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 done, the princes drew near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those 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, so that the holy seed have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”

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

³When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.

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 everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of their trespass of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening offering.

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

⁵At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh 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 I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has 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 exceeding guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, 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.

⁸Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh 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 bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.

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

¹⁰“Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your 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 you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land, to which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness.

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 don’t give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’

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

¹³“After all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,

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

¹⁴shall we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had 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.

¹⁵Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is this day. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.”