¹Zvino izvi zvakati zvapera, machinda akaswedera kwandiri, akati, Vanhu vaIsiraeri, navapristi, navaRevhi havana kuzviraura pavanhu venyika panezvinonyangadza zvavo, ivo vaKanani, navaHiti, navaPerezi, navaJebhusi, navaAmoni, navaMoabhu, navaEgipita, navaAmori.

¹Now when these things were completed, the princes came to me, saying, The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, [even] of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites;

²nekuti vakatora vakunda vavo vave vakadzi vavo navavanakomana vavo; naizvozvo rudzi rutsvene rwakazvivenganisa navanhu venyika; zvirokwazvo maoko amachinda navabati ndiwo akanyanya pakudarika uku.

²for they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, and have mingled the holy seed with the peoples of the lands; and the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this unfaithfulness.

³Zvino ini ndakati ndichizvinzwa, ndikabvarura nguvo yangu nejasi rangu, ndikataura vhudzi romusoro wangu nendebvu dzangu, ndikagara pasi ndakakanuka.

³And when I heard this thing, I rent my mantle and my garment, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down overwhelmed.

⁴Ipapo vakaungana kwandiri vose vakanga vachidedera nokuda kwamashoko aMwari waIsiraeri pamusoro pokudarika kwavatapwa; ndikagara pasi ndakakanuka kusvikira panguva yechipiriso chamadekwana.

⁴Then were assembled to me every one that trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of the unfaithfulness of those that had been carried away; and I sat overwhelmed until the evening oblation.

⁵Zvino panguva yechipiriso chamadekwana ndikasimuka pakuzvininipisa kwangu, ndichine nguvo yangu nejasi rangu zvakabvaruka; ndikawira pasi namabvi angu, ndikatambanudzira maoko angu kuna Jehovha Mwari wangu;

⁵And at the evening oblation I arose up from my humiliation; and with my mantle and my garment rent, I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Jehovah my God,

⁶ndikati, Haiwa, Mwari wangu, ndinonyara, ndinotsveruka kusimudzira chiso changu kwamuri Mwari wangu; nekuti zvivi zvedu zvadarika misoro yedu, mhosva yedu yakakwira kusvikira kudenga.

⁶and said: O my God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to thee, my God; for our iniquities are increased over [our] head, and our trespass is grown up to the heavens.

⁷Kubva pamazuva amadzibaba edu takapara mhaka kwazvo kusvikira nhasi; zvino nokuda kwezvivi isu namadzimambo edu, navapristi vedu, takaiswa mumaoko amadzimambo enyika, tiurawe nomunondo, titapwe, nokuparadzwa, nokunyadzwa, sapazuva ranhasi.

⁷Since the days of our fathers, we have been in great trespass to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, our priests, have been given into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, and to captivity, and to spoil, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.

⁸Zvino takanzwirwa tsitsi naJehovha Mwari wedu nguva duku-duku, akatisiira vamwe vakapukunyuka, nokutipa mbambo panzvimbo yake tsvene, kuti Mwari wedu avhenekere meso edu, nokutiponesa paduku pauranda bwedu.

⁸And now for a little space there hath been favour from Jehovah our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.

⁹Nekuti tiri varanda; kunyange zvakadaro Mwari haana kutirasha pauranda bwedu, asi akatinzwisa tsitsi pamberi pamadzimambo ePerisia, akatiponesazve, kuti timutsezve imba yaMwari wedu, nokugadzira matongo ayo, nokutipa rusvingo paJudha napaJerusaremu.

⁹For we are bondmen; yet our God hath not forsaken us in our bondage, but hath extended mercy unto us before the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God and to repair the ruins thereof, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

¹⁰Zvino Mwari wedu, tichareveiko shure kwaizvozvi? nekuti takarasha mirairo yenyu,

¹⁰And now, what shall we say, our God, after this? for we have forsaken thy commandments,

¹¹yamakatiraira navaranda venyu vaporofita, muchiti, Nyika kwamunoenda, kuzoiita yenyu, inyika yakasvibiswa nokuipa kwavanhu venyika idzo, nemhaka yezvinonyangadza zvavo, zvakaizadza namatsvina avo kubva parutivi rumwe kusvikira panorumwe rutivi.

¹¹which thou hast commanded by thy servants the prophets, saying, The land, unto which ye go to possess [it], is an unclean land through the filthiness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations with which they have filled it from one end to another through their uncleanness.

¹²Naizvozvo zvino, regai kupa vanakomana vavo vakunda venyu, kana kutora vakunda vavo kupa vanakomana venyu, kana kuvatsvakira rugare nomufaro nokusingaperi; kuti muve nesimba, mudye zvakanaka zvenyika, mugoisiira vana venyu ive nhaka yavo nokusingaperi.

¹²Now therefore give not your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity for ever; that ye may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever.

¹³Zvatakaitirwa izvi zvose nokuda kwamabasa edu akaipa, uye nokuda kwemhosva dzedu huru, imwi Mwari wedu zvamusina kutirova zvakaringana zvakaipa zvedu, mukatisiira vamwe vakadai.

¹³And after all that is come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass, seeing that thou our God hast punished us less than our iniquities [deserve], and hast given us such deliverance as this,

¹⁴Zvino tingapamhidzazve kudarika mirairo yenyu here, nokushamwaridzana navanhu vanoita izvi zvinonyangadza here? Hamungazotitsamwiri kusvikira matiparadza here, kusvikira kusina akasiiwa, kana akapukunyuka?

¹⁴should we again break thy commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples of these abominations? wouldest thou not be angry with us till thou hadst consumed us, so that there should be no remnant nor any to escape?

¹⁵Jehovha, Mwari waIsiraeri, imwi makarurama; nekuti tasiirwa vamwe vakapukunyuka, sezvazvakaita nhasi; tarirai tiri pamberi penyu nemhosva dzedu, nekuti hakuna angamira pamberi penyu nokuda kwechinhu ichi.

¹⁵Jehovah, God of Israel, thou art righteous; for we are a remnant that is escaped, as [it is] this day. Behold, we are before thee in our trespasses; for there is no standing before thee because of this.