Ezra

10 As Ez′ra de pray and de confess, de cry and lie down for front of the house of the true God, plenty-plenty men, women, and children of Israel gather around-am, because the people de cry no be small. 2 Then Shec·a·ni′ah wey be the son of Je·hi′el wey come from among the sons of E′lam tell Ez′ra say: “We don sin against our God as we marry women from the nations wey dey around us. Even with this one, hope still dey for Israel. 3 Now make we make agreement with our God to pursue all the wives and the children wey them born, to agree with wetin Jehovah and the people wey really respect the commandment of our God talk. Make we do wetin the Law talk. 4 Make you stand up because na you suppose handle this matter and we dey with you. Make you dey strong and do something.”

5 So Ez′ra stand up and talk say make the chiefs of the priests, the Levites, and all Israel people swear say them go do wetin Shec·a·ni′ah talk. Them come swear. 6 Then Ez′ra comot from front of the house of the true God and go the room* of Je·ho·ha′nan wey be the son of E·li′a·shib. Even though say e go there, e no chop and e no drink water as e be say e de mourn because of the sin of the people wey come back from where them be slaves before.

7 Then them announce-am for the whole of Judah and Jerusalem say make all the people wey come back from where them be slaves before gather for Jerusalem; 8 and as the leaders and elders don decide-am, anybody wey no come before the end of three days, them go seize all im things, and them go pursue-am comot from among the people wey come back from where them be slaves. 9 So all the men of Judah and Benjamin gather together for Jerusalem before the end of three days, and this one na for the ninth month, for the 20th day of the month. All the people sitdown for one compound for the house of the true God and them de shake because of the matter wey dey ground and because of the heavy rain wey de fall.

10 Then Ez′ra wey be priest stand up and tell them say: “Una don sin as una marry women wey no come from Israel, and because of this one, una don add join the sin of Israel people. 11 Now make una confess to Jehovah the God of una papa-papa them and do wetin e want. Make una separate unaself from the people of the land and from this wives wey no come from Israel.” 12 So all the people answer-am with loud voice say: “We go do exactly wetin you talk. 13 But, many people dey here and this na raining season. We no go fit stand outside and the matter wey dey ground no be matter wey them go use one or two days talk, because we don sin against God well-well for this matter. 14 So, abeg, make our leaders represent all the people and make all the people for our cities wey marry women wey no come from Israel come for time wey them arrange with the elders and judge them wey come from each city, until the vex wey God de vex for us, wey be like fire wey de burn because of this matter go stop.”

15 But Jon′a·than wey be the son of As′a·hel and Jah·zei′ah the son of Tik′vah no gree for this one, and the Levites wey be Me·shul′lam and Shab′be·thai support them. 16 But the people wey come back from where them be slave before do wetin them don agree; and Ez′ra wey be priest and the heads of the family groups from their papa side, wey them choose all of them according to their names gather alone for the first day of the tenth month to talk about the matter; 17 and for the first day of the first month, them finish the matter of all the men wey marry women wey no come from Israel. 18 And them see say some of the sons of the priests be don marry women wey no come from Israel. From among the sons of Jesh′u·a wey be the son of Je·hoz′a·dak and im brothers, the people wey do this thing na Ma·a·sei′ah, E·li·e′zer, Ja′rib, and Ged·a·li′ah. 19 But them promise* say them go pursue their wives comot, and because say them don sin, them go take one ram from their animals do sacrifice for their sin.

20 From the sons of Im′mer, na Ha·na′ni and Zeb·a·di′ah commit this sin; 21 from the sons of Ha′rim na, Ma·a·sei′ah, E·li′jah, She·mai′ah, Je·hi′el, and Uz·zi′ah; 22 from the sons of Pash′hur na, Eli·o·e′nai, Ma·a·sei′ah, Ish′ma·el, Ne·than′el, Jo′za·bad and El·e·a′sah. 23 And from the Levites na Jo′za·bad, Shim′e·i, Ke·lai′ah (wey be, Ke·li′ta), Peth·a·hi′ah, Judah, and E·li·e′zer; 24 and from among the people wey de sing, na E·li′a·shib; and from among the gatemen, na Shal′lum, Te′lem, and U′ri.

25 And among Israel people, the ones wey come from among the sons of Pa′rosh na, Ra·mi′ah, Iz·zi′ah, Mal·chi′jah, Mij′a·min, El·e·a′zar, Mal·chi′jah, and Be·nai′ah; 26 from the sons of E′lam na, Mat·ta·ni′ah, Zech·a·ri′ah, Je·hi′el, Ab′di, Jer′e·moth, and E·li′jah; 27 from the sons of Zat′tu na, Eli·o·e′nai, E·li′a·shib, Mat·ta·ni′ah, Jer′e·moth, Za′bad, and A·zi′za; 28 from the sons of Be′bai na, Je·ho·ha′nan, Han·a·ni′ah, Zab′bai, and Ath′lai; 29 from the sons of Ba′ni na, Me·shul′lam, Mal′luch, A·dai′ah, Ja′shub, She′al, and Jer′e·moth; 30 from the sons of Pa′hath-mo′ab na, Ad′na, Che′lal, Be·nai′ah, Ma·a·sei′ah, Mat·ta·ni′ah, Bez′al·el, Bin′nu·i, and Ma·nas′seh; 31 from the sons of Ha′rim na, E·li·e′zer, Is·shi′jah, Mal·chi′jah, She·mai′ah, Shim′e·on, 32 Benjamin, Mal′luch, and Shem·a·ri′ah; 33 from the sons of Ha′shum na, Mat·te′nai, Mat′tat·tah, Za′bad, E·liph′e·let, Jer′e·mai, Ma·nas′seh, and Shim′e·i; 34 from the sons of Ba′ni na, Ma·a·da′i, Am′ram, U′el, 35 Be·nai′ah, Be·dei′ah, Chel′u·hi, 36 Va·ni′ah, Mer′e·moth, E·li′a·shib, 37 Mat·ta·ni′ah, Mat·te′nai, and Ja′a·su; 38 from the sons of Bin′nu·i na, Shim′e·i, 39 Shel·e·mi′ah, Nathan, A·dai′ah, 40 Mach·nad′e·bai, Sha′shai, Sha′rai, 41 Az′ar·el, Shel·e·mi′ah, Shem·a·ri′ah, 42 Shal′lum, Am·a·ri′ah, and Joseph; 43 from the sons of Ne′bo na, Je·i′el, Mat·ti·thi′ah, Za′bad, Ze·bi′na, Jad′dai, Joel, and Be·nai′ah. 44 All this people be don marry wives wey no come from Israel and them pursue their wives comot together with their sons.