Nehemia 5
1 Saa bere no mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfo Yudafo no.
Then came there to be a great outcry of the people and their wives, —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 there were some who were saying, Our sons and our daughters, are we pledging, —that we may obtain corn, and eat, and keep ourselves alive.
3 Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛde yɛn mfuw, bobe nturo ne yɛn afi asisi awowa sɛnea yebenya aduan wɔ ɔkɔm bere mu.”
And there were some who were saying, Our fields and our vineyards and our houses, are we pledging, —that we may obtain corn in the dearth.
4 Afoforo nso kae se, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuw ne bobeturo bo yɛ pɛ de atua yɛn sonkahiri.
And there were others who were saying, We have borrowed silver, for the king’s tribute, —[upon] our lands and our vineyards.
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.”
Now, therefore, as is the flesh of our brethren, so is our flesh, as are their children, so are our children. Yet lo! we are putting in subjection our sons and our daughters, for bondservants, yea there are some of our daughters already trodden down, and we are powerless, and, our fields and our vineyards, belong to others.
6 Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuw yiye.
And it angered me greatly, —when I heard their outcry, 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.
So my heart took counsel unto me and I contended with the nobles and with the deputies, and said to them, A loan on interest—every man to his brother, are ye making, —So I appointed over 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 unto them, We, have bought our brethren the Jews, who had sold themselves unto the nations, according to our ability, and will, ye, even sell your brethren, or shall they sell themselves unto 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.
Then said I, Not good, is the thing which ye are doing, —ought ye not, in the fear of God, to walk, because of the reproach of the nations, our enemies?
10 Mʼankasa ne me nuanom mmarima ne mʼadwumayɛfo bɔ ɔmanfo no sika ne atoko bosea, nanso afei momma yennyae boseabɔ no.
I too, then, my brethren and my young men, might be lending unto them on interest silver and corn! I pray you, let us leave off this lending on interest!
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, I pray you, unto them this very day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, —also the hundredth of silver and corn, new wine and oil, for which ye have been lending to them.
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 them, and, from them, will we require nothing, so, will we do, as thou, art saying. Then called I the priests, and put them on oath, to do according to this promise.
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.
Also, my lap, shook I out, and said—Thus and thus, may God shake out every man who shall not confirm this promise, out of his house and out of his labour, yea, thus and thus, let him be shaken out and empty, —And all the convocation said, Amen! and praised Yahweh, and the people did according to this promise.
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.
Moreover, from the day I was commanded to become their pasha in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year, even unto the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king, twelve years, I and my brethren, pasha’s bread, have not eaten;
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.
whereas, the former pashas, who were before me, suffered themselves to be a burden upon the people, and took from them in bread and wine, besides forty shekels of silver, even, their young men, bare rule 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.
Moreover also, in this work of the wall, I repaired, and, no field, did we buy, —though, all my young men, were gathered thither unto 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, Jews and deputies, a hundred and fifty men, and they who were coming in unto us from among the nations which were round about us, [depended] upon 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.
Now, that which was prepared for a single day, was—one ox, six choice sheep, also, fowls, were prepared for me, and, apportioned unto ten days, of every sort of wine, in abundance, —yet, in spite of this, the bread of the pasha, demanded I not, because heavy was the bondage upon this people.
19 Me Nyankopɔn, kae nea mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
Remember unto me, O my God, for good, —all that I have done for this people.
