Nehemiah 13
1 To na niah kaminawk hmaa ah Mosi ih cabu kroek o naah, Ammon kami hoi Moab kaminawk loe, Sithaw kaminawk amkhuenghaih ahmuen ah athumsak han om ai, tiah tarik ih ca to a hnuk o;
At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
2 tipongah tih nahaeloe nihcae mah Israel kaminawk to caaknaek hoi tui hoiah dawt o ai, Israel caanawk tangoeng hanah, Balaam to a tlai o; toe aicae ih Sithaw mah tangoenghaih to tahamhoihaih ah angcoengsak lat.
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
3 Kaminawk mah Mosi ih kaalok to thaih o naah, athii kangbaeh kaminawk boih to Israel acaeng thung hoiah pahoe o.
As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
4 Hae hmuen om ai naah, qaima Eliashib loe aicae Sithaw im ih hmuenmae khenzawnkung ah oh moe, Tobiah hoi angkom kami ah oh;
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
5 Levinawk, laasah kaminawk, khongkha toep kaminawk hoi qaimanawk han paek ih tangqumnawk, canghum, hmuihoih, im han paek ih hmuenmaenawk, to pacoengah hato thungah maeto paek ih canghum, kangtha misurtui hoi situi suekhaih ahmuen to Tobiah hanah a paek.
and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
6 To nathuem ah kai loe Jerusalem ah ka om ai, kai loe Babylon siangpahrang Artaxerxes, siangpahrang ohhaih saning qui thum, saning hnetto haih naah, siangpahrang khaeah kam laem ving; nasetto maw akra pacoengah, Jerusalem ah amlaem let hanah siangpahrang palung aduehaih to ka hak;
While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king
7 Jerusalem ah ka caeh let naah ni, Eliashib mah Sithaw im thung ih akhaan to Tobiah hanah paek boeh ti, tiah a sak ih kahoih ai hmuen kawng to ka panoek vop.
to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.
8 Hae hmuen mah palung ang phuisak; to pongah Tobiah ih hmuennawk to imthung hoiah tasa bangah ka vah pae king.
And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
9 Imthung ciimcaisak hanah ka thuih pae; Sithaw im ih hmuennawk, paek ih canghumnawk hoi hmuihoihnawk to athung ah ka sueksak let.
Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
10 Levinawk han paek koi cang to paek o ai pongah, Levinawk hoi laasah kaminawk loe angmacae lawk ah amlaem o boih boeh, tiah ka panoek.
I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.
11 To pongah ukkung angraengnawk to ka zoeh, Tipongah Sithaw im na pahnawt o sut loe? tiah ka naa; nihcae to nawnto amkhuengsak pacoengah, angmacae sak han koi tok to ka saksak boih.
So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
12 To pacoengah loe Judahnawk boih mah canghum, misurthaih hoi situinawk to, hato thungah maeto, hmuenmae suekhaih imthung ah a sin o.
and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
13 Kai mah qaima Shelemiah, ca tarikkung Zadok hoi Levi kami Pedaiah cae to hmuenmae pakuemhaih im khenzawnkung ah ka suek; Mattaniah capa Zakkur, Zakkur capa Hanan to nihcae lawnkung ah ka suek; hae kaminawk loe oepthok kami ah oh o, angmacae nawkamyanawk hanah hmuenmae pazethaih loe nihcae ih tok ah oh.
I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.
14 Aw ka Sithaw, ka sak ih hae hmuen pongah, na pahnet hmah; ka Sithaw ih im hoi a toksah kaminawk hanah ka sak ih kahoih hmuen hae na tahmat pae ving hmah, tiah lawk ka thuih.
Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
15 To nathuem ah thoemto Judahnawk loe Sabbath niah, misurtui pasawh o, cang aah o moe, laa hrang nuiah phawh o sak; to pacoengah Sabbath niah, misurtui, misurthaih, thaiduet thaih hoi kalah thingthainawk to a lak o moe, Jerusalem ah a zawh o, tiah ka panoek; to pongah to niah hmuenmae zawh han ai ah acoehaih lok ka thuih pae.
