Ekemo laEsra molweehombo dOvaisraeli novapaani neilikano laye
1 Eshi va mana ashishe osho, ovakulunhu ve uya kwaame ndele tava ti: “Ovanhu Ovaisraeli novapristeli nOvalevi inave litukula noiwana yomoilongo nomoilonga yavo ii, mOvakaanan, mOvaheti, mOvaperesi, mOvajebusi, mOvaammoni, mOvamoab, mOvaegipiti nomOvaamori. 2 Osheshi va kufa mo movana vavo oukadona, va ninga ovalikadi vavo novovana vavo ovamati, onghee hano oludi liyapuki la lumbakanifwa kumwe novanhu vomoilongo. Novakulunhu novakomesho va tetekela meliteeko olo.” 3 Ndele eshi nde shi uda nda pombaula oshikutu shange nelwakani lange, ndele nde liduda eexwiki komutwe wange neendjedi dange, ndele nda kala omutumba nda nyika oluhodi. 4 Ndele ava va kakama molweendjovo daKalunga kaIsrael omolweliteeko leenghwate, ove uya aveshe kwaame. Ndele ame nda li omutumba nda nyika oluhodi fiyo okeyambo longuloshi.
5 Ndelenee pefimbo leyambo longuloshi ame nda penduka mokunyika oluhodi lange. Ndele fimbo handi pombaula oshikutu shange nelwakani lange, ame nda twa eengolo nokulinyongamena ndele nda yelula omaoko ange kOmwene Kalunga kange, 6 ndele handi ti: “Kalunga kange, ondi udite nda fya ohoni ndele ihandi dulu okuyelula oshipala shange kwoove, Kalunga kange, osheshi oulunde wetu wa lunda omitwe detu, nokuvelwa kwetu ombedi taku hange keulu. 7 Okudja komafiku ootate fiyo onena eli fye tu nombedi inene, nomolwowii wetu fye neehamba detu novapristeli vetu va yandjwa momake eehamba doilongo, nokeongamukonda nomoukwatwa nomokutikishwa po nomokufifwa ohoni, ngaashi shi li nena eli. 8 Ndele paife twa mona onghenda kOmwene Kalunga ketu okafimbo kanini, osheshi Ye e shi itavela ovamangululwa vomufye va xupa po, nokwe tu pa onhele moshiyapuki shaye, opo Kalunga ketu a yelife omesho etu tu fude po kanini moupika wetu. 9 Osheshi fye ovapika. Ndelenee moupika wetu Kalunga ketu ine tu ekelashi, ndele okwe tu fila onghenda koshipala sheehamba daPersia, onghee hano ode tu pa okafudo tu tungulule ongulu yaKalunga ketu nomakulukuma ayo tu a longolole, nokwe tu pa ohotekuma muJuda nomuJerusalem. 10 Ndele paife Kalunga ketu hatu ti shike omolwoinima ei? Osheshi twa efa oipango yoye, 11 we i lombwela ovapiya voye ovaxunganeki, eshi wa tile: ‘Oshilongo osho tamu i mo mu ke shi nangale, osho oshilongo sha nyata, omolweenyata doiwana yomoilongo molwoilonga yavo ii, va yadifa nayo oshilongo okudja kongaba imwe fiyo okongaba ikwao neenyata davo. 12 Paife inamu yandja ovana veni oukadona kovana vavo ovamati, ndele inamu kufa ovana vavo oukadona va ninge ovalikadi vovana veni ovamati, ndele inamu konga nande oukaume nelao lavo fiyo alushe, opo nye mu kale mwa pama nokulya ouwa woshilongo, ndele mu shi yandje kovana veni oshitukulwa fiyo alushe.’ 13 Ndele konima yoinima aishe oyo ye uya kombada yetu molwoilonga yetu ii nomolwombedi yetu inene, osheshi Ove Kalunga ketu ino tu valela pawii wetu twe u lilongela, ndele we tu pa natango ovamangululwa vahapu ve fike opo. 14 Tu tauluke vali ngeno oipango yoye ndele tu ninge haukwe noiwana oyo tai longo oixuna? Ehandu loye itali ka kala ngeno kombada yetu fiyo twa kombwa po, ndele itapa fyaala nande oshixupe ile ovamangululwa? 15 Omwene Kalunga kaIsrael, Oove omuyapuki. Osheshi ofye atuke tu li efiku lonena ovamangululwa, twa xupa. Fye otu li po apa tu nombedi koshipala shoye, ndelenee omolwoinima ya tya ngaha kape na ou ta dulu okukala po koshipala shoye.”
Ezra Condemns Mixed Marriages
1 Later the Jewish leaders came to me and said:
Many Israelites, including priests and Levites, are living just like the people around them. They are even guilty of some of the horrible sins of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2 Some Israelite men have married foreign women and have let their sons do the same thing. Our own officials and leaders were the first to commit this disgusting sin, and now God's holy people are mixed with foreigners.
3 This news made me so angry that I ripped my clothes and tore hair from my head and beard. Then I just sat in shock 4 until the time for the evening sacrifice. Many of our people were greatly concerned and gathered around me, because the God of Israel had warned us to stay away from foreigners.
Ezra's Prayer
5 At the time of the evening sacrifice, I was still sitting there in sorrow with my clothes all torn. So I got down on my knees, then lifted my arms, 6 and prayed:
I am much too ashamed to face you, Lord God. Our sins and our guilt have swept over us like a flood that reaches up to the heavens. 7 Since the time of our ancestors, all of us have sinned. That's why we, our kings, and our priests have often been defeated by other kings. They have killed some of us and made slaves of others; they have taken our possessions and made us ashamed, just as we are today.
8 But for now, Lord God, you have shown great kindness to us. You made us truly happy by letting some of us settle in this sacred place and by helping us in our time of slavery. 9 We are slaves, but you have never turned your back on us. You love us, and because of you, the kings of Persia have helped us. It's as though you have given us new life! You let us rebuild your temple and live safely in Judah and Jerusalem.
10 Our God, what can we say now? Even after all this, we have disobeyed the commands 11 that were given to us by your servants the prophets. They said the land you are giving us is full of sinful and wicked people, who never stop doing disgusting things. 12 And we were warned not to let our daughters and sons marry their sons and daughters.
Your prophets also told us never to help those foreigners or even let them live in peace. You wanted us to become strong and to enjoy the good things in the land, then someday to leave it to our children forever.
13 You punished us because of our terrible sins. But you did not punish us nearly as much as we deserve, and you have brought some of us back home. 14 Why should we disobey your commands again by letting our sons and daughters marry these foreigners who do such disgusting things? That would make you angry enough to destroy us all! 15 Lord God of Israel, you have been more than fair by letting a few of us survive. But once again, our sins have made us ashamed to face you.
