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.
Now, when these things were ended, the rulers drew near unto me, saying, The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not kept themselves separate from the peoples of the lands, —in view of their abominations-even of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites;
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 for their sons, so that the holy seed have intermingled themselves among the peoples of the lands, —and, the hand of the rulers and the deputies, hath, in this unfaithfulness, been, foremost.
3 Metee saa asɛm no, misunsuan me ntade mu, tutuu me tinwi fii me ti so, tutuu mʼabogyesɛ nso, tew tenaa fam ahodwiriw so.
When I heard this thing, I rent my garment, and my robe, —and tore out of the hair of my head and my beard, and sat stunned.
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, unto me, were gathered, all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, concerning the unfaithfulness of them who had been exiled, —but, I, sat stunned, until the evening gift.
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 gift, I arose from mine affliction, which had been accompanied by the rending of my garment and my robe, —and I bowed upon my knees, and spread forth my hands unto Yahweh my 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 said, O my God, I turn pale and am ashamed, to lift up, O my God, my face unto thee, —for, our iniquities, have multiplied above the head, and our guilt hath magnified itself unto the heavens.
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
Since the days of our fathers, we, have been in great guilt, until this day, —and, for our iniquities, have we been given up—we, our kings, our priests, —into the hand of the kings of the lands, by sword and by captivity and by spoiling and by a turning pale of 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, for a very little moment, hath come favour from Yahweh our God, in leaving to us a remnant to escape, and in giving to us a nail in his holy place, —that our God may enlighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
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, bondmen, we are, but, in our bondage, hath our God not forsaken us, —but extended unto us lovingkindness before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up on high the house of our God, to raise up the desolations thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “Na mprempren, yɛn Nyankopɔn, asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka wɔ eyinom nyinaa akyi? Efisɛ yɛapo wo mmara nsɛm
But, now, what can we say, O our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy 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 thou didst command by the hand of thy servants the prophets, saying, As for the land which, ye, are entering to possess, an impure land, it is, with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, —with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to the other, with 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.’
Now, therefore, your daughters, do not ye give to their sons, and, their daughters, do not ye take for your sons, neither shall ye seek their prosperity nor their pleasure unto times age-abiding, —to the end ye may become strong, and may eat the good of the land, and may suffer your children to possess it, unto times age-abiding.
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 hath come upon us, for our wicked doings, and for our great guilt—For, thou, O our God, hast spared us, punishing us less than our iniquities deserved, and hast given us a deliverance such as this,
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.
should we again break thy commandments and join ourselves by affinity of marriage with the peoples of these abominations, —wouldst thou not be angry with us, unto a full end, that there should be neither remainder nor deliverance?
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 Yahweh, God of Israel, righteous thou art, for we have had left us a deliverance as at this day, —here we are, before thee, in our guilty deeds, for there is no standing before thee, because of this thing!
