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, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many Israelis, and even some priests and [other men who are] descendants of Levi [who work in the temple], have not kept themselves from [doing what] the other people who are living in this land [do]. They are practicing the detestable things that the Canaan, Heth, Periz, Jebus, Ammon, and Amor people-groups, and the people from Moab and Egypt do.
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.”
[Specifically, some] Israeli men have married women who are not Israelis, and they have allowed their sons to do the same thing. So we, God’s sacred people, have become (contaminated/polluted in God’s sight). And some of our leaders and officials have been the first/worst ones to do this.”
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 that, [I became very angry, with the result that] I tore my clothes and tore some hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down, very shocked/dismayed. [The Israelis knew that God had warned us that he would punish us if we disobeyed] what he had said to us [about marrying women who are not Israelis].
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.
[So] many of the Israelis trembled/were afraid when they heard that some of those who had returned from Babylonia had sinned by disobeying the God of us Israelis like that. They came and sat with me until it was time to offer the evening sacrifices [of grain].
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,
When it was time to offer those sacrifices, I was still sitting there, wearing those torn clothes and mourning/sad. I stood up, and then I quickly prostrated myself on the ground. I lifted up my hands to Yahweh, 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 this is what I prayed: “Yahweh my God, I am very ashamed to raise my head in front of you. The sins that we Israelis have committed [are very great; it is as though they] have risen up higher than our heads, and our guilt [for committing those sins, it is as though it] rises up 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.
Since the time that our ancestors lived until now, we have been very guilty. That is the reason that we and our kings and our priests have been defeated by [the armies of] the kings of other lands. They killed [some of our people], they captured [some], they robbed [some], and they [caused them all to be] disgraced, 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.
“But now, Yahweh God, you have been very kind to us. You have allowed some of us to (survive/continue to live). You have revived our spirits [IDM] and allowed us to escape from being slaves [in Babylonia] and to return safely [IDM] to live in this sacred place.
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.
We were slaves, but you did not abandon us. Instead, because you faithfully love us, you caused the kings of Persia to be very kind to us. You have allowed us to continue to live and to rebuild your temple which had been completely destroyed. You have allowed us to start to live safely here in Jerusalem and in [other towns in] Judah.
10 “No rĩrĩ, Wee Ngai witũ-rĩ, nĩ atĩa tũngiuga thuutha ũyũ? Tondũ nĩtwagĩire mawatho maku bata
“Our God, what more can we say now [RHQ]? In spite of all that [you have done for us], we have disobeyed 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.
They are commands that you gave to your servants, the prophets, to tell to us. They said that the land that we would occupy was polluted because of the detestable/disgusting things that were done by the people who lived there. They said that in the land there were people from one end to the other who did immoral/shameful things.
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.’
They said, ‘Do not allow your daughters to marry their sons! Do not allow your sons to marry their daughters! Do not even try to cause things to go well for those people-groups! If you obey these instructions, your nation will be strong, and you will enjoy the good crops that grow on the land, and the land will belong to your descendants 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.
“You punished us because we were very guilty for having done wicked things. But you have not punished us as much as we deserve to be punished. [I say this because] you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive.
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?
However, some of us are again disobeying your commands, and we are marrying women who do those detestable things. If we continue to do that, surely you will get rid of all of us [RHQ], with the result that none of us will remain alive.
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.”
Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship/belong to], you are fair/just. We are guilty. We are only a few people who have escaped [from Babylonia], but we pray to you, even though we do not deserve to stand in your presence.”
