< Ɛsra 10 >
1 Bere a Ɛsra rebɔ mpae, reka saa bɔne yi no, na ɔresu, de ne ho toto fam wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim, na nnipadɔm a wɔyɛ Israelfo, mmarima, mmea ne mmofra bɛkaa ne ho ne no twaa adwo.
While I was kneeling down in front of the temple and praying and crying, I was confessing [the sins that the Israeli people had committed]. Many people, men and women and children, gathered around me and also cried very much.
2 Na Yehiel babarima Sekania a ɔyɛ Elam aseni no ka kyerɛɛ Ɛsra se, “Yɛpae mu ka sɛ yɛanni yɛn Nyankopɔn nokware, efisɛ yɛawareware abosonsomfo mmea a wɔwɔ asase no so. Nanso eyi akyi no, anidaso wɔ hɔ ma Israel.
Then Shecaniah, the son of Jehiel from the clan of Elam, said this to me: “We have disobeyed God. [Some of] us have married women who are not Israelis. But we can still confidently expect [Yahweh to be merciful to] us Israeli people.
3 Afei, momma yɛne yɛn Nyankopɔn nyɛ apam, na yennyaa yɛn yerenom abosonsomfo no aware, na yɛmpam wɔne wɔn mma. Yebetie afotu a wo ne afoforo a wodi yɛn Nyankopɔn mmara so no de ama yɛn. Yebedi Onyankopɔn mmara no so.
We will do what you, and the others who have an awesome respect for what our God has commanded, tell us to do. We will do what God told us in his laws. We will make an agreement with our God, saying that we will divorce our wives who are not Israelis, and we will send them away with their children.
4 Sɔre, na nya akokoduru, efisɛ ɛyɛ wʼasɛde sɛ wokyerɛ yɛn ɔkwan a yɛbɛfa so ama biribiara akɔ so tee, na yɛde yɛn ahoɔden nyinaa bɛboa.”
(It is your responsibility to/Because you are our leader, you must) [tell us what to do]. So get up, and be courageous, and do [what is necessary]. We will (support you/tell people to do what you say).”
5 Na Ɛsra sɔre gyinae, na ɔhyɛɛ sɛ asɔfo no ntuanofo, Lewifo ne Israelfo nyinaa nka ntam sɛ wɔbɛyɛ nea Sekania aka no. Na wɔn nyinaa kaa ntam a ano yɛ den.
So I stood up and demanded that the leaders of the priests, the [other] descendants of Levi, and all [the other] Israeli people solemnly declare that they would do what Shecaniah said that they should do. So they all solemnly promised to do that.
6 Na Ɛsra sɔre fii Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim kɔɔ Eliasib babarima Yehohanan dan mu. Ɔdaa hɔ, nanso wannidi annom. Na ɔda so di awerɛhow esiane nnommum a wɔasan aba no nokware a wɔanni no nti.
Then I went away from the front of the temple and went to the room where Jehohanan lived. I stayed there that night, but I did not eat or drink anything. I was still sad because some of the Israelis who had returned [from Babylonia] had not faithfully obeyed [God’s laws].
7 Afei, wɔbɔɔ dawuru wɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem nyinaa se, nnommum a wɔasan aba no nyinaa mmra Yerusalem.
Then we sent a message to all [the people in] Jerusalem and [in other towns in] Judah, saying that all those who had returned [from Babylonia] should come to Jerusalem immediately.
8 Na wɔn a wɔamma nnansa ntam no, sɛ ntuanofo ne mpanyimfo pɛ a, wɔde wɔn nsa bɛto wɔn agyapade so, na wɔapam wɔn afi wɔn mu.
We said that if any of them did not arrive within three days, the leaders of the people would order that all the property of those people would be taken from them, and that they would no longer be considered to belong to the Israeli people; [they would be considered to be foreigners].
9 Nnansa ntam no, na Yudafo ne Benyaminfo aboa wɔn ho ano wɔ Yerusalem. Asɛm yi sii wɔ Kislev ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnimma) da a ɛto so dunkron, na wɔn nyinaa tenatenaa aguabɔbea hɔ wɔ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no anim. Na wɔn ho repopo, efisɛ nea edi kan no, na asɛm no mu yɛ duru, na nea ɛto so abien no, na osu nso retɔ.
So within three days, on December 19, all the people of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin gathered in Jerusalem. They were there, sitting in the courtyard in front of the temple. They were trembling because it was raining hard and because they were worried [that they would be punished for what they had done].
