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.

And on that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people: and therein was found written, that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come in to the church of God for ever:

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 met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.

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

And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated every stranger from Israel.

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,

And over this thing was Eliasib the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.

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 he made him a great storeroom, where before him they laid up gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and the firstfruits of 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.

But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I went to the king, and after certain days I asked the king:

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

And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make him a storehouse 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 it seemed to me exceeding evil. And I cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out of the storehouse.

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.

And I commanded and they cleansed the storehouses: and I brought thither again the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the 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.

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: and that the Levites, and the singing men, and they that ministered were fled away every man to his own country:

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.

And I pleaded the matter against the magistrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, and I made them to stand in their places.

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 Juda brought the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

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.

And we set over the storehouses Selemias the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and of the Levites Phadaia, and next to them Hanan the son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were approved as faithful, and to them were committed the portions of their brethren.

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, O my God, for this thing, and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have done relating to the house of my God and his ceremonies.

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 in Juda some treading the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I charged them that they should sell on a day on which it was lawful to sell.

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!

Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda in Jerusalem.

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

And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and said to them: What is this evil thing that 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 our fathers do these things, and our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon this city? And you bring more wrath upon Israel by violating 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.

And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath day, I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I commanded that they should not open them till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burthens on the sabbath day.

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

So the merchants, and they that sold all kinds of wares, stayed without Jerusalem once or twice.

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.

And I charged them, and I said to them: Why stay you before the wall? if you do so another time, I will lay hands on you. And from that time they came no more 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.

I spoke also to the Levites that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

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

In those days also I saw Jews that married wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of 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.

And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews’ language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.

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.

And I chid them, and laid my curse upon them. And I beat some of them, and shaved off their hair, and made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:

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 Solomon king of Israel sin in this kind of thing? and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin.

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

And shall we also be disobedient and do all this great evil to transgress against our God, and marry strange women?

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

And one of the sons of Joiada the son of Eliasib the high priest, was son in law to Sanaballat the Horonite, and I drove him from me.

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

Remember them, O Lord my God, that defile the priesthood, and the law of priests and Levites.

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

So I separated from them all strangers, and I appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, every man in his ministry:

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.

And for the offering of wood at times appointed, and for the firstfruits: remember me, O my God, unto good. Amen.