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.

One day when the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the section was found where it was written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed into 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 hadn't brought food and water when they met the Israelites, but instead they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them—though our God turned that curse into a blessing!

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

When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.

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,

Before all this, Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the Temple 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.

He had provided Tobiah with a large room which had previously been used to store the grain offerings, incense, and Temple items, as well as the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil allocated to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, in addition to the offerings 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.

When all this happened I was not in Jerusalem because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I requested permission from the king to go back.

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

When I arrived back in Jerusalem I discovered the dreadful thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courtyard of God's Temple.

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

I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's 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.

I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.

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 found out that the food allowances for the Levites were not being provided, so the Levites had gone back to take care of their fields, along with the singers who led the worship services.

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.

I went and confronted the leaders, asking, “Why is God's Temple being neglected?” I called the Levites back and made sure they were carrying out their responsibilities.

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

Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive 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 put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms with Hanan, son of Zakkur, son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered honest people. Their responsibility was to distribute the allowances 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.

My God, please remember me over this. Please don't forget my good deeds I have done for the Temple of my God and 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.

Around that time I noticed people treading the winepress on Sabbath. I saw others collecting grain and loading it up on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing it all into Jerusalem on the Sabbath 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!

I told them off for selling their produce on that day.

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

Some people from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of things and they were selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

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.”

I confronted the Jewish leaders, asking them, “Why are you are doing such an evil thing? You are violating the Sabbath day! Wasn't this what your forefathers did, bringing our God down on us, causing us and this city such disasters? Now you're bringing even more trouble on us 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.

So I ordered Jerusalem's gates to be shut at sunset on the day before the Sabbath, and that were not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. I assigned some of my men to guard the gates to make sure no goods would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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

A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of 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.

I warned them, saying, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again I'll have you arrested!” After that they didn't come 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 told the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. My God, please also remember me for doing this, and be merciful to me because of your trustworthy love.

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

Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.

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 their children could only speak the language of Ashdod or that of another people, and didn't know how to 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.

So I confronted them and told them they were cursed. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God, saying, “You must not allow your daughters to marry their sons, or allow your sons—or yourselves— to marry their daughters.

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.

Wasn't it marriages like these that made King Solomon of Israel sin? There wasn't a king in any nation like him. God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was made to sin by foreign women.

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

So do we have to hear about you committing this dreadful sin, how you are being unfaithful to 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. So I expelled him.

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

My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and Levites.

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

I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

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 wood to be supplied for the altar at the specified times, and for the first part of the produce to be donated. My God, remember me favorably.