Nehemia 9

1 I te rua tekau ma wha o nga ra o tenei marama ka huihui nga tama a Iharaira, nohopuku ana, he taratara ano nga kakahu, he oneone kei runga i a ratou.

Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the children of Israel came together, taking no food and putting haircloth and dust on their bodies.

2 Na ka wehea nga uri o Iharaira i roto i nga tangata ke katoa: tu ana ratou, whakina ana e ratou o ratou hara, me nga kino o o ratou matua.

And the seed of Israel made themselves separate from all the men of other nations, publicly requesting forgiveness for their sins and the wrongdoing of their fathers.

3 Tu ana ratou i to ratou wahi; a i tetahi o nga wehenga e wha o te ra ka korerotia te pukapuka o te ture a Ihowa, a to ratou Atua; a i tetahi o nga wehenga e wha o te ra ka whaki, ka koropiko ki a Ihowa, ki to ratou Atua.

And for a fourth part of the day, upright in their places, they were reading from the book of the law of their God; and for a fourth part of the day they were requesting forgiveness and worshipping the Lord their God.

4 Na ka tu ki runga ki te pikinga o nga Riwaiti, a Hehua, a Pani, a Karamiere, a Hepania, a Puni, a Herepia, a Pani, a Kenani; nui atu to ratou reo ki te karanga ki a Ihowa, ki to ratou Atua.

Then Jeshua, and Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani took their places on the steps of the Levites, crying in a loud voice to the Lord their God.

5 Katahi ka mea nga Riwaiti, a Hehua, a Karamiere, a Pani, a Hahapania, a Herepia, a Horiia, a Hepania, a Petahia, Whakatika, whakapai ki a Ihowa, ki to koutou Atua a ake ake: kia whakapaingia ano tou ingoa kororia e whakanuia nei ki runga ake i ng a whakapai, i nga whakamoemiti katoa.

Then the Levites, Jeshua, and Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah said, Get up and give praise to the Lord your God for ever and ever. Praise be to your great name which is lifted up high over all blessing and praise.

6 Ko koe, ina, ko koe anake a Ihowa; nau i hanga te rangi, te rangi o nga rangi, me o reira tini mea, te whenua, me nga mea katoa i runga, nga moana, me nga mea katoa i roto, ko koe hoki te kaiwhakaora o aua mea katoa; e koropiko ana hoki te ope o te rangi ki a koe.

You are the Lord, even you only; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens with all their armies, the earth and all things in it, the seas and everything in them; and you keep them from destruction: and the armies of heaven are your worshippers.

7 Ko Ihowa koe, ko te Atua; nau i whiriwhiri a Aperama, a kawea mai ana e koe i Uru o nga Karari, huaina iho e koe tona ingoa ko Aperahama;

You are the Lord, the God, who took Abram and made him yours, guiding him from Ur of the Chaldees, and gave him the name of Abraham;

8 I kitea hoki e koe he ngakau pono tona ki tou aroaro, na whakaritea ana e koe he kawenata ki a ia, he mea kia homai te whenua o nga Kanaani, o nga Hiti, o nga Amori, o nga Perihi, o nga Iepuhi, o nga Kirikahi, kia homai ki ona uri, Na kua mana ne i i a koe au kupu; he tika hoki koe.

You saw that his heart was true to you, and made an agreement with him to give the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite and the Perizzite and the Jebusite and the Girgashite, even to give it to his seed, and you have done what you said; for righteousness is yours:

9 I kitea ano e koe te tukinotanga o o matou matua i Ihipa, i rongo ano ki ta ratou karanga i te Moana Whero:

And you saw the trouble of our fathers in Egypt, and their cry came to your ears by the Red Sea;

10 Na homai ana e koe he tohu, he merekara, ki a Parao, ki ana tangata katoa, ki te iwi katoa o tona whenua: i mohio hoki koe ki ta ratou whakakake ki a ratou. Na kua whai ingoa koe; koia ano tenei inaianei.

And you did signs and wonders on Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land; for you saw how cruel they were to them. So you got yourself a name as it is today.

11 I wahia ano e koe te moana ki to ratou aroaro, a whiti ana ratou i te wahi maroke, i waenganui o te moana. Tena ko nga kaiaru i a ratou, maka ana e koe ki nga rire, ano he kohatu ki roto ki nga wai kaha.

By you the sea was parted before them, so that they went through the sea on dry land; and those who went after them went down into the deep, like a stone into great waters.

12 A arahina ana ratou e koe ki te pou kapua i te awatea; ki te pou ahi i te po, hei whakamarama i to ratou ara e haere ai ratou.

And you went before them by day in a pillar of cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light on the way they were to go.

13 I heke iho ano koe ki Maunga Hinai, a korero ana ki a ratou i runga i te rangi; homai ana e koe ki a ratou he whakaritenga tika, he ture pono, he tikanga pai, he whakahau.

