Nehemia 5
1 Saa ɛberɛ yi mu mmarima no bi ne wɔn yerenom nwiinwii tiaa wɔn mfɛfoɔ Yudafoɔ.
And there arose a great outcry of the people and of their wives against their brethren the Jews.
2 Wɔkaa sɛ, “Yɛwɔ mmusua a emu nnipa dɔɔso. Yɛhia sika a ɛdɔɔso kakra a yɛde bɛtɔ aduane adi anya ahoɔden.”
And there were some that said, Our sons, and our daughters, [and] ourselves are many; and we must buy corn, that we may eat, and live.
3 Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛde yɛn mfuo, bobe nturo ne yɛn afie asisi awowa sɛdeɛ yɛbɛnya aduane wɔ ɛkɔm ɛberɛ mu.”
And others there were that said, We must pledge our fields, our vineyards, and our houses, that we may buy corn, in the famine.
4 Afoforɔ nso kaa sɛ, “Yɛabɔ bosea a ɛne yɛn mfuo ne bobefuo ano boɔ yɛ pɛ, de atua yɛn apeatoɔ.
And others there were that said, We have borrowed money for 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.”
Yet now our flesh is like the flesh of our brethren, our children are like their children: and, lo, we must force our sons and our daughters to become servants, and some of our daughters are forced [to become so], and our hand is powerless; and our fields and our vineyards belong to others.
6 Metee wɔn anwiinwii no, me bo fuu yie.
And it displeased me greatly when I heard their complaint and these words.
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.
Then did I consult with my heart, and I upbraided the nobles, and the rulers, and said unto them, “Ye exact usury, every one of his brother!” And I brought together a great 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 I said unto them, We have indeed ransomed our brethren the Jews, who had been sold unto the various nations, as far as our means went: and will ye yourselves even sell your brethren, so that they will be sold again unto us? And they remained silent, and found no answer.
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.
Then said I, The thing is not good which ye are doing: ought ye not to walk in the fear of our God, because of the taunting of the nations, our enemies?
10 Mʼankasa ne me nuanom mmarima ne mʼadwumayɛfoɔ bɔ ɔmanfoɔ no sika ne atokoɔ bosea, nanso, afei momma yɛnnyae boseabɔ no.
And also I, my brothers, and my young men, have lent them money and corn: I pray you, let us relinquish this loan.
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.”
Give back to them, I pray you, even this day, their fields, their vineyards, their oliveyards, and their houses, also the hundredth part of the money, and of the corn, the wine, and the oil, that ye have lent 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.
Then said they, We will give [all] back, and of them will we require nothing: so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and made them swear, that they would do in accordance with this promise.
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.
Also my lap did I shake out, and said, So may God shake out every man that performeth not this promise, from his house and of his toil-gotten wealth, and so let him remain shaken out, and empty. And all the assembly said, Amen, and they praised the Lord. And the people did according to this promise.
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.
Moreover from the day that [the king] had enjoined on me to be governor in the land of Judah, from the twentieth year up to the two and thirtieth year of king Artaxerxes, [full] twelve years, neither I nor my brothers ate the food of 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.
But the former governors that had been before me had made it heavy for the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver: yea, even their young men ruled over the people; but I myself did not act so, because of the 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.
And in the work of this wall also did I labor actively; and we bought not any fields; and all my young men were assembled there by the work.
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.
Moreover of the Jews and rulers, one hundred and fifty men, besides those that came unto us from the nations that are about us, [ate] at my table.
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.
And that which was prepared for one day was one ox and six choice sheep; also birds were prepared for me, and once in ten days all sorts of wine in abundance: yet with all this I required not the food of the governor; because the service lay heavily upon this people.
19 Ao me Onyankopɔn, kae deɛ mayɛ ama nnipa yi, na hyira me.
Remember for me, my God, for good, all that I have done for this people.
