Nehemia 13

1 Da no ara, bere a wogu so rekenkan Mose Nhoma no, ɔmanfo no huu asɛm bi a ɛka se, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔma Amonni anaa Moabni kwan ma ɔkɔ Onyankopɔn aguabɔ ase.

At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,

2 Ase ne sɛ, bere a Israelfo fii Misraim no, wɔne wɔn anni no yiye. Mmom, wɔbɔɔ Balaam paa sɛ ɔnnome wɔn, nanso yɛn Nyankopɔn dan nnome no ma ɛyɛɛ nhyira.

because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

3 Wɔkenkan saa mmara no wiee no, wɔpam ananafo no nyinaa fii aguabɔ no ase.

As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

4 Ansa na saa asɛm yi rebesi no, na ɔsɔfo Eliasib a woyii no sɛ ɔnyɛ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no adekoradan sohwɛfo no a na ɔsan yɛ Tobia busuani no,

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God

5 adan adekoradan kɛse no bi mu de ahyɛ Tobia nsa. Na anka saa dan no mu na wɔkora atoko afɔrebɔde, aduhuam, Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka ne atoko ntotoso du du, nsa foforo, ngo ne kyɛfa sononko a wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔmfa mma asɔfo. Na Mose ahyɛ sɛ saa afɔrebɔde no yɛ Lewifo, nnwontofo ne aponanohwɛfo no de.

and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

6 Saa bere no, na minni Yerusalem. Na masan kɔ Babiloniahene Artasasta nkyɛn wɔ nʼahenni afe a ɛto so aduasa abien so. Akyiri no na ɔmaa me kwan sɛ mensan mmra.

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

7 Mibeduu Yerusalem, na metee bɔne a Eliasib ayɛ, sɛ ɔde Onyankopɔn Asɔredan adiwo dan bi ama Tobia no,

to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.

8 ɛtɔɔ me so, na miyii Tobia nneɛma a ɛwɔ dan no mu no nyinaa gui.

And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

9 Afei mehyɛe sɛ, wonnwira adan no nyinaa ho, na mede Awurade Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka no, atoko afɔrebɔde ne aduhuam no san beguu mu.

Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

10 Mesan huu sɛ wɔmfaa nea ɛsɛ sɛ Lewifo no nya no mmaa wɔn ɛ, enti na wɔne nnwontofo no a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhwɛ ɔsom no so no asan akɔyɛ adwuma wɔ wɔn mfuw mu.

I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.

11 Ɛhɔ ara na mekɔɔ ntuanofo no nkyɛn, kobisaa wɔn se, “Adɛn nti na moayi mo ani afi Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no so?” Na mefrɛɛ Lewifo no nyinaa ma wɔsan bae, de wɔn tuatuaa nnwuma a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ano.

So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,

12 Na bio, Yudafo nyinaa fii ase de wɔn atoko ntotoso du du, nsa foforo ne ngo baa Asɔredan no adekoradan no mu.

and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.

13 Na mede adekoradan no hyɛɛ ɔsɔfo Selemia, mmara no kyerɛkyerɛfo Sadok ne Lewifo no mu baako a wɔfrɛ no Pedaia nsa sɛ wɔnhwɛ so. Na miyii Sakur babarima Hanan a ɔyɛ Matania nena sɛ wɔn boafo. Na saa mmarima yi wɔ din pa, na wɔn adwuma ne sɛ wɔde nokware bɛkyɛ nneɛma ama wɔn mfɛfo Lewifo no.

I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

14 Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ, me Nyankopɔn, na mma wo werɛ mfi nea mifi nokwaredi mu ayɛ nyinaa de ama me Nyankopɔn Asɔredan no.

Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.

15 Da koro Homeda bi, mihuu Yuda mmarima bi sɛ wɔretiatia wɔn nsakyiamoa so. Na wɔrehyehyɛ atoko afiafi wɔ wɔn mfurum so de aba. Na saa da no, na wɔde wɔn nsa, bobe aba, borɔdɔma ne nnɔbae bebree reba Yerusalem abɛtɔn. Na mekaa wɔn anim sɛ, wɔretɔn wɔn nnɔbae homeda.

