Nehemia 5
1 Saa bere no mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfo Yudafo no.
And the cry of the people and their wives [was] great against their brethren the Jews.
2 Wɔkae se, “Yɛwɔ mmusua a emu nnipa dɔɔso. Yehia sika a ɛdɔɔso kakra a yɛde bɛtɔ aduan adi anya ahoɔden.”
And some said, We [are] numerous with our sons and our daughters; so we will take corn, and eat, and live.
3 Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛde yɛn mfuw, bobe nturo ne yɛn afi asisi awowa sɛnea yebenya aduan wɔ ɔkɔm bere mu.”
And some said, [As to] our fields and vineyards and houses, let us pledge [them], and we will take corn, and eat.
4 Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuw ne bobeturo bo yɛ pɛ de atua yɛn sonkahiri.
And some said, We have borrowed money for the king's tributes: —our fields, and our vineyards, and houses [are pledged].
5 Yefi abusua koro mu, na yɛn mma te sɛ wɔn de. Nanso ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔn yɛn mma, de wɔn kɔ nkoasom mu ansa na yenya sika de ahwɛ yɛn ho. Yɛatɔn yɛn mmabea bi dedaw, na yentumi nyɛ ho hwee, efisɛ yɛde yɛn mfuw ne bobeturo asisi awowa ama afoforo.”
And now our flesh [is] as the flesh of our brethren, our children [are] as their children: yet, behold, we are reducing our sons and our daughters to slavery, and some of our daughters are enslaved: and there is no power of our hands, for our fields and our vineyards [belong] to the nobles.
6 Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuw yiye.
And I was much grieved as I heard their cry and these words.
7 Medwenee saa asɛm no ho, na mekasa tiaa atitiriw ne adwumayɛfo no. Meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Monam nsiho a mugye fi mo ara mo nkurɔfo bosea a wɔbɔ so no hyɛ wɔn so.” Na mefrɛɛ ɔmanfo nhyiamu kaa ho asɛm.
And my heart took counsel within me, and I contended against the nobles, and the princes, and I said to them, Should every man demand of his brother what you demand? And I appointed against them a great assembly,
8 Nhyiamu no ase no, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn se, “Yɛn a yɛaka no, yɛrebɔ yɛn ho mmɔden sɛ yebetumi agye yɛn abusuafo Yudafo a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn wɔn ho ma ahɔho abosonsomfo no. Nanso moresan atɔn wɔn akɔ nkoasom mu bio. Da biara na ɛsɛ sɛ yegye wɔn ana?” Na wɔantumi anka asɛm biara anyi wɔn ho ano.
and I said to them, We of our free-will have redeemed our brethren the Jews that were sold to the Gentiles; and do you sell your brethren? and shall they be delivered to us? And they were silent, and found no answer.
9 Afei, mekɔɔ so kae se, “Nea moreyɛ no nye. Ɛsɛ sɛ monantew Onyamesuro mu, sɛnea atamfo aman no nnya kwan mfa mo nyɛ aserewde.
And I said, The thing which you do [is] not good; you will not so walk in the fear of our God because of the reproach of the Gentiles our enemies.
10 Mʼankasa ne me nuanom mmarima ne mʼadwumayɛfo bɔ ɔmanfo no sika ne atoko bosea, nanso afei momma yennyae boseabɔ no.
Both my brethren, and my acquaintances, and I, have lent them money and corn: let us now leave off this exaction.
11 Nnɛ yi ara, ɛsɛ sɛ mode wɔn mfuw, bobeturo, ngodua mfuw ne wɔn afi ma wɔn. Muntua nsiho a mugyee wɔn wɔ sika, atoko, nsa ne ngo bosea a mobɔɔ wɔn no mma wɔn.”
Restore to them, I pray, as at this day, their fields, and their vineyards, and their olive yards, and their houses, and bring forth to them corn and wine and oil of the money.
12 Na wobuae se, “Yɛde biribiara bɛma na yɛremmisa biribiara mfi nnipa no nkyɛn bio. Yɛbɛyɛ nea woka no.” Afei, mefrɛɛ asɔfo no, na memaa atitiriw no ne adwumayɛfo no kaa ntam sɛ wobedi wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
And they said, We will restore, and we will not exact of them; we will do thus as you say. Then I called the priests, and bound them by oath to do according to this word.
13 Meporow me batakari mu mu kae se, “Sɛ mubu bɔ a moahyɛ no so a, Onyankopɔn mporow mo mfi mo afi mu ne mo agyapade ho!” Bagua no gyee so se, “Amen.” Na wɔkamfoo Awurade. Na nnipa no dii wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
And I shook out my garment, and said, So may God shake out every man who shall not keep to this word, from his house, and from his labors, he shall be even thus shaken out, as an outcast and empty. And all the congregation said, Amen, and they praised the Lord: and the people did this thing.
14 Bio, mfe dumien a ɛyɛ ɔhene Artasasta ahenni mfe aduonu kosi mfe aduasa abien so a meyɛɛ amrado wɔ Yuda no, me ne mʼadwumayɛfo nnyee yɛn akɔnhamabɔde da.
From the day that he charged me to be their ruler in the land of Juda, from the twentieth year even to the thirty-second year of Arthasastha, twelve years, I and my brethren ate not [provision] extorted from them.
15 Eyi ne nsonoe kɛse a ɛda yɛne amradofo a wodii kan no ntam, efisɛ wɔde asodi kɛse too ɔmanfo no so. Na daa wogye nnuan ne nsa ka dwetɛ a ɛkari gram ahannan ne aduosia ho fi nnipa no hɔ. Mpo, wɔn aboafo faa ho didii ɔmanfo no ho. Nanso esiane suro a na misuro Onyankopɔn no nti, mamfa saa kwan no so.
But as for the former acts of extortion wherein [those who were] before me oppressed them, they even took of them their last money, forty didrachmas for bread and wine; and the [very] outcasts of them exercised authority over the people: but I did not so, because of the fear of God.
16 Mikum me ho maa ɔfasu no ho adwumayɛ, na mampɛ sɛ menya asase biara. Mehwɛɛ sɛ mʼadwumayɛfo nyinaa de wɔn bere bɛyɛ adwuma wɔ fasu no ho.
Also in the work of the wall I treated them not with rigor, I bought not land: and all that were gathered together [came] there to the work.
17 Mammisa hwee, nso na bere biara mema Yudafo adwumayɛfo ɔha aduonum didi wɔ me didipon so a, ahɔho a wofifi nsase foforo so no nka ho.
And the Jews, to [the number of] a hundred and fifty men, besides those coming to us from the nations round about, [were] at my table.
18 Nneɛma a na ɛho hia me da biara a ɛyɛ mʼankasa me ka no yɛ nantwi baako, nguan akɛse asia ne nkokɔ bebree. Na nnafua du biara, na ɛsɛ sɛ yenya nsa ahorow nyinaa bi. Nanso mannye amrado akɔnhamabɔde biara, efisɛ na ɔmanfo no wɔ ahokyere mu dedaw.
And there came [to me] for one day one calf, and I had six choice sheep and a goat; and every ten days wine in abundance of all sorts: yet with these I required not the bread of extortion, because the bondage was heavy upon this people.
19 Me Nyankopɔn, kae nea mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
Remember me, O God, for good, [in] all that I have done to this people.
