩ maingĩ makaraiha gũkĩra ũraihu witũ na ũũru witũ, ũgakinya o kũu igũrũ.
and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.
7 Kuuma matukũ-inĩ ma maithe maitũ ma tene nginya ũmũthĩ, ũũru witũ ũkoretwo ũrĩ mũingĩ. Tondũ wa mehia maitũ, ithuĩ na athamaki aitũ, na athĩnjĩri-Ngai aitũ, tũtũire tũũragagwo na rũhiũ rwa njora, tũgatahwo na tũgatunywo indo ciitũ, na tũgaconorithio guoko-inĩ kwa athamaki a mabũrũri mangĩ, o ta ũrĩa gũtariĩ ũmũthĩ.
From the days of our fathers to this day, our guilt has been great. Because of our iniquities, we and our kings and priests have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the earth and put to the sword and captivity, to pillage and humiliation, as we are this day.
8 “No rĩrĩ, gwa kahinda kanini, Jehova Ngai witũ akoretwo arĩ mũtugi nĩ gũtũtigĩria matigari na gũtũhe handũ harũmu harĩa hake haamũre, na nĩ ũndũ ũcio Ngai nĩaheete maitho maitũ ũtheri na agatũhooreria hanini ũkombo-inĩ witũ.
But now, for a brief moment, grace has come from the LORD our God to preserve for us a remnant and to give us a stake in His holy place. Even in our bondage, our God has given us new life and light to our eyes.
9 O na gũtuĩka tũrĩ ngombo-rĩ, Ngai witũ ndatũtiganĩirie ũkombo-inĩ. Nĩatũiguĩrĩire tha maitho-inĩ ma athamaki a Perisia: Nĩatũheete mũtũũrĩre mwerũ nĩguo tũhote gwaka nyũmba ya Ngai witũ rĩngĩ na tũcookererie kũrĩa ĩthũkĩtio, na nĩatũheete rũthingo rwa gũtũgitĩra thĩinĩ wa Juda na Jerusalemu.
Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but He has extended to us grace in the sight of the kings of Persia, giving us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and giving us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “No rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ-rĩ, nĩ atĩa tũngiuga thuutha ũyũ? Tondũ nĩtwagĩire mawatho maku bata
And now, our God, what can we say after this? For we have forsaken the commandments
11 marĩa waheanire na tũnua twa anabii ndungata ciaku, rĩrĩa woigire atĩrĩ, ‘Bũrũri ũrĩa mũrathiĩ kwĩgwatĩra ũtuĩke wanyu nĩmũthaahie nĩ waganu wa andũ aguo. Nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ mao me magigi, nĩmaũiyũrĩtie maũndũ mao mooru kuuma mwena ũmwe nginya ũrĩa ũngĩ.
that You gave through Your servants the prophets, saying: ‘The land that you are entering to possess is a land polluted by the impurity of its peoples and the abominations with which they have filled it from end to end.
12 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, mũtikanetĩkĩrie airĩtu anyu mahikio nĩ ariũ ao kana ariũ anyu mahikie airĩtu ao. Mũtikanagĩe na kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa ũrata nao o na rĩ, nĩgeetha mũgĩe na hinya na mũrĩĩage indo njega cia bũrũri ũcio, na mũkaaũtigĩra ciana cianyu ũrĩ igai rĩao nginya tene.’
Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
13 “Maũndũ macio matũkorete nĩ ũndũ wa ciĩko ciitũ njũru na wĩhia witũ mũnene, no rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ ũtũherithĩtie na iherithia inini gũkĩra ũrĩa mehia maitũ magĩrĩire, o na nĩũtũtigĩirie matigari ma andũ ta aya.
After all that has come upon us because of our evil deeds and our great guilt (though You, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve and have given us such a remnant as this),
14 Rĩu-rĩ, no tũcooke kuuna maathani maku rĩngĩ, na tũhikanie na andũ arĩa mekaga maũndũ me magigi ta macio? Githĩ ndũngĩtũrakarĩra nginya ũtũniine, kwage matigari kana mũndũ ũngĩhonoka?
shall we again break Your commandments and intermarry with the peoples who commit these abominations? Would You not become so angry with us as to wipe us out, leaving no remnant or survivor?
15 Wee Jehova Ngai wa Isiraeli, ũrĩ mũthingu! Ũmũthĩ ũyũ nĩtũtigĩtwo tũrĩ matigari. Tũrĩ haha mbere yaku twĩhĩtie, na tondũ wa ũndũ ũcio gũtirĩ o na ũmwe witũ ũngĩhota kũrũgama mbere yaku.”
O LORD, God of Israel, You are righteous! For we remain this day as a remnant. Here we are before You in our guilt, though because of it no one can stand before You.”