And you came down on Mount Sinai, and your voice came to them from heaven, giving them right decisions and true laws, good rules and orders:

14 Ko tou hapati tapu nau i whakaatu ki a ratou; me nga whakahau, me nga tikanga, me te ture, nau i whakahau ki a ratou, ara na tau pononga, na Mohi.

And you gave them word of your holy Sabbath, and gave them orders and rules and a law, by the hand of Moses your servant:

15 I homai ano e koe he taro i te rangi mo to ratou matekai; i whakaputaina he wai i te kohatu mo to ratou matewai; i ki ano ki a ratou kia haere ki te tango i te whenua i oati ai koe ka hoatu ki a ratou.

And you gave them bread from heaven when they were in need, and made water come out of the rock for their drink, and gave them orders to go in and take for their heritage the land which your hand had been lifted up to give them.

16 Otiia ka whakakake ratou ko o matou matua, ka whakapakeke i o ratou kaki, kihai hoki i rongo ki au whakahau,

But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and gave no attention to your orders,

17 Kihai i whakaae kia rongo, kihai i mahara ki au merekara i mahia e koe i roto i a ratou; otiia kua pakeke o ratou kaki, whakakeke ana ratou, whakaritea ana e ratou he rangatira, kia hoki ai ratou ki ta ratou mahi pononga. Ko koe ia he Atua muru hara, he tohu tangata, he atawhai, he puhoi ki te riri, he nui te aroha, a kihai i whakarere i a ratou.

And would not do them, and gave no thought to the wonders you had done among them; but made their necks stiff, and turning away from you, made a captain over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt: but you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up.

18 Ae ra, i ta ratou hanganga ano i te kuao kau, i te mea whakarewa, i ta ratou kianga, Ko tou Atua tenei i kawea mai ai koe i Ihipa, a nui atu a ratou whakapataritaringa;

Even when they had made for themselves an ox of metal, and said, This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry;

19 Otiia, i te maha o au mahi aroha, kihai koe i whakarere i a ratou i te koraha; kihai ratou i mahue i te pou kapua i te awatea, hei arahi i a ratou i te ara, i te pou ahi i te po, hei whakamarama i a ratou, i te ara ano e haere ai ratou.

Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the waste land: the pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go.

20 I homai ano e koe tou wairua pai hei whakaako i a ratou, kihai hoki tau mana i kaiponuhia ki o ratou mangai: i homai ano e koe he wai ki a ratou mo to ratou matewai.

And you gave your good spirit to be their teacher, and did not keep back your manna from their mouths, and gave them water when they had need of it.

21 Ae ra, e wha tekau nga tau i atawhaitia ai ratou e koe i te koraha, a kihai i hapa ki tetahi mea; kihai o ratou kakahu i tawhitotia, kihai ano o ratou waewae i pupuhi.

Truly, for forty years you were their support in the waste land, and they were in need of nothing; their clothing did not get old or their feet become tired.

22 I homai ano e koe nga kingitanga me nga iwi ki a ratou, a wehewehea ana ratou ki nga wahi mo ratou: heoi kua riro i a ratou te whenua o Hehepona, me te whenua o Oka kingi o Pahana.

And you gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution to them in every part of the land: so they took for their heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan.

23 I whakanuia ano e koe a ratou tamariki kia rite ki nga whetu o te rangi, a kawea mai ana ratou ki te whenua i ki ai koe ki o ratou matua ka haere ratou ki reira tango ai.

And you made their children as great in number as the stars of heaven, and took them into the land, of which you had said to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for themselves.

24 Heoi haere ana nga tamariki, riro ana te whenua i a ratou, a pehia ana e koe ki to ratou aroaro nga tangata whenua, nga Kanaani, homai ana e koe ki o ratou ringa, ratou, o ratou kingi, me nga iwi o te whenua, kia meatia ki a ratou ta ratou i pai ai.

So the children went in and took the land, and you overcame before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their pleasure to do.

25 Na kua riro i a ratou nga pa kaha, me te oneone momona, kua whiwhi ano ki nga whare e ki tonu ana i nga mea papai katoa, ki nga poka wai kua oti te keri, ki nga mara waina, oriwa, ki nga rakau hei kai, tona tini; a kai ana ratou, ka makona, kua whai kiko, a koa ana ratou ki te nui o au mea pai.

And they took walled towns and a fat land, and became the owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of fruit-trees: so they had food enough and became fat, and had joy in the good you gave them.

26 Otiia ka tutu ratou, a ka whakakeke ki a koe, maka ana e ratou tau ture ki muri ki o ratou tuara, patua iho e ratou au poropiti i whakaatu tikanga nei ki a ratou, kia tahuri ai ratou ki a koe; nui atu a ratou whakapataritaringa.

But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority, turning their backs on your law, and putting to death your prophets, who gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you, and they did much to make you angry.

