Ɛsra 9
1 Na Yudafoɔ ntuanofoɔ no baa me nkyɛn bɛkaa sɛ, “Israelfoɔ bebree, na mpo, asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ ntwee wɔn ho mfirii nnipa afoforɔ bi a wɔte asase no so no ho. Wɔdi akyiwadeɛ a na Kanaanfoɔ, Hetifoɔ, Perisifoɔ, Yebusifoɔ, Amonfoɔ, Moabfoɔ, Misraimfoɔ ne Amorifoɔ yɛ no akyi.
Then, after these things were completed, the leaders came to me, saying: “The people of Israel, the priests, and the Levites, have not been separated from the peoples of the lands and from their abominations, especially those of the Canaanites, and Hittites, and Perizzites, and Jebusites, and Ammonites, and Moabites, and Egyptians, and Amorites.
2 Na Israelfoɔ mmarima ware firi saa nnipa no mu, na wɔpɛ yerenom firi wɔn mu, ma wɔn mmammarima. Enti, mfrafrawadeɛ no ama nnipa kronkron no ho agu fi. Deɛ ɛsɛe asɛm no koraa ne sɛ, mpanimfoɔ ne ntuanofoɔ no koraa na wɔdi ho fɔ kɛseɛ.”
For they have taken from their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and they have mixed a holy lineage with the peoples of the lands. And even the hand of the leaders and the magistrates has been first in this transgression.”
3 Metee saa asɛm yi no, mesunsuanee me ntadeɛ mu, tutuu me tirinwi firii me tiri so, tutuu mʼabɔgyesɛ nso, te tenaa fam ahodwirie so.
And when I had heard this word, I tore my cloak and my tunic, and I pulled out the hairs of my head and beard, and I sat in mourning.
4 Na wɔn a wɔnyaa ayamhyehyeɛ wɔ Israel Onyankopɔn asɛm ho no bɛtenaa me nkyɛn wɔ ne nkurɔfoɔ nokorɛ a wɔanni no ho. Metenaa ase ahodwirie so, kɔsii anwummerɛ afɔrebɔberɛ.
Then all those who feared the word of the God of Israel gathered to me, because of the transgression of those who had arrived from the captivity. And I sat in sorrow, until the evening sacrifice.
5 Ɛduruu afɔrebɔberɛ no, mesɔre gyinaa baabi a na mete hɔ awerɛhoɔ mu a masunsuane mʼatadeɛ mu, na mebuu nkotodwe, pagyaa me nsa kyerɛɛ Awurade, me Onyankopɔn.
And at the evening sacrifice, I rose up from my affliction, and, having torn my cloak and my tunic, I fell to my knees, and I reached out my hands to the Lord, my God.
6 Mebɔɔ mpaeɛ sɛ: “Ao me Onyankopɔn, mʼani awu yie, na mafɛre sɛ merepagya mʼani akyerɛ wo. Na yɛn bɔne asoa kɔ soro sene yɛn enti na yɛn afɔdie aduru ɔsorosoro.
And I said: “My God, I am confounded and ashamed to lift up my face to you. For our iniquities have been multiplied over our heads, and our offenses have increased, even up to heaven,
7 Yɛn abakɔsɛm nyinaa yɛ bɔne kɛseɛ fua. Ɛno enti na yɛn ne yɛn ahemfo ne yɛn asɔfoɔ de yɛn ho akɔhyɛ abosonsomfoɔ ahemfo a wɔwɔ asase no so ase no. Wɔakunkum yɛn, wɔakyere yɛn nnommum, wɔabɔ yɛn korɔno, agu yɛn anim ase sɛdeɛ yɛte ɛnnɛ yi ara.
from the days of our fathers. But also, we ourselves have sinned gravely, even to this day. And for our iniquities, we ourselves, and our kings and our priests, have been delivered into the hands of the kings of the lands, and to the sword, and to captivity, and to plunder, and to confusion of face, just as it is also in this day.
8 “Nanso, seesei, wɔahunu yɛn mmɔbɔ kakra, ɛfiri sɛ, Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn, ama yɛn mu kakra atena nkwa mu sɛ nkaaseɛ. Wabɔ yɛn ho ban wɔ beaeɛ kronkron ha. Yɛn Onyankopɔn abue yɛn ani, ama yɛn ahomegyeɛ bi afiri yɛn nkoasom mu.
