Ezra Learns of Intermarriages with Non-Jews
1 After all this had been done, some of the leaders of the people of Israel came and told me that the people, the priests, and the Levites had not kept themselves separate from the people in the neighboring countries of Ammon, Moab, and Egypt or from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, and Amorites. They were doing the same disgusting things which these people did. 2 Jewish men were marrying foreign women, and so God's holy people had become contaminated. The leaders and officials were the chief offenders. 3 When I heard this, I tore my clothes in despair, tore my hair and my beard, and sat down crushed with grief. 4 I sat there grieving until the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered, and people began to gather around me—all those who were frightened because of what the God of Israel had said about the sins of those who had returned from exile.
5 When the time came for the evening sacrifice, I got up from where I had been grieving, and still wearing my torn clothes, I knelt in prayer and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God. 6 I said, “O God, I am too ashamed to raise my head in your presence. Our sins pile up higher than our heads; they reach as high as the heavens. 7 From the days of our ancestors until now, we, your people, have sinned greatly. Because of our sins we, our kings, and our priests have fallen into the hands of foreign kings, and we have been slaughtered, robbed, and carried away as prisoners. We have been totally disgraced, as we still are today. 8 Now for a short time, O Lord our God, you have been gracious to us and have let some of us escape from slavery and live in safety in this holy place. You have let us escape from slavery and have given us new life. 9 We were slaves, but you did not leave us in slavery. You made the emperors of Persia favor us and permit us to go on living and to rebuild your Temple, which was in ruins, and to find safety here in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 “But now, O God, what can we say after all that has happened? We have again disobeyed the commands 11 that you gave us through your servants, the prophets. They told us that the land we were going to occupy was an impure land because the people who lived in it filled it from one end to the other with disgusting, filthy actions. 12 They told us that we were never to intermarry with those people and never to help them prosper or succeed if we wanted to enjoy the land and pass it on to our descendants forever. 13 Even after everything that has happened to us in punishment for our sins and wrongs, we know that you, our God, have punished us less than we deserve and have allowed us to survive. 14 Then how can we ignore your commandments again and intermarry with these wicked people? If we do, you will be so angry that you will destroy us completely and let no one survive. 15 Lord God of Israel, you are just, but you have let us survive. We confess our guilt to you; we have no right to come into your presence.”
Jalayiroo bantala musoolu futuwo to
1 Ñiŋ kuwolu koolaa ñaatonkoolu naata n kaŋ, ì ko n ye ko, “Banisirayilankoolu, aniŋ piriisoolu* niŋ Lewi lasiloo fanaa, maŋ ì faŋolu fatandi banku koteŋolu moolu ma, ì niŋ mennu be siiriŋ. Ì ka kuu jawu baalu le ke komeŋ Kanaaninkoolu, Hitinkoolu, Perisinkoolu, Yebusinkoolu, Ammoninkoolu, Mowabinkoolu, Misirankoolu, aniŋ Amorinkoolu. 2 Banisirayilankoolu kono kewo doolu ye bantalankoolu dimmusoolu le futuu, aduŋ ì ye ì dinkewolu bula le ka wo kuu kiliŋo ke. Silaŋ Alla la turu senuŋo niŋ bantala moolu ñaamita le. Aduŋ ñaatonkoolu niŋ alifaalu faŋolu foloo le ye ñiŋ badali kuwo ke.”
3 Kabiriŋ ŋa ñiŋ moyi, ŋa n na duŋ feŋolu fara, niikuyaa kamma la. Ŋa n kuntiñoo niŋ m booraa wafu, aduŋ n sunuriŋ baa siita bankoo to. 4 N tarata siiriŋ jee le, m be sunuriŋ fo wulaara sadaaboo* waatoo siita. Bituŋ moolu ye a dati ka kuru n dandaŋo bee la. Wolu le mu moolu ti, mennu silata Banisirayila la Alla la wo kumoo kamma la, a ye meŋ fo moolu la badali kuwo to, mennu muruta naŋ ka bo mutoo kono.