27 Na reira i hoatu ai ratou e koe ki te ringa o o ratou hoariri, a whakatoia iho ratou e ratou; heoi i nga wa i mate ai ratou, ka karanga ratou ki a koe, ka whakarongo koe i te rangi, a, i te maha o au mahi aroha, homai ana e koe he kaiwhakaora ki a ratou, i ora ai ratou i te ringa o o ratou hoariri.

And so you gave them up into the hands of their haters who were cruel to them: and in the time of their trouble, when they made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; and in your great mercy gave them saviours, who made them free from the hands of their haters.

28 Otiia ka whai tanga manawa, nei ratou, kei te mahi ano ratou i te kino ki tou aroaro: na whakarerea atu ana ratou e koe ki te ringa o o ratou hoariri, a ko era hei rangatira mo ratou. Na, ka hoki ratou, a ka karanga ki a koe, ka whakarongo koe i te rangi; he maha nga wa i whakaorangia ai ratou e koe, rite tonu ki au mahi aroha;

But when they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their haters, who had rule over them: but when they came back and made their prayer to you, you gave ear to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation;

29 I whakaatu tikanga ano koe ki a ratou, kia hoki ai ki tau ture; otiia whakakake ana ratou, kihai hoki i rongo ki au whakahau, na ka hara ki au whakaritenga, he mea hoki enei e ora ai te tangata, ki te mahia e ia; whakahokia ana e ratou te pokohi wi, whakapakeketia ana o ratou kaki, kihai hoki i rongo.

And gave witness against them so that you might make them come back again to your law: but their hearts were lifted up, and they gave no attention to your orders and went against your decisions (which, if a man keeps them, will be life to him), and turning their backs on you, made their necks stiff and did not give ear.

30 He maha ano nga tau i kukume roa ai koe ki a ratou, i whakaatu tikanga ai ki a ratou, he mea na tou wairua i roto i au poropiti: heoi kihai i tahuri o ratou taringa: na hoatu ana ratou e koe ki te ringa o nga iwi o nga whenua.

Year after year you put up with them, and gave witness against them by your spirit through your prophets: still they did not give ear: and so you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands.

31 He nui ia no tou aroha, te whakapotoa rawatia ai ratou e koe, te whakarerea ai ratou; he Atua atawhai hoki koe, he Atua aroha.

Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace and mercy.

32 Na, tena, e to matou Atua, e te Atua nui, e te Atua kaha, e wehingia ana, e pupuri nei i te kawenata, i tae mahi tohu, kei iti ki tau titiro te he katoa i pa mai nei ki a matou, ki o matou kingi, ki o matou rangatira, ki o matou tohunga, ki o ma tou poropiti, ki o matou matua, ki tau iwi katoa, o nga ra o nga kingi o Ahiria a tae noa mai ki tenei ra.

And now, our God, the great, the strong, the God who is to be feared, who keeps faith and mercy, let not all this trouble seem small to you, which has come on us, and on our kings and our rulers and on our priests and our prophets and our fathers and on all your people from the time of the kings of Assyria till this day.

33 Otira tika tonu tau i nga mea katoa i takina mai nei ki a matou; he pono hoki tau mahi, ko ta matou ia he kino:

But still, you have been in the right in everything which has come on us; you have been true to us, but we have done evil:

34 Ko o matou kingi, ko o matou rangatira, ko o matou tohunga, ko o matou matua, kihai i mahia e ratou tau ture, kihai hoki i tahuri ki au whakahau, ki au whakaatauranga i whakaaturia e koe ki a ratou.

And our kings, our rulers, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or given attention to your orders and your witness, with which you gave witness against them.

35 Kihai ratou i mahi ki a koe i to ratou kingitanga, a i tau pai nui i homai e koe ki a ratou, me te whenua nui, whenua momona, i homai e koe ki to ratou aroaro, kihai ratou i tahuri i a ratou mahi kino.

For they have not been your servants in their kingdom, and in all the good things you gave them, and in the great and fat land you gave them, and they have not been turned away from their evil-doing.

36 Nana, he pononga matou i tenei ra; na, ko te whenua i homai nei e koe ki o matou matua, kia kainga ona hua, ona pai, nana, he pononga matou i reira.

Now, today, we are servants, and as for the land which you gave to our fathers, so that the produce of it and the good might be theirs, see, we are servants in it:

37 Nui atu hoki ona hua ma nga kingi i meinga nei e koe hei kingi mo matou, no te mea i hara matou; kei ta ratou i pai ai te tikanga mo o matou tinana, mo a matou kararehe, a he nui atu te he i a matou nei.

And it gives much increase to the kings whom you have put over us because of our sins: and they have power over our bodies and over our cattle at their pleasure, and we are in great trouble.

38 Ahakoa tenei katoa, ka whakarite matou i te kawenata pono, tuhituhi rawa; ka hiritia iho e o matou rangatira, e o matou Riwaiti, e o matou tohunga.

And because of all this we are making an agreement in good faith, and putting it in writing; and our rulers, our Levites, and our priests are putting their names to it.