Ezra 9
1 Some time later, the Jewish leaders came to me and said, “Many Israelis, and even some priests and [other men who are] descendants of Levi [who work in the temple], have not kept themselves from [doing what] the other people who are living in this land [do]. They are practicing the detestable things that the Canaan, Heth, Periz, Jebus, Ammon, and Amor people-groups, and the people from Moab and Egypt do.
A, ka oti enei mea, ka haere mai nga rangatira ki ahau, ka mea, Kihai te iwi o Iharaira ratou ko nga tohunga, ko nga Riwaiti, i momotu i a ratou i roto i nga iwi o nga whenua; rite tonu ta ratou mahi ki nga mea whakarihariha a era, ara a nga Kana ani, a nga Hiti, a nga Perihi, a nga Iepuhi, a nga Amoni, a nga Moapi, a nga Ihipiana, a nga Amori.
2 [Specifically, some] Israeli men have married women who are not Israelis, and they have allowed their sons to do the same thing. So we, God’s sacred people, have become (contaminated/polluted in God’s sight). And some of our leaders and officials have been the first/worst ones to do this.”
Kua tangohia hoki e ratou etahi o a ratou tamahine ma ratou, ma a ratou tama. Na kua whakawhenumitia te momo tapu ki roto ki nga iwi o aua whenua. Ae ra, nui noa ake te ringa o nga rangatira, o nga tino tangata, ki tenei he.
3 When I heard that, [I became very angry, with the result that] I tore my clothes and tore some hair from my head and from my beard. Then I sat down, very shocked/dismayed. [The Israelis knew that God had warned us that he would punish us if we disobeyed] what he had said to us [about marrying women who are not Israelis].
Na, i toku rongonga i tenei, haea ana e ahau toku kakahu me toku koroka, hutihutia ana e ahau nga huruhuru o toku matenga, o oku pahau, a noho ana, miharo ana.
4 [So] many of the Israelis trembled/were afraid when they heard that some of those who had returned from Babylonia had sinned by disobeying the God of us Israelis like that. They came and sat with me until it was time to offer the evening sacrifices [of grain].
Katahi ka huihui mai ki ahau te hunga katoa i wehi i nga kupu a te Atua o Iharaira, he mea mo te he o te hunga i whakaraua: a ko ahau i noho me te miharo, a taea noatia te whakahere o te ahiahi.
5 When it was time to offer those sacrifices, I was still sitting there, wearing those torn clothes and mourning/sad. I stood up, and then I quickly prostrated myself on the ground. I lifted up my hands to Yahweh, my God,
Na, i te whakahere o te ahiahi, ka maranga ake ahau i toku whakama, me toku kakahu ano me toku koroka i haehaea; piko ana oku turi, a ka wherahia atu oku ringa ki a Ihowa, ki toku Atua;
6 and this is what I prayed: “Yahweh my God, I am very ashamed to raise my head in front of you. The sins that we Israelis have committed [are very great; it is as though they] have risen up higher than our heads, and our guilt [for committing those sins, it is as though it] rises up to the heavens.
Na ka mea ahau, E toku Atua, he whakama ahau, numinumi kau ana ahau, te ara ai toku mata ki a koe, e toku Atua. Kua tetere rawa hoki o matou he ki runga ake i o matou mahunga; nui atu to matou poka ke, a tutuki noa ki te rangi.
7 Since the time that our ancestors lived until now, we have been very guilty. That is the reason that we and our kings and our priests have been defeated by [the armies of] the kings of other lands. They killed [some of our people], they captured [some], they robbed [some], and they [caused them all to be] disgraced, just like we are today.
Nui atu to matou poka ke, no nga ra ano o o matou matua a taea noatia tenei ra: na o matou he hoki i hoatu ai matou, o matou kingi, o matou tohunga, ki te ringa o nga kingi o nga whenua, ki te hoari, ki te whakarau, hei pahuatanga, a whakama iho te mata, koia ano tenei inaianei.
