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.
On October 31, the people gathered together again. They (fasted/abstained from eating food), they wore clothes made from rough cloth, and they put dirt on their heads [to show that they were sorry for their sins].
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.
The Israeli people separated themselves from all the foreigners. They stood there and confessed their sins and the sins that their ancestors had committed.
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.
The scroll that contained the laws of Yahweh, the God whom they [worshiped], was read to them for three hours. Then for three more hours they confessed their sins and they worshiped Yahweh.
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.
[Some of] the descendants of Levi were standing on the stairs. They were Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, [another] Bani, and Kenani.
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 leaders of] the Levites called out to the people. They were Jeshua, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah. They said, “While you are standing there, praise Yahweh your God, who has always lived and will live forever!” [Then one of them continued by praying this to God], “Yahweh, we praise your glorious name! You are much greater than anything that we can think about or talk about!
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 only are God. You made the sky and the heavens and all the stars. You made the earth and everything that is on it, and you made the seas/oceans and everything that is in them. You are the one who gives life to everything and helps them remain alive. All the angels who are in heaven worship you.
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;
“Yahweh, you are God. You chose Abram and brought him out of Ur [city] in Chaldea [region]. You gave him a new name, 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 he was trustworthy. Then you made (an agreement with/a promise to) him, saying that you would give [to him and] to his descendants the land that the descendants of Canaan, Heth, Amor, Periz, Jebus, and Girgash lived in. And you have done what you promised, because you always do what is right.
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:
“You saw what our ancestors were suffering in Egypt. You heard them cry to you for help when they were at 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.
Because you knew that the leaders of Egypt were treating our ancestors very arrogantly, you performed many kinds of miracles that caused the king and his officials and all his people to suffer. As a result, you became famous then, and you are still famous!
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.
You caused the Red Sea to divide, with the result that your people walked through it on the ground without [getting their feet] wet. [After they were all safely on the other side, ] you [caused the water to come back again], and you hurled into the deep water the [soldiers of the Egyptian army] that were pursuing our ancestors. Their soldiers sank into the deep sea like stones!
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.
During each day you led our ancestors with a bright cloud that resembled a huge pillar, and each night you led them by a flaming cloud that gave them light to show them where to walk.
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.
“When our ancestors were at Sinai Mountain, you came down from heaven and spoke to them. You gave them many regulations and instructions that are just and reliable, and you gave them commands and laws that are good.
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.
You taught them about your holy (Sabbath/day of rest), and you gave many kinds of laws to your servant Moses for him to tell to the people.
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.
When they were hungry, you gave them manna from the sky; and when they were thirsty, you gave them water from a rock. You commanded them to go and take, from the people who lived there, the land which you had promised to give to them.
16 Otiia ka whakakake ratou ko o matou matua, ka whakapakeke i o ratou kaki, kihai hoki i rongo ki au whakahau,
“But our ancestors were very proud and stubborn [IDM], and they did not do what you commanded them to do.
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.
They refused to heed you, and they forgot about all the miracles that you had performed for them. Instead, they became stubborn [IDM], and they appointed someone to lead them back to Egypt, where they would be slaves again! But you are a God who forgives us and who is kind and merciful [to us]. You do not quickly become angry. You always faithfully love us.
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;
So, even though their [leaders] made an idol that resembled a calf and insulted you by saying [about the idol], ‘This is our god, who brought you up out of Egypt,’ you did not desert them.
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.
“Because you always act mercifully, you did not abandon them when they were in the desert. The bright cloud which was like a huge pillar continued to lead them during the daytime, and the fiery cloud showed them where to walk at night.
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.
You sent your good Spirit to instruct them. You continued to provide water when they were thirsty.
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.
For 40 years you took care of them in the desert. During all that time, they had everything [that they needed]. Their clothes did not wear out, and their feet did not swell up [even though they were continually walking].
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.
“You helped our ancestors to defeat armies of great kings who ruled many people-groups. By doing that, you enabled our ancestors to (occupy/live in) even the most distant places in this land. They occupied the land over which King Sihon ruled from Heshbon [city] and the land over which King Og ruled in [the] Bashan [area].
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.
You caused our ancestors’ descendants to become as numerous as the stars in the sky, and you brought them into this land, the land that you told their fathers to enter and occupy.
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.
Their sons went in and took the land [from the people that lived there]. You enabled them to defeat the descendants of Canaan who lived here in this land. You enabled them to conquer the descendants of Canaan and their kings and the people whom they ruled. You enabled our ancestors to do to those people whatever they wanted 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.
Our ancestors captured cities that had walls around them, and they took possession of fertile land. They took possession of houses that were full of good things, where there were wells that were already dug. They took possession of many vineyards and groves of olive trees and fruit trees. They ate all that they wanted to and became fat. They were delighted in all these good things that you gave to 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 disobeyed you and rebelled against you. They (turned their backs on/rejected) your laws. They killed the prophets who warned them that they should return to you. They badly insulted you.
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.
So you allowed their enemies to defeat them. But when their enemies caused them to suffer, they called out to you. You heard them from heaven, and because you are very merciful, you sent them people to help them, and those leaders rescued them from their enemies.
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 after there was a time of peace again, our ancestors again did things that displeased you. So again you allowed their enemies to conquer them. But whenever they cried out to you again [to help them], you heard them from heaven, and because you act mercifully, you rescued them many times.
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.
“You warned them that they should again [obey] your laws, but they became proud and stubborn, and they disobeyed your commands. They sinned by disobeying what you commanded them to do, the things that would enable them to live a good long life [if they obeyed them]. They stubbornly refused [IDM] to listen to you and continued sinning.
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.
You were patient with them for many years. You warned them trough [the messages] your Spirit gave to the prophets. But they did not (heed/pay attention to) those messages. So again you allowed [the armies of] other nations to defeat them.
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.
But because you act very mercifully, you did not get rid of them completely or abandon them [forever]. You are a very gracious/kind and merciful God!
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.
“Our God, you are great! You are mighty! You are awesome! You faithfully love us as [you promised in] your agreement with us that you would do! But now we are experiencing great difficulties/hardships. Great troubles have come to us, to our kings, to our [other] leaders, to our priests, and to our prophets. We have been experiencing these troubles since [the armies of] the kings of Assyria [conquered us], and we are still experiencing them. We ask that you sincerely think about [LIT] all these things.
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:
[We know that] you acted justly each time that you punished us. We have sinned greatly, but you have treated us fairly.
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.
Our kings and other leaders and our priests and our other ancestors did not obey your laws. They did not heed your commands or the warnings that you gave to 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.
Even when they had their own kings, and they enjoyed the good things that you did for them in this large and fertile land that you gave to them, they did not serve you. They refused to quit doing what was evil.
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.
“So now we are [like] slaves here in this land that you gave to our ancestors, the land that you gave to them in order that they could enjoy all the good things that grow here.
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.
Because we have sinned, [we cannot eat the things that grow here]. The kings that now rule over us are enjoying the things that grow here. They rule us and [take] our cattle. We have to serve them and do the things that please them. We are experiencing great misery/distress.
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.
“However, we [Israeli] people now are making an agreement/promise [to obey you], and we are writing this agreement/promise [on a scroll]. We will write on it the names of our leaders and the names of the Levites and the names of the priests, and then we will seal it.”
