ʻEsela 9

1After these things had been done, the officials approached me and said, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands with their abominations, from the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.

1PEA ʻi he fai ʻo ʻosi ʻae ngaahi meʻa ni, naʻe haʻu ai ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki kiate au, ʻo pehē, ʻOku teʻeki vahevahe ʻakinautolu ʻe he kakai ʻo ʻIsileli, mo e kau taulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, mei he kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ʻi he fai ʻo fakatatau ki heʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻio, ʻoe kakai Kēnani, mo e kakai Heti, mo e kakai Pelesi, mo e kakai Sepusi, mo e kakai ʻAmoni, mo e kakai ʻAmoli.

2For they have taken some of their daughters to be wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has mixed itself with the peoples of the lands. And in this faithlessness the hand of the officials and chief men has been foremost.”

2He kuo nau ʻomi honau ngaahi ʻofefine moʻonautolu, pea mo honau ngaahi foha: ko ia kuo fakafehakoʻaki ʻakinautolu ʻe he hako māʻoniʻoni mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua ko ia: ʻio, kuo kau lahi ʻae nima ʻoe houʻeiki mo e ngaahi pule ʻi he meʻa hala ni.

3As soon as I heard this, I tore my garment and my cloak and pulled hair from my head and beard and sat appalled.

3Pea ʻi heʻeku fanongo ki he meʻa ni, naʻaku hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau fusi hoku ngaahi fulufuluʻi ʻulu mei hoku ʻulu, pea mo ʻeku kava, peau nofo ki lalo ʻo tāfuʻua.

4Then all who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the faithlessness of the returned exiles, gathered around me while I sat appalled until the evening sacrifice.

4Pea naʻe kātoa kiate au ʻakinautolu taki taha kotoa pē naʻe tetetete ki he ngaahi folofola ʻae ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ko e meʻa ʻi he talangataʻa ʻokinautolu naʻe fetuku fakapōpula: peau nofo tāfuʻua pe ʻo aʻu ki he feilaulau fakaefiafi.

5And at the evening sacrifice I rose from my fasting, with my garment and my cloak torn, and fell upon my knees and spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

5Pea ʻi he feilaulau fakaefiafi ne u tuʻu hake mei heʻeku māfasia; peau hae hoku kofu mo hoku pulupulu, peau tūʻulutui ʻi hoku tui, peau mafao atu hoku nima kia Sihova ko hoku ʻOtua,

6saying: “O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift my face to you, my God, for our iniquities have risen higher than our heads, and our guilt has mounted up to the heavens.

6Pea naʻaku pehē, “ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ʻoku ou mā pea kula hoku mata ke hiki hake hoku mata kiate koe, ʻe hoku ʻOtua: he kuo tupu ʻo lahi hake ʻemau ngaahi hia ʻi ʻolunga ki homau ʻulu, pea ko ʻemau fai hala kuo tupu hake ki he ngaahi langi.

7From the days of our fathers to this day we have been in great guilt. And for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plundering, and to utter shame, as it is today.

7Talu mei he ngaahi ʻaho ʻo ʻemau ngaahi tamai kuo mau moʻua ʻi he hala lahi ʻo aʻu ki he ʻaho ni; pea ko e meʻa ʻi heʻemau ngaahi hia, naʻe tukuange ai ʻakimautolu, mo homau ngaahi tuʻi, mo homau ngaahi taulaʻeiki, ki he nima ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻoe ngaahi fonua, ki he heletā, pea ki he pōpula, pea ki he maumau, pea ki he puputuʻu ʻoe mata, ʻo hangē ʻi he ʻaho ni.

8But now for a brief moment favor has been shown by the LORD our God, to leave us a remnant and to give us a secure hold within his holy place, that our God may brighten our eyes and grant us a little reviving in our slavery.

8Pea ko eni kuo fakahā ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he kuonga siʻi meia Sihova ko homau ʻOtua, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ha toenga kakai, ke hoa, pea ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae faʻo ʻi hono potu māʻoniʻoni, koeʻuhi ke fakamaama homau mata ʻe homau ʻOtua, pea foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake siʻi ʻi homau nofo pōpula.