And now, to a small extent and for a moment, our petition has been made with the Lord our God, so that they may leave us a remnant, and so that a secure place in his holy land may be given to us, and so that our God may illuminate our eyes, and may give us a little life in our servitude.
9 Ɛfiri sɛ, na yɛyɛ nkoa nanso, ne dɔ a ɔde dɔ yɛn daa no enti, Onyankopɔn annyaa yɛn wɔ yɛn nkoasom mu. Mmom, ɔmaa Persiahene hwɛɛ yɛn yie. Ɔkanyanee yɛn, sɛdeɛ yɛbɛtumi asane asi yɛn Onyankopɔn asɔredan no, asiesie nʼamamfoɔ no. Wama yɛn banbɔ afasuo wɔ Yuda ne Yerusalem.
For we are servants, yet in our servitude our God has not forsaken us, but he has inclined mercy upon us in the sight of the king of the Persians, so that he may give us life, and may raise up the house of our God, and repair its desolations, and give us a hedge in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “Na seesei Ao, yɛn Onyankopɔn, yeinom nyinaa akyi asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka? Ɛfiri sɛ, yɛapo wo mmaransɛm bio.
And now, our God, what should we say after these things? For we abandoned your commandments,
11 Wʼasomfoɔ adiyifoɔ no bɔɔ yɛn kɔkɔ sɛ, asase a yɛbɛfa no, nnipa a wɔte so no nam wɔn nneyɛɛ bɔne so agu ho fi koraa. Porɔeɛ ahyɛ asase no so ma, firi tire kɔsi tire.
which you instructed by the hand of your servants, the prophets, saying: ‘The land, which you shall enter so that you may possess it, is an unclean land, due to the uncleanness of the peoples and of the other lands, the abominations of those who have filled it, from mouth to mouth, with their filth.’
12 Woka kyerɛɛ yɛn sɛ, yɛmmma yɛn mmammaa nnware wɔn mmammarima, na yɛn mmammarima nso nnware wɔn mmammaa, na ɛnsɛ sɛ yɛboa saa aman no kwan biara so. Wohyɛɛ bɔ sɛ, sɛ yɛgyae saa nneɛma yi yɛ a, yɛbɛyɛ ɔman kɛseɛ. Wohyɛɛ bɔ sɛ, yɛbɛdi asase no so nnepa, na yɛagya ama yɛn mma sɛ daapem agyapadeɛ.
Now therefore, you should not give your daughters to their sons, nor should you receive their daughters for your sons. And you should not seek their peace, nor their prosperity, even forever. So shall you be strengthened, and so shall you eat the good things of the land, and have your sons as your heirs, even for all time.
13 “Wɔretwe yɛn aso seesei wɔ yɛn amumuyɛsɛm ne yɛn afɔdie ho. Nanso, asotwe a wode ama yɛn no sua koraa sene sɛdeɛ ɛfata yɛn, ɛfiri sɛ, wo Awurade, yɛn Onyankopɔn ama yɛn mu bi atena sɛ nkaeɛfoɔ.
And after all that has happened to us because of our very wicked works and our great offense, you, our God, have freed us from our iniquity, and you have given us salvation, just as it is this day,
14 Nanso, seesei, yɛresane abu wo mmaransɛm so, na yɛne wɔn a wɔyɛ saa akyiwadeɛ no redi awadeɛ. Nokorɛm, wʼabufuo bɛsɛe yɛn ara akɔsi sɛ, nkaeɛfoɔ kakra no ase bɛtɔre.
so that we would not turn away and make your commandments void, and so that we would not unite in marriage with the peoples of these abominations. Could you be angry with us even to the very end, so that you would not leave us a remnant to be saved?
15 Ao Awurade, Israel Onyankopɔn woyɛ teneneeni. Yɛnka hwee sɛ nkaeɛfoɔ a wɔafiri nkoasom mu. Yɛde yɛn afɔdie gyina wʼanim a anka saa tebea yi mu, yɛn mu biara rentumi nnyina wʼanim.”
O Lord, the God of Israel, you are just. For we have been left behind to be saved, just as it is this day. Behold, we are before your sight in our offense. And it is not possible to withstand you in this matter.”
