Ezra 9
1 Baada ya mambo haya kutendeka, viongozi walinijia na kusema, “Watu wa Israeli, wakiwemo makuhani na Walawi, hawakujitenga na majirani zao katika kufanya machukizo, kama yale ya Wakanaani, Wahiti, Waperizi, Wayebusi, Waamoni, Wamoabu, Wamisri na Waamori.
And at the completion of these things, drawn nigh unto me have the heads, saying, 'The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands, as to their abominations, even the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, the Egyptian, and the Amorite,
2 Wamewaoa baadhi ya binti zao kuwa wake zao na wake za wana wao, nao wamechanganya taifa takatifu na watu waliowazunguka. Nao viongozi na maafisa wamekuwa mstari wa mbele katika njia hii potovu.”
for they have taken of their daughters to them, and to their sons, and the holy seed have mingled themselves among the peoples of the lands, and the hand of the heads and of the seconds have been first in this trespass.'
3 Niliposikia jambo hili nilirarua koti langu na joho langu, nikazingʼoa nywele za kichwa changu na ndevu zangu na kuketi nikishangaa.
And at my hearing this word, I have rent my garment and my upper robe, and pluck out of the hair of my head, and of my beard, and sit astonished,
4 Kisha kila mmoja aliyetetemeshwa na maneno ya Mungu wa Israeli alikusanyika kunizunguka kwa sababu ya upotovu huu wa hao watu waliorudi kutoka utumwani. Nami niliketi pale nikishangaa mpaka wakati wa dhabihu ya jioni.
and unto me are gathered every one trembling at the words of the God of Israel, because of the trespass of the removal, and I am sitting astonished till the present of the evening.
5 Ndipo wakati wa kutoa dhabihu ya jioni nikainuka kutoka kujidhili kwangu nikiwa na koti na joho langu lililoraruka, nikapiga magoti mikono yangu ikiwa imeinuliwa kwa Bwana Mungu wangu.
And at the present of the evening I have risen from mine affliction, and at my rending my garment and my upper robe, then I bow down on my knees, and spread out my hands unto Jehovah my God,
6 Nami nikaomba: “Ee Mungu wangu, natahayari na kuona aibu kukuinulia uso wangu Mungu wangu, kwa sababu dhambi zetu zimejikusanya hata kupita juu ya vichwa vyetu na hatia yetu imefika mbinguni.
and say, 'O my God, I have been ashamed, and have blushed to lift up, O my God, my face unto Thee, for our iniquities have increased over the head, and our guilt hath become great unto the heavens.
7 Tokea siku za babu zetu mpaka sasa, hatia yetu imekuwa kubwa. Kwa sababu ya dhambi zetu, sisi na wafalme wetu na makuhani wetu tumekabiliwa na vita, utumwa, kutekwa na kudhiliwa katika mikono ya wafalme wa kigeni, kama ilivyo leo.
'From the days of our fathers we [are] in great guilt unto this day, and in our iniquities we have been given — we, our kings, our priests — into the hand of the kings of the lands, with sword, with captivity, and with spoiling, and with shame of face, as [at] this day.
8 “Lakini sasa, kwa muda mfupi, Bwana Mungu wetu amekuwa na neema kwa kutuachia mabaki na kutupa mahali imara katika mahali pake patakatifu, hivyo Mungu wetu atupa mwanga machoni petu na unafuu katika utumwa wetu.
'And now, as a small moment hath grace been from Jehovah our God, to leave to us an escape, and to give to us a nail in His holy place, by our God's enlightening our eyes, and by giving us a little quickening in our servitude;
9 Ingawa tu watumwa, Mungu wetu hajatuacha katika kufungwa kwetu. Ametuonyesha huruma mbele ya wafalme wa Uajemi: Ametujalia maisha mapya kwa kujenga upya nyumba ya Mungu wetu na kukarabati magofu yake, naye ametupa ukuta wa ulinzi katika Yuda na Yerusalemu.
for servants we [are], and in our servitude our God hath not forsaken us, and stretcheth out unto us kindness before the kings of Persia, to give to us a quickening to lift up the house of our God, and to cause its wastes to cease, and to give to us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “Lakini sasa, Ee Mungu wetu, tunaweza kusema nini baada ya hili? Kwa maana tumedharau maagizo
'And now, what do we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken Thy commands,
11 uliyoyatoa kupitia watumishi wako manabii uliposema: ‘Nchi mnayoiingia kuimiliki ni nchi iliyochafuliwa na uovu wa watu wake. Kwa matendo yao ya machukizo wameijaza nchi kwa unajisi wao kutoka mwisho mmoja hadi mwingine.
that Thou hast commanded by the hands of thy servants the prophets, saying, The land into which ye are going to possess it, [is] a land of impurity, by the impurity of the people of the lands, by their abominations with which they have filled it — from mouth unto mouth — by their uncleanness;
12 Kwa hiyo, msiwaoze binti zenu kwa wana wao wala binti zao kwa wana wenu. Msitafute mkataba wa urafiki nao kwa wakati wowote. Ndipo mtakapofanikiwa na kula mema ya nchi na kuwaachia watoto wenu nchi hiyo kama urithi wao wa milele.’
and now, your daughters ye do not give to their sons, and their daughters ye do not take to your sons, and ye do not seek their peace, and their good — unto the age, so that ye are strong, and have eaten the good of the land, and given possession to your sons unto the age.
13 “Yale yaliyotupata ni matokeo ya matendo yetu mabaya, pia hatia yetu kubwa. Hata hivyo, wewe Mungu wetu, umetuadhibu kidogo kuliko dhambi zetu zilivyostahili na umetupa mabaki kama haya.
'And after all that hath come upon us for our evil works, and for our great guilt (for Thou, O our God, hast kept back of the rod from our iniquities, and hast given to us an escape like this),
14 Je, tutavunja maagizo yako tena na kuoana na watu ambao hufanya mambo ya machukizo? Je, hutakuwa na hasira ya kutosha juu yetu na kutuangamiza, bila kutuachia mabaki wala atakayenusurika?
do we turn back to break Thy commands, and to join ourselves in marriage with the people of these abominations? art not Thou angry against us — even to consumption — till there is no remnant and escaped part?
15 Ee Bwana, Mungu wa Israeli, wewe ni mwenye haki! Leo hii tumeachwa kama mabaki. Tupo hapa mbele zako na hatia yetu, ingawa katika hali hii hakuna hata mmoja wetu anayeweza kusimama mbele zako.”
'O Jehovah, God of Israel, righteous [art] Thou, for we have been left an escape, as [it is] this day; lo, we [are] before Thee in our guilt, for there is none to stand before Thee concerning this.'