Esira la duwaa
5 Kabiriŋ wulaara sadaaboo waatoo siita, n wulita ka bo n sunuriŋo be siiriŋ daameŋ. N na duŋ feŋolu farariŋo le tarata n na. Bituŋ ŋa m boyi n kumbaliŋolu kaŋ ka duwaa, ŋa m buloolu wulindi Yaawe* ye, n na Alla. 6 N kumata ko:
“M Maarii Alla, m maluta le fo a tambita, ka n ñaa tiliŋ i la. Ǹ na junuboolu niŋ ǹ na boyoo la waroo tambita ǹ kunna le. Ì futata saŋ fatoolu ma le. 7 Ka bo m̀ mumuñolu la waatoo la, ka naa fo bii luŋo la, m̀ boyita baake le. Ǹ na kuu jawoolu le ye a tinna ntolu, ǹ na mansoolu, aniŋ ǹ na piriisoolu dunta banku koteŋolu la mansoolu bulu. Ì ye ǹ noo niŋ ì la hawusaroo* la, ka ǹ samba mutoo kono, aniŋ ñapinkaŋo niŋ maloo, ko a be ñaameŋ bii. 8 Bari waati sutuŋ hapoo kono, Yaawe ǹ na Alla, i ye hiinoo yitandi ǹ na le. I ye moo toomaalu tu ǹ kono le, aduŋ i ye tuukuraŋo dii ǹ na i la dulaa senuŋo to le. Ka bo niŋ wo la, i ye ǹ ñaalu fanundi le, aduŋ i ye dahaandiŋ dii ǹ na le, ǹ na joŋyaa kono. 9 Kaatu tooñaa, ǹ keta joŋolu ti ñaa-wo-ñaa, ite ǹ na Alla, i maŋ i koo dii ǹ na ǹ na joŋyaa kono. I ye i la kanu bambaloo le yitandi ǹ na, aduŋ i ye a tinna le fo Perisiya mansoolu ye m̀ maakoyi. I ye baluu kutoo le dii ǹ na. I ye m̀ bula le ŋà i la Batudulaa Buŋo* seyinkaŋ loo, ka a dulaa tiñaariŋolu dadaakuu aniŋ ka tara siiriŋ Yahuuda bankoo kaŋ, aniŋ Yerusalaamu saatewo kono tankoo kono.
10 “Wo to saayiŋ, ǹ na Alla, ntolu si muŋ ne fo noo kotenke? Kaatu ŋà i la yaamaroolu soosoo le, 11 yaamaroolu mennu i la dookuulaalu, annabiyomoolu le ye ì dii ǹ na. Ì ye ñiŋ ne fo nuŋ ko, i ka naa bankoo meŋ dii ǹ na, a banku moolu ye a nondi le ka bo niŋ ì la kuu haraamuriŋ kewo la. Ì ye a fandi niŋ ì la kuu jawu baalu le la, ka bo tonkoŋ ka taa tonkoŋ. 12 Annabiyomoolu ye ǹ dandalaa le fanaa ko, ǹ kana soŋ ǹ diŋolu niŋ ì diŋolu ye futuu ñoo ye muumeeke. Ì ko, ǹ kana ì maakoyi waraŋ ka ì tu jee, ì ye tara kayiroo kono. Kaatu i lafita le ǹ semboo ye wara, aniŋ ŋà bankoo tinewo soto, aduŋ siniŋ saama ǹ si a tu ǹ diŋolu bulu keetaafeŋo ti fo fawu. 13 Saayiŋ meŋ bee keta ǹ na, ǹ na junuboolu le ye a saabu, aniŋ ǹ na boyi baa. Bari kuluuroo meŋ keta ǹ na, wo dasabaata le meŋ ñanta ke la ǹ na. Kaatu ite, ǹ na Alla, ye moo toomaalu tu ǹ kono le. 14 Wo to ntolu si i la yaamaroolu soosoo noo ñaadii le, ka ñiŋ moo jawoolu futuu? Niŋ ŋà wo ke, fo i te kamfaa baa la ǹ kamma baŋ, ka m̀ muumewo kasaara, aduŋ i te moo tu la baluuriŋ ǹ kono? 15 Hee Yaawe, Banisirayila la Alla, ite tilinta le. Bari hani wo, i ye moo toomaalu tu ǹ kono le ka baluu, ko a be ñaameŋ bii. Ǹ sonta le ko m̀ boyita le, aduŋ ntolu kono hani moo kiliŋ maŋ jari ka loo i ñaatiliŋo la.”