10 Na ɔsɔfo Ɛsra sɔre gyina kae se, “Moayɛ bɔne, efisɛ moawareware mmea abosonsomfo. Enti mprempren, yɛwɔ afɔbu a ano yɛ den mu sen kan de no.
Then I stood up and said to them, “[Some of] you men have committed a very bad sin. You have married women who are not Israelis. By doing that, you have made us Israeli people more guilty [than we were before].
11 Mompae mu nka mo bɔne nkyerɛ Awurade, mo agyanom Nyankopɔn, na monyɛ nʼapɛde. Montwe mo ho mfi nnipa a wɔwɔ asase no so ne mmea abosonsomfo no ho.”
So now you must confess to Yahweh, the God whom your ancestors [worshiped/belonged to], the sin which you have committed, and you must do what he wants. Separate yourselves from the people of other nations and from the women from those nations whom you have married.”
12 Afei bagua no nyinaa maa wɔn nne so ka se, “Ampa, wʼasɛm no yɛ nokware. Ɛsɛ sɛ yɛyɛ nea woaka no.
The whole group answered, shouting loudly, “Yes, what you have said is right! We will do what you have said.”
13 Nanso nnipa bebree wɔ ha na ɛyɛ asusow bere, enti yɛrentumi ntena mfikyiri. Bio, yɛrentumi mfa da koro anaa nnaanu nni saa asɛm yi, efisɛ, yɛn mu bebree na saa bɔne kɛse yi ka yɛn.
But then [one of] them said, “But we are a very large group, and it is raining hard. Also, there are many of us who have committed this bad sin. This is something that we cannot (take care of/handle) in one or two days, and we cannot stand here in this rain.
14 Momma yɛn mpanyimfo nsi yɛn anan nyɛ biribiara. Obiara a ɔware ɔbea bosonsomni no ne ntuanofo ne atemmufo a wɔwɔ kurow yi mu behyia bere a wɔahyɛ no sɛnea ɛbɛyɛ a Onyankopɔn abufuwhyew a ɛfa saa asɛm yi ho no befi yɛn so.”
So allow our leaders to decide for all of us what we should do. Tell everyone who has married a woman who is not Israeli to come at a time that you decide. They should come with the elders and judges from each city. If we do that, our God will stop being angry with us [because of what we have done].”
15 Asahel babarima Yonatan ne Tikwa babarima Yahasia na wotiaa saa asɛm yi mu, na Mesulam ne Sabetai a ɔyɛ Lewini no foaa wɔn so.
Jonathan the son of Asahel, Jahzeiah the son of Tikvah, Meshullam, and Shabbethai, a descendant of Levi, were the only ones who objected to this.
16 Enti eyi ne nhyehyɛe a wɔfaa so. Ɛsra yii ntuanofo ma wosii wɔn mmusua no anan, na ɔde din bi too ntuanoni biara so. Ɔsram Kislev (bɛyɛ Ɔpɛnimma) da a ɛto so aduonu akron no, ntuanofo no tenaa ase hwehwɛɛ asɛm no mu.
All the others who had returned from Babylonia said that they would do it. So I chose leaders of each of the clans, and I wrote down their names. On December 29, these men came and sat down to investigate the matter.
17 Afe a edi so no mu, Abib ɔsram (bɛyɛ Ɔbɛnem) da a ɛto so aduonu ason no na wɔawie mmarima a wɔawareware mmea abosonsomfo no nyinaa ho asɛnka.
By March 27 of the next year they finished determining which men had married women who were not Israelis.
18 Asɔfo a na wɔawareware abosonsomfo no din ni: Yosadak babarima Yesua ne ne nuabarimanom: Maaseia, Elieser, Yarib ne Gedalia.
This is a list of the names of the priests who had married non-Israeli women, and the clans to which they belonged. From the clan of Jeshua and his brothers, who were sons of Jehozadak, there were Maaseiah, Eliezer, Jarib, and Gedaliah.
19 Wɔkaa ntam sɛ wobegyaa wɔn yerenom, wɔn mu biara gyee nʼafɔdi too mu, na wɔde adwennini bɛbɔɔ afɔdi ho afɔre.
They solemnly promised to divorce their wives, and they each sacrificed a ram to be an offering [to atone] for their sins.
20 Imer asefo mu no: Hanani ne Sebadia.
From the clan of Immer there were Hanani and Zebadiah.
21 Harim asefo mu no: Maaseia, Elia, Semaia, Yehiel ne Usia.
From the clan of Harim there were Maaseiah, Elijah, Shemaiah, Jehiel, and Uzziah.