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
16 Jerusalem ah kaom Tura kaminawk mah doeh tanga hoi kalah hmuennawk to Jerusalem ah phawh o moe, Sabbath niah Judah kaminawk khaeah a zawh pae o.
Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 Judah ukkungnawk khaeah, tipongah hae baktih kahoih ai hmuennawk hae na sak o moe, Sabbath ni to nam hnong o sak loe?
Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Nam panawk mah to tiah hmuen sak o pong na ai maw, Sithaw mah hae baktih amtang amlaihaih hae aicae nui hoi vangpui nuiah phasak? Sabbath ni na aek o pongah, kanung aep palungphuihaih Israel kaminawk nuiah, na phak o sak let han vop maw? tiah ka zoeh.
Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
19 Sabbath phak tomhaih ni, Jerusalem khongkha ah khoving amtonghaih ni hoi kamtong Sabbath ni boeng ai karoek to, khongkhanawk to paong o hmah, khaa oh, tiah lok ka thuih pae; Sabbath niah vangpui thungah hmuenmae phawh o han ai ah, thoemto ka tamnanawk to khongkha ka toepsak.
When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
20 Hmuenmae kaqan hoi zaw kaminawk loe, Jerusalem vangpui tasa bangah vaito maw, vai hnetto maw iih o.
Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
21 To naah kai mah nihcae khaeah, Tipongah tapang taengah na iih o loe? Hmabangah hae baktih hmuen na sak o let nahaeloe, nangcae nuiah ban ka phok han, tiah ka naa. To ni hoi kamtong Sabbath niah angzo o ai boeh.
but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.
22 To pacoengah Levinawk khaeah doeh ciimcai oh loe, Sabbath ni ciim o sak hanah, khongkhanawk to toep oh, tiah ka thuih pae. Aw ka Sithaw, hae kawng pongah na pahnet hmah, kalen parai na palungnathaih hoiah na pathlung rae ah, tiah lawk ka thuih.
Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
23 To nathuem ah, Judahnawk mah Ashod, Ammom hoi Moab nongpatanawk to zu ah lak o, tiah ka panoek.
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 Nihcae ih caanawk loe Judah lok kop o ai; ahap kaminawk mah Ashdod kaminawk ih lok to apeh o, kalah kaminawk ih lok maeto ni apaeh o.
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
25 Nihcae to ka zoeh moe, loksae ka bah; thoemto kaminawk to ka boh moe, thoemto kaminawk ih sam to ka taprawt pae: Na canunawk nihcae capa hanah paek o hmah; na capanawk han doeh nihcae ih canunawk to zu ah la pae o hmah.
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
26 Hae tiah zu lak pongah na ai maw, Solomon siangpahrang mah zaehaih to sak? Prae boih ah anih baktih kaom siangpahrang mi doeh om ai; anih loe angmah ih Sithaw mah palung pongah, Israel kaminawk nuiah siangpahrang ah suek; anih mataeng doeh acaeng kalah nongpatanawk mah zaehaih sak o sak.
Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
27 Acaeng kalah nongpatanawk zu ah na lak o pongah, aicae ih Sithaw hmaa ah zaehaih na sak o boeh, hae baktih kalen zaehaih sak hanah, nangcae ih lok to ka tahngai o han maw? tiah Sithaw ih ahmin hoiah lokkamhaih ka saksak.
Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 Qaima kalen koek, Eliashib capa Joiada ih capa maeto doeh, Horon acaeng Sanballat ih canu to zu haih pongah, anih to ka haek.
Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.
29 Aw ka Sithaw, nihcae to pahnet hmah; nihcae mah qaima toksakhaih amhnong o sak boeh, qaima toksakhaih hoi Levi kami ah oh hanah lokmaihaih to amhnong o sak boeh.
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 Topongah Judah kaminawk loe acaeng kalah kaminawk thung hoiah ka pahoe moe, qaimanawk hoi Levinawk mah sak han koi tok to ka paek boih.
Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
31 Atue phak naah, thingnawk hoi kathai tangsuek thingthainawk paek o hanah, ka thuih pae. Aw ka Sithaw, kahoih hmuen ka sak pongah, na pahnet hmah, tiah lawk ka thuih.
I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
