Ɛsra 9
1 Na Yudafo ntuanofo no baa me nkyɛn bɛkae se, “Israelfo bebree, na mpo, asɔfo ne Lewifo ntwee wɔn ho mfii nnipa afoforo bi a wɔte asase no so no ho. Wodi akyiwade a na Kanaanfo, Hetifo, Perisifo, Yebusifo, Amonfo, Moabfo, Misraimfo ne Amorifo yɛ no akyi.
And when these things were finished, the princes drew near to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands in their abominations, [even] the Chananite, the Ethite, the Pherezite, the Jebusite, the Ammonite, the Moabite, and the Moserite and the Amorite.
2 Na Israelfo mmarima ware fi saa nnipa no mu, na wɔpɛ yerenom fi wɔn mu, ma wɔn mmabarima. Enti ananafo aware no ama nnipa kronkron no ho agu fi. Nea ɛsɛee asɛm no koraa ne sɛ, mpanyimfo ne ntuanofo no koraa na wodi ho fɔ kɛse.”
For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and their sons; and the holy seed has passed among the nations of the lands, and the hand of the rulers [has been] first in this transgression.
3 Metee saa asɛm no, misunsuan me ntade mu, tutuu me tinwi fii me ti so, tutuu mʼabogyesɛ nso, tew tenaa fam ahodwiriw so.
And when I heard this thing, I tore my garments, and trembled, and plucked [some] of the hairs of my head and of my beard, and sat down mourning.
4 Na wɔn a na wonya ayamhyehye wɔ Israel Nyankopɔn asɛm ho no bɛtenaa me nkyɛn wɔ ne nkurɔfo nokware a wɔanni no ho. Metenaa ase ahodwiriw so kosii anwummere afɔrebɔbere.
Then there assembled to me all that followed the word of the God of Israel, on account of the transgression of the captivity; and I remained mourning until the evening sacrifice.
5 Eduu afɔrebɔbere no, mesɔre gyinaa faako a na mete hɔ awerɛhow mu a masunsuan mʼatade mu no, na mibuu nkotodwe, maa me nsa so kyerɛɛ Awurade, me Nyankopɔn no.
And at the evening sacrifice I rose up from my humiliation; and when I had tore my garments, then I trembled, and I bow myself on my knees, and spread out my hands to the Lord God,
6 Mebɔɔ mpae se: “Me Nyankopɔn, mʼani awu yiye, na mafɛre sɛ merema mʼani so kyerɛ wo. Na yɛn bɔne akɔ soro sen yɛn ti, na yɛn afɔdi adu ɔsorosoro.
and I said, O Lord, I am ashamed and confounded, O my God, to lift up my face to you: for our transgressions have abounded over our head, and our trespasses have increased even to heaven.
7 Yɛn abakɔsɛm nyinaa yɛ bɔne kɛse. Ɛno nti na yɛn ne yɛn ahemfo ne yɛn asɔfo de yɛn ho akɔhyɛ abosonsomfo ahemfo a wɔwɔ asase no so ase no. Wɔakunkum yɛn, wɔakyere yɛn nnommum, wɔabɔ yɛn korɔn, agu yɛn anim ase sɛnea yɛte nnɛ yi
From the days of our fathers we have been in a great trespass until this day: and because of our iniquities we, and our kings, and our children, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the Gentiles by the sword, and by captivity, and by spoil, and with shame of our face, as at this day.
8 “Nanso mprempren, Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn, ayɛ yɛn adom ama yɛn mu kakra atena nkwa mu sɛ nkaase. Wabɔ yɛn ho ban wɔ beae kronkron ha. Yɛn Nyankopɔn abue yɛn ani, ama yɛn ahomegye kakra afi yɛn nkoasom mu.
And now our God has dealt mercifully with us, so as to leave us to escape, and to give us an establishment in the place of his sanctuary, to enlighten our eyes, and to give a little quickening in our servitude.
9 Efisɛ na yɛyɛ nkoa, nanso ne dɔ a ɔde dɔ yɛn daa no nti, Onyankopɔn annyaa yɛn wɔ yɛn nkoasom mu. Mmom, ɔmaa Persiahene hwɛɛ yɛn yiye. Ɔkanyan yɛn, sɛnea yebetumi asan asi yɛn Nyankopɔn asɔredan no, asiesie nʼamamfo no. Wama yɛn bammɔ afasu wɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem.
For we are slaves, yet in our servitude the Lord our God has not deserted us; and he has extended favor to us in the sight of the kings of the Persians, to give us a quickening, that they should raise up the house of our God, and restore the desolate places of it, and to give us a fence in Juda and Jerusalem.
10 “Na mprempren, yɛn Nyankopɔn, asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka wɔ eyinom nyinaa akyi? Efisɛ yɛapo wo mmara nsɛm
What shall we say, our God, after this? for we have forsaken your commandments,
11 a wonam wʼasomfo adiyifo no so bɔɔ yɛn kɔkɔ sɛ, ‘Asase a mobɛfa no, nnipa a wɔte so no nam wɔn nneyɛe bɔne so agu ho fi koraa. Porɔwee ahyɛ asase no so ma, fi ti kosi ti.
which you have given us by the hand of your servants the prophets, saying, The land, into which you go to inherit it, is a land subject to disturbance by the removal of the people of the nations for their abominations, wherewith they have filled it from one end to the other by their uncleanness.
12 Enti mommma mo mmabea nware wɔn mmabarima, na mo mmabarima nso nware wɔn mmabea, na ɛnsɛ sɛ moboa saa aman no wɔ ɔkwan biara so, na yɛayɛ ɔman kɛse, adi asase no so nnepa, na yɛagyaw ama yɛn mma sɛ daapem agyapade.’
And now give not your daughters to their sons, and take not of their daughters for your sons, neither shall you seek their peace or their good for ever: that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and transmit it as an inheritance to your children for ever.
13 “Nea ato yɛn yi fi yɛn amumɔyɛsɛm ne yɛn afɔdi. Nanso asotwe a wode ama yɛn no sua koraa sen sɛnea ɛfata yɛn, efisɛ wo Awurade, yɛn Nyankopɔn ama yɛn mu bi atena sɛ nkaase.
And after all that is come upon us because of our evil deeds, and our great trespass, [it is clear] that there is none such as our God, for you has lightly visited our iniquities, and given us deliverance;
14 Nanso mprempren, yɛresan abu wo mmara nsɛm so, na yɛne wɔn a wɔyɛ saa akyiwade no redi aware. Nokware, wʼabufuw bɛsɛe yɛn ara akosi sɛ, nkaefo kakra no ase bɛtɔre koraa.
whereas we have repeatedly broken your commandments, and intermarried with the people of the lands: be not very angry with us to [our] utter destruction, so that there should be no remnant or escaping one.
15 Awurade, Israel Nyankopɔn, woyɛ ɔtreneeni. Yɛnka hwee sɛ nkaefo a wɔafi nkoasom mu. Yɛde yɛn afɔdi gyina wʼanim a anka yɛn mu biara rentumi nnyina wʼanim wɔ saa tebea yi mu.”
O Lord God of Israel, you [are] righteous; for we remain [yet] escaped, as at this day: behold, we [are] before you in our trespasses: for we can’t stand before you on this account.
