Nehemia 5
1 Saa ɛberɛ yi mu mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfoɔ Yudafoɔ.
About that time there was a great outcry from the people and their wives against their fellow Jews.
2 Wɔkaa sɛ, “Yɛwɔ mmusua a emu nnipa dɔɔso. Yɛhia sika a ɛdɔɔso kakra a yɛde bɛtɔ aduane adi anya ahoɔden.”
Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous. We must get grain in order to eat and stay alive.”
3 Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn mfuo, bobe nturo ne yɛn afie asisi awowa sɛdeɛ yɛbɛnya aduane wɔ ɛkɔm ɛberɛ mu.”
Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards, and our homes to get grain during the famine.”
4 Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuo ne bobefuo ano boɔ yɛ pɛ, de atua yɛn apeatoɔ.
Still others were saying, “We have borrowed money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
5 Yɛfiri abusua korɔ mu, na yɛn mma te sɛ wɔn deɛ. Nanso, ɛsɛ sɛ yɛtɔn yɛn mma, de wɔn kɔ nkoasom mu ansa na yɛanya sika de ahwɛ yɛn ho. Yɛatɔn yɛn mmammaa bi dada, na yɛrentumi nyɛ ho hwee, ɛfiri sɛ, yɛde yɛn mfuo ne bobefuo asisi awowa ama afoforɔ.”
We and our children are just like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless to redeem them because our fields and vineyards belong to others.”
6 Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuu yie.
When I heard their outcry and these complaints, I became extremely angry,
7 Medwenee saa asɛm yi ho, na mekasa tiaa atitire ne adwumayɛfoɔ no. Meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Monam nsiho a mogye firi mo ara mo nkurɔfoɔ bosea a wɔbɔ so no hyɛ wɔn so.” Na mefrɛɛ ɔmanfoɔ nhyiamu kaa ho asɛm.
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
8 Nhyiamu no ase, meka kyerɛɛ wɔn sɛ, “Yɛn a yɛaka no, yɛrebɔ yɛn ho mmɔden sɛ yɛbɛtumi agye yɛn abusuafoɔ Yudafoɔ a ɛsɛ sɛ wɔtɔn wɔn ho ma ahɔhoɔ abosonsomfoɔ. Nanso, moresan atɔn wɔn akɔ nkoasom mu bio. Ɛda biara na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛgye wɔn anaa?” Na wɔantumi anka asɛm biara anyi wɔn ho ano.
and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say.
9 Afei, mekɔɔ so kaa sɛ, “Deɛ moreyɛ no nyɛ. Ɛsɛ sɛ monante Onyamesuro mu, sɛdeɛ atamfoɔ aman no nnya kwan mfa mo nyɛ aseredeɛ.
So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
10 Mʼankasa ne me nuanom mmarima ne mʼadwumayɛfoɔ bɔ ɔmanfoɔ no sika ne atokoɔ bosea, nanso, afei momma yɛnnyae boseabɔ no.
I, as well as my brothers and my servants, have been lending the people money and grain. Please, let us stop this usury.
11 Ɛnnɛ yi ara, ɛsɛ sɛ mode wɔn mfuo, bobeturo, ngo dua mfuo ne wɔn afie ma wɔn. Montua nsiho a mogyee wɔn wɔ sika, atokoɔ, nsã ne ngo bosea a mobɔɔ wɔn no ho mma wɔn.”
Please restore to them immediately their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you have been assessing them.”
12 Na wɔbuaa sɛ, “Yɛde biribiara bɛma na yɛremmisa biribiara mfiri nnipa no nkyɛn bio. Yɛbɛyɛ deɛ woka no.” Afei, mefrɛɛ asɔfoɔ no, na memaa atitire no ne adwumayɛfoɔ no kaa ntam sɛ, wɔbɛdi wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
“We will restore it,” they replied, “and will require nothing more from them. We will do as you say.” So I summoned the priests and required of the nobles and officials an oath that they would do what they had promised.
13 Meporoo mʼabɔɔmu mu kaa sɛ, “Sɛ mobu ɛbɔ a moahyɛ no so a, Onyankopɔn mporo mo mfiri mo afie mu ne mo agyapadeɛ ho!” Badwa no gyee so sɛ, “Amen.” Na wɔkamfoo Awurade. Na nnipa no dii wɔn bɔhyɛ so.
I also shook out the folds of my robe and said, “May God likewise shake out of His house and possession every man who does not keep this promise. May such a man be shaken out and have nothing!” The whole assembly said, “Amen,” and they praised the LORD. And the people did as they had promised.
14 Na mepɛ sɛ meka sɛ, mfeɛ dumienu a ɛyɛ ɔhene Artasasta ahennie mfeɛ aduonu kɔsi mfeɛ aduasa mmienu so a meyɛɛ amrado wɔ Yuda no, me ne mʼadwumayɛfoɔ nnyee yɛn akɔnhomabɔdeɛ da.
Furthermore, from the day King Artaxerxes appointed me to be their governor in the land of Judah, from his twentieth year until his thirty-second year (twelve years total), neither I nor my brothers ate the food allotted to the governor.
15 Yei ne nsonsonoeɛ kɛseɛ a ɛda yɛne amradofoɔ a wɔdii ɛkan no ntam, ɛfiri sɛ, wɔde asodie kɛseɛ too ɔmanfoɔ no so. Na daa wɔgye nnuane ne nsã ka a ɛkari gram ahanan ne aduosia ho firi nnipa no hɔ. Mpo, wɔn aboafoɔ faa ho didii ɔmanfoɔ no ho. Nanso, ɛsiane suro a na mesuro Onyankopɔn no enti, mamfa saa ɛkwan no so.
The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
16 Mekum me ho maa ɔfasuo no ho adwumayɛ, na mampɛ sɛ mɛnya asase biara. Mehwɛɛ sɛ mʼadwumayɛfoɔ nyinaa de wɔn berɛ bɛyɛ adwuma wɔ ɔfasuo no ho.
Instead, I devoted myself to the construction of the wall, and all my servants were gathered there for the work; we did not acquire any land.
17 Mammisa hwee, nso na ɛberɛ biara mema Yudafoɔ adwumayɛfoɔ ɔha aduonum didi wɔ me didipono so a, ahɔhoɔ a wɔfifiri nsase foforɔ so nka ho.
There were 150 Jews and officials at my table, besides the guests from the surrounding nations.
18 Nneɛma a na ɛho hia me da biara a ɛyɛ mʼankasa me ka no yɛ nantwie baako, nnwan akɛseɛ nsia ne nkokɔ bebree. Na dadu biara, na ɛsɛ sɛ yɛnya nsã ahodoɔ nyinaa bi. Nanso, mannye amrado akɔnhomabɔdeɛ biara, ɛfiri sɛ, na ɔmanfoɔ no wɔ ahokyere mu dada.
Each day one ox, six choice sheep, and some fowl were prepared for me, and once every ten days an abundance of all kinds of wine was provided. But I did not demand the food allotted to the governor, because the burden on the people was so heavy.
19 Ao me Onyankopɔn, kae deɛ mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
Remember me favorably, O my God, for all that I have done for this people.
