Nehemiah 9

9 ¹For di twenty-fourth day of dis month, di Israelites gada, dey fast, dey wear sackcloth, wit sand for dia head. ^a a v1 To put dust for head, togeda wit fasting an rough sackcloth, na old-time sign of deep sorrow an turning-back from sin. ²Di descendants of Israel separate demsef from all foreigner, stand, an confess dia own sins an di guilt of dia ancestors. ³Dem stand for dia place an read di Book of di Law of our Papa for about three hours, den dem confess an worship our Papa for three more hours. ⁴Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, an Chenani stand for di stairs of di Levites an cry loud loud to our Papa. ⁵Den di Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, Pethahiah—talk say: “Stand up, bless una Papa, from everlasting reach everlasting. Make dem bless your glorious name, wey dey lifted up pass all blessing an praise. ⁶Na only you be our Papa. You make di heavens, even di highest heavens, wit all dia host, di earth an everytin wey dey inside am, di seas an all wey dey inside dem. You dey give life to all of dem, an di host of heaven dey worship you. ⁷Na you be our Papa, wey choose Abram an bring am comot from Ur of di Chaldeans an give am di name Abraham. ⁸You find im heart faithful before you, an you make Covenant wit am, to give am di land of di Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Jebusites, an Girgashites—to give am to im descendants. An you don keep your promise, because you dey do di correct-and-holy way. ⁹You see di suffering of our ancestors for Egypt; you hear dia cry for di Red Sea. ¹⁰You send signs an wonders against Pharaoh, against all im officials an all di people of im land, because you sabi how di Egyptians dey treat our people wit pride. So you make name for yousef, wey dey stand till today. ¹¹You divide di sea before dem, so dat dem waka pass am for dry ground, but you throw di people wey dey chase dem inside di deep waters, like stone wey enter mighty waters. ¹²For daytime you lead dem wit pillar of cloud, an for nighttime wit pillar of fire, to give dem light for di way wey dem go waka. ¹³You come down for Mount Sinai; you talk to dem from heaven. You give dem regulations wey dey correct an laws wey dey true, statutes wey dey good an commands. ¹⁴You make dem know your holy Sabbath, an you give dem commands, statutes, an laws through your servant Moses. ¹⁵For dia hunger you give dem bread from heaven, an for dia thirst you bring dem water comot from di rock. You tell dem make dem enter an take di land wey you swear say you go give dem. ¹⁶But dem—our ancestors—come dey do proud an hard-head, an dem refuse to obey your commands. ¹⁷Dem refuse to listen an dem no remember di wonders wey you do among dem. Dem come hard-head, an for dia rebellion dem appoint leader to go back to dia slavery. But you be Papa wey dey forgive, wey full of grace an tender mercy wey dey pain belle, wey no dey quick vex an wey get plenty faithful love, an you no abandon dem. ¹⁸Even wen dem cast for demsef image of calf an talk say, “Na dis be your god wey bring you comot from Egypt,” an dem do terrible blasphemy, ¹⁹you, for your great tender mercy wey dey pain belle, no abandon dem for di wilderness. Di pillar of cloud still dey lead dem for dia way for daytime, an di pillar of fire still dey give dia path light for nighttime. ²⁰You give your good Spirit to teach dem. You no hold back your manna from dia mouth, an you give dem water for dia thirst. ²¹For forty years you take care of dem for di wilderness, an notin lack dem; dia cloth no tear, an dia leg no swell. ²²You give dem kingdoms an peoples, dey share land for dem for every corner of di place. So dem take di land of Sihon king of Heshbon an di land of Og king of Bashan. ²³You make dia children plenty like di stars for sky, an you bring dem enter di land wey you tell dia ancestors say make dem enter an take. ²⁴Dia children enter an take di land. You bring down before dem di Canaanites wey dey live dia, an you hand di Canaanites give dem, wit dia kings an di peoples of di land, make dem do dem as dem like. ²⁵Dem capture cities wey dey get strong wall an land wey dey rich; dem take houses wey full wit every good tin, wells wey dem don dig already, vineyards, olive gardens, an fruit trees plenty plenty. So dem chop an belleful an come fat, an dem enjoy demsef for your great goodness. ²⁶But dem no obey an dem rebel against you; dem throw your law comot for dia back. Dem kill your prophets, wey bin warn dem to turn dem back to you, an dem do terrible blasphemy. ²⁷So you hand dem give dia enemies, wey oppress dem. But for di time of dia trouble, wen dem cry out to you, you hear dem from heaven, an for your great tender mercy wey dey pain belle you give dem people wey go save dem, wey rescue dem from di hand of dia enemies. ²⁸But as soon as dem get rest, dem do evil again before you. So you leave dem for di hand of dia enemies, wey rule over dem. Still, wen dem turn back an cry out to you, you hear from heaven, an time after time, for your tender mercy wey dey pain belle, you rescue dem. ²⁹You warn dem make dem return to your law, but dem come dey do proud an dem no obey your commands. Dem sin against your judgments, wey dey give life to anybody wey obey dem. Wit hard-head dem turn dia back, dem stiffen dia neck, an dem no gree listen. ³⁰For plenty years you dey patient wit dem. By your Spirit you warn dem through your prophets, but dem no gree listen. So you hand dem give di peoples of di lands. ³¹But for your great tender mercy wey dey pain belle you no finish dem an you no abandon dem, because you be Papa wey full of grace an tender mercy wey dey pain belle. ³²An now, our Papa—wey great an mighty an wonderful, wey dey keep im Covenant of faithful love—no make all dis hardship look small before you: di hardship wey don come on top us, on top our kings an leaders, our priests an prophets, our ancestors an all your people, from di days of di kings of Assyria reach today. ³³For everytin wey don come on top us you don do di correct tin; you don act faithful, while na wrong we do. ³⁴Our kings an leaders, our priests an ancestors no keep your law; dem no pay attention to your commands or to di warnings wey you give dem. ³⁵Even wen dem dey for dia own kingdom, dey enjoy di great goodness wey you give dem an di wide, rich land wey you put before dem, dem no gree serve you or turn from dia evil ways. ³⁶An now look—we be slaves today, slaves for di very land wey you give our ancestors so dat dem fit chop im fruit an im good tins. ³⁷Im plenty harvest dey go to di kings wey you don put over us because of our sins. Dem dey rule over our body an our animals as dem like, an we dey inside great trouble.”

³⁸So we dey make binding agreement for writing, wey our leaders, Levites, an priests seal.