22 Pashur asefo mu no: Elioenai, Maaseia, Ismael, Netanel, Yosabad ne Elasa.
From the clan of Pashhur there were Elioenai, Maaseiah, Ishmael, Nethanel, Jozabad, and Elasah.
23 Eyinom ne Lewifo a na afɔdi da wɔn so: Yosabad, Simei, Kelaia, a ɛyɛ Kelita, Petahia, Yuda ne Elieser.
The [other] descendants of Levi [who had married non-Israeli women] were Jozabad, Shimei, Kelaiah (whose other name was Kelita), Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
24 Nnwontofo a na afɔdi da ne so no yɛ: Eliasib. Eyinom ne aponanohwɛfo a na afɔdi da wɔn so: Salum, Telem ne Uri.
There was Eliashib the musician. From the temple guards there were Shallum, Telem, and Uri.
25 Eyinom ne nnipa bi a wɔyɛ Israelfo a na afɔdi da wɔn so: Paros asefo mu no: Ramia, Yisia, Malkia, Miamin, Eleasar, Malkia ne Benaia.
This is a list of the names of the other Israelis who had married foreign wives: From the clan of Parosh there were Ramiah, Izziah, Malchijah, Mijamin, Eleazar, Hashabiah, and Benaiah.
26 Elam asefo mu no: Matania, Sakaria, Yehiel, Abdi, Yeremot ne Elia.
From the clan of Elam there were Mattaniah, Zechariah, Jehiel, Abdi, Jeremoth, and Elijah.
27 Satu asefo mu no: Elioenai, Eliasib, Matania, Yeremot, Sabad ne Asisa.
From the clan of Zattu there were Elioenai, Eliashib, Mattaniah, Jeremoth, Zabad, and Aziza.
28 Bebai asefo mu no: Yehohanan, Hanania, Sabai ne Atlai.
From the clan of Bebai there were Jehohanan, Hananiah, Zabbai, and Athlai.
29 Bani asefo mu no: Mesulam, Maluk, Adaia, Yasub, Seal ne Yeremot.
From the clan of Bani there were Meshullam, Malluch, Adaiah, Jashub, Sheal, and Jeremoth.
30 Pahat-Moab asefo mu no: Adna, Kelal, Benaia, Maaseia, Matania, Basaleel, Binui ne Manase.
From the clan of Pahath-Moab there were Adna, Kelal, Benaiah, Maaseiah, Mattaniah, Bezalel, Binnui, and Manasseh.
31 Harim asefo mu no: Elieser, Yisia, Malkia Semaia ne Simeon.
From the clan of Harim there were Eliezer, Ishijah, Malkijah, Shemaiah, Shimeon,
32 Benyamin, Maluk ne Semaria.
Benjamin, Malluch, and Shemariah.
33 Hasum asefo mu no: Matenai, Matata, Sabad, Elifelet, Yeremai, Manase ne Simei.
From the clan of Hashum there were Mattenai, Mattattah, Zabad, Eliphelet, Jeremai, Manasseh, and Shimei.
34 Bani asefo mu no: Maadai, Amram ne Uel,
From the clan of Bigvai there were Maadai, Amram, Uel,
35 Benaia, Bedeia, Keluhi,
Benaiah, Bedeiah, Keluhi,
36 Wania, Meremot, Eliasib,
Vaniah, Meremoth, Eliashib,
37 Matania, Matenai ne Yaasu.
Mattaniah, Mattenai, and Jaasu.
38 Binui asefo mu no: Simei,
From the clan of Binnui there were Shimei,
39 Selemia, Natan, Adaia,
Shelemiah, Nathan, Adaiah,
40 Maknadebai, Sasai, Sarai,
Macnadebai, Shashai, Sharai,
41 Asarel, Selemia, Semaria,
Azarel, Shelemiah, Shemariah,
42 Salum, Amaria ne Yosef.
Shallum, Amariah, and Joseph.
43 Nebo asefo mu no: Yeiel, Matitia, Sabad, Sebina, Yadau, Yoel ne Benaia.
From the clan of Nebo there were Jeiel, Mattithiah, Zabad, Zebina, Jaddai, Joel, and Benaiah.
44 Na mmarima yi mu biara aware ɔbea bosonsomni a na wɔn mu bi mpo ne wɔn yerenom yi wɔ mma.
Each of those men had married a woman who was not an Israeli. [But immediately] they divorced those women and sent them and their children away.