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.
Now when these things were done, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests, and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the people of the lands, [doing] according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the 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 of their daughters for themselves, and for their sons: so that the holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of [those] lands: yea, the hand of the princes and rulers hath been chief in this trespass.
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 heard this thing, I rent my garment and my mantle, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
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 were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the transgression of those that had been carried away; and I sat confounded 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 arose from my heaviness; and having rent my garment and my mantle, I fell upon my knees, and spread 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 said, O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God: for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens.
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.
Since the days of our fathers [have] we [been] in a great trespass to this day; and for our iniquities have we, our kings, [and] our priests, been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, and to a spoil, and to confusion of face, as [it is] 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 for a little space grace hath been [shown] from the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
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 [were] bond-men; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair the desolations of it, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10 “Na seesei Ao, yɛn Onyankopɔn, yeinom nyinaa akyi asɛm bɛn na yɛwɔ ka? Ɛfiri sɛ, yɛapo wo mmaransɛm bio.
And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? for we have forsaken thy 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 thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, to which ye go to possess it, is an unclean land with the filthiness of the people of the lands, with their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their uncleanness.
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 give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their wealth for ever: that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave [it] for an inheritance to your children for ever.
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 hath come upon us for our evil deeds, and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given us [such] deliverance as this;
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.
Should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the people of these abominations? wouldst thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed [us], so that [there should be] no remnant nor escaping?
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 God of Israel, thou [art] righteous: for we having escaped, remain yet, as [it is] this day: behold, we [are] before thee in our trespasses: for we cannot stand before thee because of this.
