Nehemia 13

1 Ɛda no ara, ɛberɛ a wɔgu so rekenkan Mose Nwoma no, ɔmanfoɔ no hunuu asɛm bi a ɛka sɛ, ɛnsɛ sɛ wɔma Amonni anaa Moabni kwan ma ɔkɔ Onyankopɔn adwabɔ ase.

And on that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people: and therein was found written, that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come in to the church of God for ever:

2 Aseɛ ne sɛ, ɛberɛ a Israelfoɔ firii Misraim no, wɔne wɔn anni no yie. Mmom, wɔbɔɔ Balaam paa sɛ ɔnnome wɔn, nanso yɛn Onyankopɔn danee nnome no ma ɛyɛɛ nhyira.

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.

3 Wɔkenkan saa mmara no wiee no, wɔpamoo amanfrafoɔ no nyinaa firii badwa no ase.

And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated every stranger from Israel.

4 Ansa na saa asɛm yi rebɛsi no, na ɔsɔfoɔ Eliasib a wɔyii no sɛ ɔnyɛ Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no adekoradan sohwɛfoɔ no a na ɔsane yɛ Tobia busuani no,

And over this thing was Eliasib the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.

5 adane adekoradan kɛseɛ no bi mu de ahyɛ Tobia nsa. Na anka saa dan no mu na wɔkora atokoɔ afɔrebɔdeɛ, aduhwamfufuo, Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka ne atokoɔ ntotosoɔ dudu, nsã foforɔ, ngo ne kyɛfa sononko a wɔahyɛ sɛ wɔmfa mma asɔfoɔ. Na Mose ahyɛ sɛ saa afɔrebɔdeɛ no yɛ Lewifoɔ, nnwomtofoɔ ne aponoanohwɛfoɔ dea.

And he made him a great storeroom, where before him they laid up gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and the firstfruits of the priests.

6 Saa ɛberɛ no, na menni Yerusalem. Na masane kɔ Babiloniahene Artasasta nkyɛn wɔ nʼahennie afe a ɛtɔ so aduasa mmienu so. Akyire no na ɔmaa me kwan sɛ mensane mmra.

But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I went to the king, and after certain days I asked the king:

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

And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make him a storehouse in the courts of the house of God.

8 ɛtɔɔ me so, na meyii Tobia nneɛma a ɛwɔ dan no mu no nyinaa guiɛ.

And it seemed to me exceeding evil. And I cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out of the storehouse.

9 Afei mehyɛɛ sɛ, wɔnnwira adan no nyinaa ho, na mede Awurade Asɔredan no nkuku ne nkaka no, atokoɔ afɔrebɔdeɛ ne aduhwamfufuo no sane bɛguu mu.

And I commanded and they cleansed the storehouses: and I brought thither again the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.

10 Mesane hunuu sɛ wɔmfaa deɛ ɛsɛ sɛ Lewifoɔ no nya no mmaa wɔn, enti, na wɔne nnwomtofoɔ no a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔhwɛ ɔsom no so no asane akɔyɛ adwuma wɔ wɔn mfuo mu.

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: and that the Levites, and the singing men, and they that ministered were fled away every man to his own country:

11 Ɛhɔ ara na mekɔɔ ntuanofoɔ no nkyɛn, kɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na moayi mo ani afiri Onyankopɔn Asɔredan no so?” Na mefrɛɛ Lewifoɔ no nyinaa, maa wɔsane baeɛ, de wɔn tuatuaa nnwuma a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔyɛ ano.

And I pleaded the matter against the magistrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, and I made them to stand in their places.

12 Na bio, Yudafoɔ nyinaa hyɛɛ aseɛ de wɔn atokoɔ ntotosoɔ dudu, nsã foforɔ ne ngo baa Asɔredan no adekoradan no mu.

And all Juda brought the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

13 Na mede adekoradan no hyɛɛ ɔsɔfoɔ Selemia, mmara no ɔkyerɛkyerɛfoɔ Sadok ne Lewifoɔ no mu baako a wɔfrɛ no Pedaia nsa sɛ wɔnhwɛ so. Na meyii Sakur babarima Hanan a ɔyɛ Matania nana sɛ wɔn ɔboafoɔ. Na saa mmarima yi wɔ edin pa, na wɔn adwuma ne sɛ, wɔde nokorɛ bɛkyɛ nneɛma ama wɔn mfɛfoɔ Lewifoɔ no.

And we set over the storehouses Selemias the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and of the Levites Phadaia, and next to them Hanan the son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were approved as faithful, and to them were committed the portions of their brethren.

14 Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ, Ao me Onyankopɔn, na mma wo werɛ mfiri deɛ mefiri nokorɛdie mu ayɛ nyinaa de ama me Onyankopɔn Asɔredan.

Remember me, O my God, for this thing, and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have done relating to the house of my God and his ceremonies.

15 Ɛda koro Homeda bi, mehunuu Yuda mmarima bi sɛ wɔretiatia wɔn nsakyiamena so. Na wɔrehyehyɛ atokoɔ afiafi wɔ wɔn mfunumu so de aba. Na saa da no, na wɔde wɔn nsã, bobe aba, borɔdɔma ne mfudeɛ bebree reba Yerusalem abɛtɔn. Na mekaa wɔn anim sɛ, wɔretɔn wɔn mfudeɛ homeda.

In those days I saw in Juda some treading the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I charged them that they should sell on a day on which it was lawful to sell.

