LESSON 66
Ezra Gala Na Tɔgi Lɛɛni Ga Numaitiɛ
About 70 years na pass from the time most of the Israelite dem go back to Jerusalem. But some of them wor still living in different-different part of the Persian Empire. One of them name wor Ezra. He wor priest and he use to teach Jehovah Law. Ezra get to know that the people in Jerusalem wor not obeying Jehovah Law. And he wanted to go and help them. The Persian King they call Artaxerxes, tell Ezra say: ‘God made you wise so that you can teach his Law. Go, and carry anybody that want go with you.’ Ezra meet with all the people who wanted to go back to Jerusalem. They pray to Jehovah to carry them safe on their long journey. Then they got ready to go.
After four months, they reach Jerusalem. The prince dem tell Ezra say: ‘The Israelite dem na disobey Jehovah and marry women who worshiping false gods.’ Wetin Ezra will do? Ezra get on his knees in front of the people, and pray to Jehovah and tell him say: ‘Jehovah, you na do plenty things for us, but we sin against you.’ The people repent, but they wor still doing thing dem that wor not correct. So Ezra choose elders and judge dem to look in the matters. In three months time, the people that wor not worshipping Jehovah, they send them away.
After twelve years, the people wor able to build the fence that wor around Jerusalem again. So Ezra put all the people together to read God Law to them. When Ezra open the book, the people stand up. He praise Jehovah, and they put their hand up to show that they agree to the thing dem he say. Then Ezra read and explain the Law, and the people listen good-good. They agree that they na forget about Jehovah again, and they start crying. The next day, Ezra read more of the Law to them. The people learn that they suppose to celebrate the Festival of Booths. So right away, they start preparing for the festival.
During the seven days of the festival, the people wor happy and they tell Jehovah thank you for the good harvest. Since Joshua time, the people not celebrate the Festival of Booths like the way they celebrate this one during Ezra time. After the festival, the people come together and pray. They say: ‘Jehovah, when we wor slave you save us, you give us food when we wor in the desert, and you give us this beautiful land. But we been disobeying you over and over. You send your prophet dem to warn us, but we not listen. But still, you wor patient with us. You keep your promise you made to Abraham. But now-now, we promising you that we will obey you.’ So they write their promise down, and the princes, Levites, and the priest dem sign it.
“The people who hear what God say and do it happy!”—Luke 11:28