ʻEsela 9
1 Pea ʻi he fai ʻo ʻosi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, naʻe haʻu ai ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki kiate au, ʻo pehē, ʻOku teʻeki vahevahe ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻo ʻIsileli, mo e kau taulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, mei he kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ʻi he fai ʻo fakatatau ki heʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻio, ʻoe kakai Kēnani, mo e kakai Heti, mo e kakai Pelesi, mo e kakai Sepusi, mo e kakai ʻAmoni, mo e kakai ʻAmoli.
Now when these things were done, the princes came near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 He kuo nau ʻomi honau ngaahi ʻofefine moʻonautolu, pea mo honau ngaahi foha: ko ia kuo fakafehakoʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻe he hako māʻoniʻoni mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua ko ia: ʻio, kuo kau lahi ʻae nima ʻoe houʻeiki mo e ngaahi pule ʻi he meʻa hala ni.
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy offspring have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”
3 Pea ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he meʻa ni, naʻaku hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau fusi hoku ngaahi fulufuluʻi ʻulu mei hoku ʻulu, pea mo ʻeku kava, peau nofo ki lalo ʻo tāfuʻua.
When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled the hair out of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
4 Pea naʻe kātoa kiate au ʻakinautolu taki taha kotoa pē naʻe tetetete ki he ngaahi folofola ʻae ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e meʻa ʻi he talangataʻa ʻokinautolu naʻe fetuku fakapōpula: peau nofo tāfuʻua pe ʻo aʻu ki he feilaulau fakaefiafi.
Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel were assembled to me because of the trespass of the exiles; and I sat confounded until the evening offering.
5 Pea ʻi he feilaulau fakaefiafi ne u tuʻu hake mei heʻeku māfasia; peau hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau tūʻulutui ʻi hoku tui, peau mafao atu hoku nima kia Sihova ko hoku ʻOtua,
At the evening offering I rose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God;
6 Pea naʻaku pehē, “ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ʻoku ou mā pea kula hoku mata ke hiki hake hoku mata kiate koe, ʻe hoku ʻOtua: he kuo tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻemau ngaahi hia ʻi ʻolunga ki homau ʻulu, pea ko ʻemau fai hala kuo tupu hake ki he ngaahi langi.
and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.
7 Talu mei he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻemau ngaahi tamai kuo mau moʻua ʻi he hala lahi ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni; pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau ngaahi hia, naʻe tukuange ai ʻakimautolu, mo homau ngaahi tuʻi, mo homau ngaahi taulaʻeiki, ki he nima ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ki he heletā, pea ki he pōpula, pea ki he maumau, pea ki he puputuʻu ʻoe mata, ʻo hangē ʻi he ʻaho ni.
Since the days of our fathers we have been exceedingly guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
8 Pea ko eni kuo fakahā ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he kuonga siʻi meia Sihova ko homau ʻOtua, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ha toenga [kakai], ke hoa, pea ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae faʻo ʻi hono potu māʻoniʻoni, koeʻuhi ke fakamaama homau mata ʻe homau ʻOtua, pea foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake siʻi ʻi homau nofo pōpula.
Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a stake in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and revive us a little in our bondage.
9 He ko e kau tangata hopoate ʻakimautolu; ka naʻe ʻikai liʻaki ʻakimautolu ʻe homau ʻOtua ʻi heʻemau nofo pōpula, ka kuo fakahoko ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake, ke fokotuʻu ʻae fale ʻo homau ʻOtua, pea ke fakafoʻou hono ngaahi potu maumau pea ke foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae ʻā maka ʻi Siuta pea ʻi Selūsalema.
For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to revive us, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 Pea ko eni, ʻE homau ʻOtua, ko e hā te mau lea [ʻaki ]hili ʻae meʻa ni kotoa pē? He kuo mau liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau,
“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
11 ʻAia naʻa ke fekau ʻi hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau palōfita, ʻo pehē, Ko e fonua ʻoku mou ʻalu ke maʻu, ko e fonua taʻemaʻa ia ʻi he ngaahi angaʻuli ʻoe kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, mo ʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻaia kuo nau fakafonu ʻaki ia mei hono potu ʻe taha ki hono potu ʻe taha ʻi heʻenau anga taʻemaʻa;
which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land to which you go to possess is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness.
12 Pea ko eni, ʻoua naʻa mou foaki homou ngaahi ʻofefine ki honau ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou toʻo honau ngaahi ʻofefine mo homou ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou kumi ki heʻenau melino pe ki heʻenau koloa ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ke mou mālohi, pea kai ʻae lelei ʻoe fonua, pea tuku ia ko e ʻapi tofiʻa ki hoʻomou fānau ke taʻengata.
Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons. Don’t take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
13 Pea hili ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kimautolu ʻi heʻemau ngaahi ngāue kovi, pea ʻi heʻemau hala lahi, he ko koe ko homau ʻOtua kuo siʻi hifo hao tautea ʻakimautolu kae lahi ʻemau ngaahi hia, pea kuo ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae ngaahi fakamoʻui pehē ni;
“After all that has come on us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,
14 He te mau toe liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau, pea hoko ʻo fakataha ʻakimautolu mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi angakovi ni? Pea ʻikai te ke houhau ai kiate kimautolu ke ʻoua ke fakaʻauha ʻakimautolu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha niʻihi ʻe toe, pe ha meʻa ke hao ai?
shall we again break your commandments, and join ourselves with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15 ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku ke māʻoniʻoni koe: he ʻoku mau kei nofo hao pe, ʻo hangē ko e ʻaho ni: vakai, ʻoku mau ʻi ho ʻao ʻi heʻemau ngaahi angahala: he ʻoku ʻikai te mau faʻa tuʻu ʻi ho ʻao koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni.”
Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for no one can stand before you because of this.”
