Ezra 9
1 Mgbe e mesịrị ihe ndị a, ndịisi bịakwutere m sị, “Ndị Izrel na ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị, ekewapụghị onwe ha site nʼetiti ndị agbataobi ha, na omume arụ ha niile, dịka nke ndị Kenan, na ndị Het; na ndị Periz, na ndị Jebus, na ndị Amọn, na ndị Moab, na ndị Ijipt, na ndị Amọrait.
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 Ha alụtarala onwe ha nwunye site nʼụmụ ndị inyom mba ọzọ ndị a, lụtakwara ụmụ ha ndị ikom. Ha agwakọtala mkpụrụ nsọ na ndị dị iche iche nọ ha gburugburu. Ọ bụ ndị ndu na ndịisi ọchịchị ha bụ ndị butere ụzọ nʼibi ndụ ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi a.”
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 Ma mgbe m nụrụ nke a, adọwara m uwe ahụ m na uwe mwụda m, dọpụkwa ụfọdụ agịrị isi nke isi m, na ajị afụọnụ m, nọdụkwa ala nʼọnọdụ mgbagwoju anya.
When I heard about this, I tore my clothes, pulled out some hair from my head and beard, and sat down, absolutely appalled.
4 Mgbe ahụ, ndị niile mara jijiji nʼokwu Chineke nke Izrel, gbakọtara m gburugburu nʼihi ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi nke ndị ahụ e mere ka ha jee biri na mba ọzọ lọtaranụ. Mụ onwe m nọkwa nʼọnọdụ mgbagwoju anya ruo oge ịchụ aja nsure ọkụ nke anyasị.
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 Nʼikpeazụ, nʼoge aja uhuruchi, esitere m nʼiweda onwe m ala bilie, eji m uwe na uwe mwụda dọkara adọka daa nʼala nʼikpere m, chilie aka m abụọ elu, tikuo Onyenwe anyị Chineke m
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 nʼekpere sị, “Ihere na-eme m, Chineke m, amaghị otu m ga-esi lelie anya m lekwasị gị nʼihu, nʼihi na mmehie anyị babigara ụba oke, ikpe ọmụma dị na-eche anyị dịkwa ukwuu, nʼezie o ruola eluigwe.
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 Site nʼụbọchị nna nna anyị ha ruo taa, ikpe ọmụma anyị adịla ukwuu. Nʼihi mmehie anyị, anyị na ndị eze anyị, na ndị nchụaja anyị ka enyefere nʼaka mma agha, na ndọta nʼagha, na ịpụnara anyị ihe nʼike na nweda nʼala nʼaka ndị eze ala mba ọzọ, dịka ọ dị taa.
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 “Ma ugbu a, na nwa oge nta a, gị bụ Onyenwe anyị Chineke anyị egosila anyị amara, mee ka ole na ole fọdụrụ anyị. O nyeela anyị ọnọdụ siri ike nʼime ebe nsọ ya. Chineke anyị na-enye anya anyị ìhè, mee ka anyị kurutu ume ndụ nʼoge a site nʼọnọdụ ịbụ ohu anyị.
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 Nʼihi na ndị ohu ka anyị bụ, ma nʼihi obiọma na obi ebere gị, ị gbakụtaghị anyị azụ nʼọnọdụ ịbụ ohu anyị. Kama i mere ka ndị eze Peshịa gosi anyị obi ebere. Ha enyekwala anyị ndụ ọhụrụ, nke anyị ga-eji nwee ike wughachi ụlọnsọ Chineke anyị, ma wuziekwa ebe ya niile dakpọrọ adakpọ. Ọzọkwa, o nyekwala anyị ebe ize ndụ site na mwugharị nke mgbidi Juda na Jerusalem.
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 “Ugbu a, Chineke anyị, gịnịkwa ka anyị nwere ikwu banyere ihe ndị a niile mere? Lee na anyị ahapụla gị ọzọ, hapụkwa ịgbaso iwu gị,
But now, our God, what do we have to say for ourselves after all this? For we have given up following your commands
11 nke i ji dọọ anyị aka na ntị site nʼọnụ ndị amụma, bụ ndị ohu gị. Nʼihi na i si nʼọnụ ha kwuo sị, ‘Ala ahụ unu na-abanye inweta bụ ala nke ndị bi nʼime ya mere ka ọ rụọ arụ. Nʼihi na ndị bi nʼime ya esitela nʼomume ọjọọ ha mee ka akụkụ ala ahụ niile rụọ arụ.
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 Ya mere, unu enyekwala ụmụ ha ndị ikom ụmụ unu ndị inyom ka ha lụrụ, maọbụ kwenye ka ụmụ unu ndị ikom lụọ ụmụ ha ndị inyom. Unu achọkwala udo nke ọdịmma ọbụla nʼetiti unu na ha nʼoge ọbụla, ka unu dị ike, rie ezi ihe nke ala ahụ, hapụkwara ya ụmụ unu dịka ihe nketa ha ruo mgbe ebighị ebi.’
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 “Ma ihe niile dakwasịrị anyị bụ maka ajọ omume anyị, nʼihi ikpe ọmụma dị ukwuu anyị. Ma lee, Chineke anyị ataghị anyị ahụhụ dịka ịdị ukwuu nke mmehie anyị si dị, kama, o mekwara ka ole na ole nʼime anyị fọdụ.
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 Ma anyị ọ ga-emebi iwu gị ọzọ, site nʼịlụ ndị a rụrụ arụ nʼomume ha? Ị gaghị eweso anyị iwe ruo na ị ga-ebibi anyị kpamkpam, na-afọdụghị otu onye?
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 Ma gị, Onyenwe anyị, Chineke Izrel, ị bụ onye ezi omume. Lee anyị ka anyị guzo nʼihu gị nʼọnọdụ ikpe ọmụma anyị, ọ bụ ezie na o nweghị onye ọbụla nʼime anyị kwesiri iguzo nʼihu gị nʼihi nke a.”
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.”
