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.

On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God, forever.

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.

This was because they had not come to the people of Israel with bread and with water, but they had hired Balaam to curse Israel. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

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

As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.

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,

Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to Tobiah.

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.

Eliashib prepared for Tobiah a large storeroom, where previously they kept the grain offering, the incense, the articles, and the tithes of the grain, new wine, and the oil, which were designated for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the contributions for 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. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,

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

and I returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom in the courts of the house of God.

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

I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.

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.

I ordered that they purify the storerooms, and I put back in them the articles of the house of God, the grain offerings, and the incense.

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.

I learned that the Levites' portions had not been given to them, and they had run away, each to his own field, the Levites and the singers who did the work.

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.

So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.

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

Then all Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.

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.

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and from the Levites, Pedaiah. Next to them was Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were counted as trustworthy. Their duties were to distribute the supplies to their associates.

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.

Call me to mind, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and its services.

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 Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of heavy loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I protested that they were selling food on that day.

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!

Men from Tyre living in Jerusalem brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in the city!

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

Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing 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 your fathers do this? Did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning 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.

As soon as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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

The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside 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.

But I warned them, “Why do you camp outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they did not come 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.

Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Call me to mind for this also, my God, and have mercy on me because of the covenant loyalty you have toward me.

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

In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and 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.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. None of them could speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one of the other peoples.

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.

I confronted them, and I cursed them, and I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

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 on account of these women? Among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, his foreign wives caused 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?

Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

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

One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.

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

Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

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

Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.

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.

I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.