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.
Some time later after all this had happened, the leaders came and told me, “The people of Israel, including the priests and Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the people around us whose disgusting religious practices are similar to 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.”
Some Israelites have even married women from these people, both themselves and their sons, mixing the holy race with these people of the land. Our leaders and officials are at the forefront of this sinful behavior.”
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 about this, I tore my clothes, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down, absolutely appalled.
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.
Everyone who respected the instructions of the God of Israel gathered around me because of this sin on the part of the exiles. I sat there shocked and appalled until the evening sacrifice.
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 sacrifice, I stood up from where I had been sitting in grief, with my clothes torn, and I kneeled down and held 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.
I prayed, “My God, I am so ashamed and embarrassed to come and pray to you, my God, because we are in over our heads in sin, and our guilt has risen to 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 time of our forefathers to now, we have been deeply guilty. Because of our sins, we, our kings, and our priests have been handed over to the kings of the earth, killed and taken prisoner, robbed and humiliated, just like we are today.
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.
Now for a short time the Lord our God has given us grace, preserving a few of us as a remnant, and giving us safety in his holy place. Our God has brightened our lives by giving us some relief from our slavery.
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 did not abandon us in our slavery, but he showed us his trustworthy love by making the kings of Persia kind to us, by reviving us so we could rebuild the Temple of our God and repair its ruined state, and by giving us a wall of protection around Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “No rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ-rĩ, nĩ atĩa tũngiuga thuutha ũyũ? Tondũ nĩtwagĩire mawatho maku bata
But now, our God, what do we have to say for ourselves after all this? For we have given up following your commands
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, telling us, ‘The land you are entering to become its owners is contaminated by the sins of its peoples, the disgusting religious practices that they have filled it with, from one side to the other.
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.’
So do not let your daughters marry their sons, or allow their daughters marry your sons. Never make a peace or friendship treaty with them, so that you may live well and eat the good food the land produces, and give the land as an inheritance to your children 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.
Now that we are receiving all this punishment because of our sinful actions and our terrible guilt—though you, our God, have not punished us as much as our sins deserve, and have still given us this remnant—
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 break your commandments once again and intermarry with the peoples who commit these disgusting religious practices? Wouldn't you become so angry with us that you would destroy us? No remnant would be left, not a single 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.”
Lord, God of Israel, you do what is right. Today we're all that is left, a remnant. We are before you in our guilt, but no one can stand before you because of it.”