16 Na mmarima bi nso firi Tiro a wɔde nsuomnam ne adwadeɛ ahodoɔ bebree aba. Na wɔretɔn no Homeda ama Yudafoɔ wɔ Yerusalem fie ankasa!

Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda in Jerusalem.

17 Ɛno enti, mekɔɔ Yuda ntuanofoɔ no so, kɔbisaa wɔn sɛ, “Adɛn enti na mode saa bɔne yi gu homeda ho fi?

And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and said to them: What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?

18 Monnim sɛ mo agyanom yɛɛ saa bi no enti na yɛn Onyankopɔn de saa ɔhaw a ɛwɔ yɛn so seesei yi brɛɛ yɛn ne yɛn kuro yi? Gu a moregu Homeda no ho fi ntrasoɔ seesei no bɛma abufuhyeɛ aba Israelfoɔ so.”

Did not our fathers do these things, and our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon this city? And you bring more wrath upon Israel by violating the sabbath.

19 Na afei, mehyɛɛ sɛ, ɛfiri saa ɛberɛ no rekorɔ, Efiada biara anwummerɛ, wɔntoto kuro no apono mu a wɔmmue ara kɔsi sɛ Homeda no bɛtwam. Bio, memaa mʼankasa mʼasomfoɔ kɔwɛnn apono no, sɛdeɛ wɔrentumi mfa adwadeɛ mma homeda no.

And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath day, I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I commanded that they should not open them till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burthens on the sabbath day.

20 Adwadifoɔ ne nsaanodwumayɛfoɔ a wɔde adwadeɛ ahodoɔ ba no soɛɛ Yerusalem mfikyire pɛnkorɔ anaa mprenu.

So the merchants, and they that sold all kinds of wares, stayed without Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Nanso, mekasa kyerɛɛ wɔn anibereɛ so sɛ, “Ɛdeɛn na motete ɔfasuo yi akyi reyɛ? Sɛ moyɛ saa bio a, mɛkyere mo!” Ɛfiri hɔ, wɔamma Yerusalem wɔ Homeda bio.

And I charged them, and I said to them: Why stay you before the wall? if you do so another time, I will lay hands on you. And from that time they came no more on the sabbath.

22 Na mehyɛɛ Lewifoɔ no sɛ, wɔnnwira wɔn ho, na wɔnnwɛn apono no sɛdeɛ Homeda no kronnyɛ no bɛka hɔ. Kae saa ade pa yi yɛ nso, Ao me Onyankopɔn, na wʼadɔeɛ kɛseɛ a ɛnsa da no enti, hunu me mmɔbɔ.

I spoke also to the Levites that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

23 Saa ɛberɛ korɔ no ara mu, mehunuu sɛ Yuda mmarima no bi awareware mmaa a wɔfiri Asdod, Amon ne Moab.

In those days also I saw Jews that married wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of Moab.

24 Na deɛ na ɛnyɛ koraa ne sɛ, na wɔn mma no mu fa ka Asdod ne nnipa foforɔ bi kasa a na wɔntumi nka Yudafoɔ kasa no koraa.

And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews’ language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.

25 Enti, mekɔɔ wɔn so, kɔdomee wɔn. Mehwee wɔn mu bi, tutuu wɔn tirinwi. Memaa wɔkaa ntam Awurade anim sɛ, wɔremma wɔn mma ne abosonsomfoɔ a wɔwɔ asase no so nni awadeɛ.

And I chid them, and laid my curse upon them. And I beat some of them, and shaved off their hair, and made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:

26 Mebisaa sɛ, “Ɛnyɛ yei bi pɛpɛɛpɛ na ɛde Israelhene Salomo kɔɔ bɔne mu no?” Na wode ɔman biara so ɔhene to ne ho a, ɛnyɛ yie. Onyankopɔn dɔɔ no, na ɔsii no ɔhene wɔ Israel nyinaa so. Nanso, ɔno mpo ananafoɔ awadeɛ de no kɔɔ bɔne mu.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin in this kind of thing? and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin.

27 Ɛdeɛn na ɛha mo ma modwene sɛ mobɛware ananafoɔ mmaa, na monam so ayɛ bɔne a ɛte saa, na monni Onyankopɔn nokorɛ?

And shall we also be disobedient and do all this great evil to transgress against our God, and marry strange women?

28 Esiane sɛ ɔsɔfopanin Eliasib babarima Yehoiada aware Horonni Sanbalat babaa enti, mepamoo no firii mʼanim.

And one of the sons of Joiada the son of Eliasib the high priest, was son in law to Sanaballat the Horonite, and I drove him from me.

29 Kae wɔn, Ao me Onyankopɔn, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔagu asɔfodwuma, asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ bɔhyɛ ne ntam ho fi.

Remember them, O Lord my God, that defile the priesthood, and the law of priests and Levites.

30 Enti, meguu biribiara a ɛyɛ ananasɛm, na mede nnwuma hyehyɛɛ asɔfoɔ ne Lewifoɔ nsa, hwɛɛ sɛ obiara nim nʼadwuma.

So I separated from them all strangers, and I appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, every man in his ministry:

31 Mehwɛɛ nso sɛ, nnyina a ɛba afɔrebukyia so no nso bɛba mmerɛ a ɛsɛ mu, na afei wɔbɛgye otwa a ɛdi ɛkan no mu nnɔbaeɛ de abrɛ asɔfoɔ no. Kae yei na dom me, Ao me Onyankopɔn.

And for the offering of wood at times appointed, and for the firstfruits: remember me, O my God, unto good. Amen.