< 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.
When these things were done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites have not separated themselves from the people of the other lands and their abominations: Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and 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 some of their daughters and sons, and have mixed the holy people with the people of other lands, and the officials and leaders have been first in this faithlessness.”
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, I tore apart my clothing and robe and pulled out hair from my head and beard, and I sat down, devastated.
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.
All those who trembled at the words of the God of Israel about this faithlessness gathered to me while I was sitting ashamed until the evening offering.
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.
But at the evening offering I arose from my position of humiliation in my torn clothes and robe, and knelt down and spread my hands to 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.
I said, “My God, I am ashamed and disgraced to raise my face to you, for our iniquities increase over our head, and our guilt grows to 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
From the days of our ancestors until now we have been in great guilt. In our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests were given into the hand of kings of this world, to the sword, to captivity, and to plunder and ashamed faces, as we are today.
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.
Yet now for a short time, mercy from Yahweh our God has come to leave us a few survivors and to give us a foothold in his holy place. This was for our God to enlighten our eyes and to give us a little relief in our slavery.
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, but our God has not forgotten us but has extended covenant faithfulness to us. He has done this in the sight of the king of Persia in order to give us new strength, so we could rebuild our God's house and raise its ruins. He did this so that he could give us a wall of safety in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “Na mprempren, yɛn Nyankopɔn, asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka wɔ eyinom nyinaa akyi? Efisɛ yɛapo wo mmara nsɛm
But now, our God, what can we say after this? We have forgotten your commands,
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.
the commands that you gave to your servants the prophets, when you said, “This land that you are entering to possess is an unclean land. It is contaminated by the people of the lands with their abominations. They 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.’
So now, do not give your daughters to their sons; do not take their daughters for your sons, and do not seek their ongoing peace and welfare, so that you will be strong and eat the good of the land, so you will cause your children to possess it for all time.”
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.
Yet after everything that came on us for our evil practices and our great guilt—since you, our God, have held back what our iniquities deserve and left us survivors—
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 your commandments and make mixed marriages with these abominable people? Will you not be angry and annihilate us so there will be no one left, no one to escape?
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.”
Yahweh, God of Israel, you are righteous, for we have remained as a few survivors at this day. Look! We are here before you in our guilt, for there is no one who can stand before you because of this.