9For we are slaves. Yet our God has not forsaken us in our slavery, but has extended to us his steadfast love before the kings of Persia, to grant us some reviving to set up the house of our God, to repair its ruins, and to give us protection in Judea and Jerusalem.

9He ko e kau tangata hopoate ʻakimautolu; ka naʻe ʻikai liʻaki ʻakimautolu ʻe homau ʻOtua ʻi heʻemau nofo pōpula, ka kuo fakahoko ʻae ʻofa kiate kimautolu ʻi he ʻao ʻoe ngaahi tuʻi ʻo Peasia, ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae fakaakeake, ke fokotuʻu ʻae fale ʻo homau ʻOtua, pea ke fakafoʻou hono ngaahi potu maumau pea ke foaki kiate kimautolu ʻae ʻā maka ʻi Siuta pea ʻi Selūsalema.

10“And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,

10Pea ko eni, ʻE homau ʻOtua, ko e hā te mau lea ʻaki hili ʻae meʻa ni kotoa pē? He kuo mau liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau,

11which you commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land that you are entering, to take possession of it, is a land impure with the impurity of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations that have filled it from end to end with their uncleanness.

11‌ʻAia naʻa ke fekau ʻi hoʻo kau tamaioʻeiki ko e kau palōfita, ʻo pehē, Ko e fonua ʻoku mou ʻalu ke maʻu, ko e fonua taʻemaʻa ia ʻi he ngaahi angaʻuli ʻoe kakai ʻoe ngaahi fonua, mo ʻenau ngaahi angakovi, ʻaia kuo nau fakafonu ʻaki ia mei hono potu ʻe taha ki hono potu ʻe taha ʻi heʻenau anga taʻemaʻa;

12Therefore do not give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters for your sons, and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’

12Pea ko eni, ʻoua naʻa mou foaki homou ngaahi ʻofefine ki honau ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou toʻo honau ngaahi ʻofefine mo homou ngaahi foha, pea ʻoua naʻa mou kumi ki heʻenau melino pe ki heʻenau koloa ʻo taʻengata: koeʻuhi ke mou mālohi, pea kai ʻae lelei ʻoe fonua, pea tuku ia ko e ʻapi tofiʻa ki hoʻomou fānau ke taʻengata.

13And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, seeing that you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserved and have given us such a remnant as this,

13Pea hili ʻae meʻa kotoa pē kuo tō kiate kimautolu ʻi heʻemau ngaahi ngāue kovi, pea ʻi heʻemau hala lahi, he ko koe ko homau ʻOtua kuo siʻi hifo hao tautea ʻakimautolu kae lahi ʻemau ngaahi hia, pea kuo ke tuku kiate kimautolu ʻae ngaahi fakamoʻui pehē ni;

14shall we break your commandments again and intermarry with the peoples who practice these abominations? Would you not be angry with us until you consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?

14He te mau toe liʻaki hoʻo ngaahi fekau, pea hoko ʻo fakataha ʻakimautolu mo e kakai ʻoe ngaahi angakovi ni? Pea ʻikai te ke houhau ai kiate kimautolu ke ʻoua ke fakaʻauha ʻakimautolu, pea ʻe ʻikai ha niʻihi ʻe toe, pe ha meʻa ke hao ai?

15O LORD, the God of Israel, you are just, for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is today. Behold, we are before you in our guilt, for none can stand before you because of this.”

15‌ʻE Sihova ko e ʻOtua ʻo ʻIsileli, ʻoku ke māʻoniʻoni koe: he ʻoku mau kei nofo hao pe, ʻo hangē ko e ʻaho ni: vakai, ʻoku mau ʻi ho ʻao ʻi heʻemau ngaahi angahala: he ʻoku ʻikai te mau faʻa tuʻu ʻi ho ʻao koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni.”