8 “But now, Yahweh God, you have been very kind to us. You have allowed some of us to (survive/continue to live). You have revived our spirits [IDM] and allowed us to escape from being slaves [in Babylonia] and to return safely [IDM] to live in this sacred place.
Na he iti nei tenei wahi i whakaputaina ai he atawhai e Ihowa, e to matou Atua, kia toe ai etahi morehu o matou; kia homai ai ki a matou he titi ki tona wahi tapu, kia whakamaramatia ai o matou kanohi e to matou Atua, kia homai ai ki a matou he o ranga ngakau, he mea iti, i a matou nei i te herehere.
9 We were slaves, but you did not abandon us. Instead, because you faithfully love us, you caused the kings of Persia to be very kind to us. You have allowed us to continue to live and to rebuild your temple which had been completely destroyed. You have allowed us to start to live safely here in Jerusalem and in [other towns in] Judah.
He pononga hoki matou; heoi i a matou i te herehere kihai matou i mahue i to matou Atua: na whakaputaina ana e ia he aroha ki a matou i te aroaro o nga kingi o Pahia, i homai ai he oranga ngakau ki a matou, i whakaarahia ai te whare o to matou At ua, i hanga ai ona wahi kua ururuatia, i homai ai he taiepa ki a matou ki Hura, ki Hiruharama.
10 “Our God, what more can we say now [RHQ]? In spite of all that [you have done for us], we have disobeyed your commands.
Na kia pehea he kupu ma matou, e to matou Atua, i muri i tenei? kua whakarerea hoki e matou au whakahau,
11 They are commands that you gave to your servants, the prophets, to tell to us. They said that the land that we would occupy was polluted because of the detestable/disgusting things that were done by the people who lived there. They said that in the land there were people from one end to the other who did immoral/shameful things.
I whakahaua e koe, ara e au pononga, e nga poropiti: i ki mai hoki koe, Ko te whenua ka haere nei koutou ki reira tango ai, he whenua poke tera i nga poke o nga iwi o nga whenua, i a ratou mea whakarihariha, ki tonu hoki i tetahi pito ki tetahi i to ratou poke.
12 They said, ‘Do not allow your daughters to marry their sons! Do not allow your sons to marry their daughters! Do not even try to cause things to go well for those people-groups! If you obey these instructions, your nation will be strong, and you will enjoy the good crops that grow on the land, and the land will belong to your descendants forever.’
Na, tena, kaua a koutou tamahine e hoatu ma a ratou tama, kaua ano a ratou tamahine e tangohia mai ma a koutou tama; kaua ano e whai kia mau te rongo ki a ratou, kia whai pai ranei ratou a ake ake; kia kaha ai koutou, kia kai ai hoki i nga mea p ai o te whenua, a waiho iho hei kainga mo a koutou tama ake tonu atu.
13 “You punished us because we were very guilty for having done wicked things. But you have not punished us as much as we deserve to be punished. [I say this because] you, our God, have allowed some of us to survive.
Na kua pa nei enei mea katoa ki a matou mo a matou mahi he, mo te nui o to matou poka ke, a i te mea he iti iho i o matou he au whiu, e to matou Atua, a homai ana e koe tenei wahi whakaoranga:
14 However, some of us are again disobeying your commands, and we are marrying women who do those detestable things. If we continue to do that, surely you will get rid of all of us [RHQ], with the result that none of us will remain alive.
Kia takahi ano ranei matou i au tikanga, kia marena ki nga iwi nana enei whakarihariha? e kore ianei koe e riri ki a matou a poto noa matou i a koe, kore noa he morehu, he oranga?
15 Yahweh, the God whom we Israelis [worship/belong to], you are fair/just. We are guilty. We are only a few people who have escaped [from Babylonia], but we pray to you, even though we do not deserve to stand in your presence.”
E Ihowa, e te Atua o Iharaira, he tika tau; e toe nei hoki matou, he morehu, koia ano tenei inaianei. Nana, tenei matou kei tou aroaro, me o matou he: na tenei hoki te tu ai he tangata ki tou aroaro.