In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.

16 Na mmarima bi nso fi Tiro a wɔde nsumnam ne aguade ahorow bebree aba. Na wɔretɔn no Homeda ama Yudafo wɔ Yerusalem fie ankasa!

Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

17 Ɛno nti, mekɔɔ Yuda ntuanofo no so kobisaa wɔn se, “Adɛn nti na mode saa bɔne yi gu homeda ho fi?

Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

18 Munnim sɛ mo agyanom yɛɛ saa bi no nti na yɛn Nyankopɔn de saa ɔhaw a ɛwɔ yɛn so mprempren yi brɛɛ yɛn ne yɛn kurow yi? Gu a moregu Homeda no ho fi ntraso mprempren no bɛma abufuwhyew aba Israelfo so.”

Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

19 Na afei, mehyɛɛ sɛ, efi saa bere no rekɔ, Fida biara anwummere, wɔntoto kurow no apon mu a wommmue ara kosi sɛ Homeda no betwa mu. Bio, memaa mʼankasa mʼasomfo kɔwɛn apon no, sɛnea wɔrentumi mfa aguade mma homeda no.

When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.

20 Aguadifo ne nsaanodwumayɛfo a wɔde aguade ahorow ba no soɛɛ wɔ Yerusalem mfikyiri pɛnkoro anaa mprenu.

Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,

21 Nanso mekasa kyerɛɛ wɔn anibere so se, “Dɛn na motete ɔfasu yi akyi reyɛ? Sɛ moyɛ saa bio a, mɛkyere mo!” Efi hɔ no, wɔamma Yerusalem wɔ Homeda bio.

but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.

22 Na mehyɛɛ Lewifo no sɛ, wonnwira wɔn ho, na wɔnnwɛn apon no sɛnea Homeda no kronkronyɛ no bɛka hɔ. Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ nso, me Nyankopɔn, na wʼadɔe kɛse a ɛnsa da no nti, hu me mmɔbɔ.

Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.

23 Saa bere koro no ara mu, mihuu sɛ Yuda mmarima no bi awareware mmaa a wofi Asdod, Amon ne Moab.

In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 Na nea na enye koraa ne sɛ, na wɔn mma no mu fa ka Asdod ne nnipa foforo bi kasa a na wontumi nka Yudafo kasa no koraa.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

25 Enti mekɔɔ wɔn so kɔdomee wɔn. Mehwee wɔn mu bi, tutuu wɔn tinwi. Mema wɔkaa ntam wɔ Awurade anim sɛ, wɔremma wɔn mma ne abosonsomfo a wɔwɔ asase no so nni aware.

I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

26 Mibisae se, “Ɛnyɛ eyi bi pɛpɛɛpɛ na ɛde Israelhene Salomo kɔɔ bɔne mu no?” Na wode ɔman biara so hene toto ne ho a, ɛnyɛ yiye. Onyankopɔn dɔɔ no, na osii no hene wɔ Israel nyinaa so. Nanso ɔno mpo ananafo aware de no kɔɔ bɔne mu.

Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

27 Dɛn na ɛhaw mo ma modwene sɛ mobɛware ananafo mmea, na monam so ayɛ bɔne a ɛte saa, na munni Onyankopɔn nokware?

Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 Esiane sɛ ɔsɔfopanyin Eliasib babarima Yoiada aware Horonni Sanbalat babea nti, mepam no fii mʼanim.

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.

29 Kae wɔn, me Nyankopɔn, efisɛ wɔagu asɔfodwuma, asɔfo ne Lewifo bɔhyɛ ne ntam no ho fi.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.

30 Enti miguu biribiara a ɛyɛ ananasɛm, na mede nnwuma hyehyɛɛ asɔfo ne Lewifo nsa, hwɛɛ sɛ obiara nim nʼadwuma.

Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

31 Mehwɛɛ nso sɛ, nnyina a ɛba afɔremuka so no nso bɛba mmere a ɛsɛ mu, na afei wobegye otwa a edi kan no mu nnɔbae de abrɛ asɔfo no. Kae eyi na dom me, me Nyankopɔn.

I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.