尼希米記 13
1 當日，人念摩西的律法書給百姓聽，遇見書上寫着說，亞捫人和摩押人永不可入上帝的會；
One day when the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the section was found where it was written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed into the assembly of God,
2 因為他們沒有拿食物和水來迎接以色列人，且雇了巴蘭咒詛他們，但我們的上帝使那咒詛變為祝福。
because they hadn't brought food and water when they met the Israelites, but instead they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them—though our God turned that curse into a blessing!
3 以色列民聽見這律法，就與一切閒雜人絕交。
When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.
4 先是蒙派管理我們上帝殿中庫房的祭司以利亞實與多比雅結親，
Before all this, Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the Temple of our God.
5 便為他預備一間大屋子，就是從前收存素祭、乳香、器皿，和照命令供給利未人、歌唱的、守門的五穀、新酒，和油的十分之一，並歸祭司舉祭的屋子。
He had provided Tobiah with a large room which had previously been used to store the grain offerings, incense, and Temple items, as well as the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil allocated to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, in addition to the offerings for the priests.
6 那時我不在耶路撒冷；因為巴比倫王亞達薛西三十二年，我回到王那裏。過了多日，我向王告假。
When all this happened I was not in Jerusalem because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I requested permission from the king to go back.
7 我來到耶路撒冷，就知道以利亞實為多比雅在上帝殿的院內預備屋子的那件惡事。
When I arrived back in Jerusalem I discovered the dreadful thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courtyard of God's Temple.
8 我甚惱怒，就把多比雅的一切家具從屋裏都拋出去，
I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.
9 吩咐人潔淨這屋子，遂將上帝殿的器皿和素祭、乳香又搬進去。
I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.
10 我見利未人所當得的分無人供給他們，甚至供職的利未人與歌唱的俱各奔回自己的田地去了。
I also found out that the food allowances for the Levites were not being provided, so the Levites had gone back to take care of their fields, along with the singers who led the worship services.
11 我就斥責官長說：「為何離棄上帝的殿呢？」我便招聚利未人，使他們照舊供職。
I went and confronted the leaders, asking, “Why is God's Temple being neglected?” I called the Levites back and made sure they were carrying out their responsibilities.
12 猶大眾人就把五穀、新酒，和油的十分之一送入庫房。
Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.
13 我派祭司示利米雅、文士撒督，和利未人毗大雅作庫官管理庫房；副官是哈難。哈難是撒刻的兒子；撒刻是瑪他尼的兒子。這些人都是忠信的，他們的職分是將所供給的分給他們的弟兄。
I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms with Hanan, son of Zakkur, son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered honest people. Their responsibility was to distribute the allowances to their fellow Levites.
14 我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，不要塗抹我為上帝的殿與其中的禮節所行的善。
My God, please remember me over this. Please don't forget my good deeds I have done for the Temple of my God and its services.
15 那些日子，我在猶大見有人在安息日醡酒，搬運禾捆馱在驢上，又把酒、葡萄、無花果，和各樣的擔子在安息日擔入耶路撒冷，我就在他們賣食物的那日警戒他們。
Around that time I noticed people treading the winepress on Sabbath. I saw others collecting grain and loading it up on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing it all into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.
16 又有泰爾人住在耶路撒冷；他們把魚和各樣貨物運進來，在安息日賣給猶大人。
I told them off for selling their produce on that day.
17 我就斥責猶大的貴冑說：「你們怎麼行這惡事犯了安息日呢？
Some people from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of things and they were selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
18 從前你們列祖豈不是這樣行，以致我們上帝使一切災禍臨到我們和這城嗎？現在你們還犯安息日，使忿怒越發臨到以色列！」
I confronted the Jewish leaders, asking them, “Why are you are doing such an evil thing? You are violating the Sabbath day! Wasn't this what your forefathers did, bringing our God down on us, causing us and this city such disasters? Now you're bringing even more trouble on us by violating the Sabbath!”
19 在安息日的前一日，耶路撒冷城門有黑影的時候，我就吩咐人將門關鎖，不過安息日不准開放。我又派我幾個僕人管理城門，免得有人在安息日擔甚麼擔子進城。
So I ordered Jerusalem's gates to be shut at sunset on the day before the Sabbath, and that were not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. I assigned some of my men to guard the gates to make sure no goods would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 於是商人和販賣各樣貨物的，一兩次住宿在耶路撒冷城外。
A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.
21 我就警戒他們說：「你們為何在城外住宿呢？若再這樣，我必下手拿辦你們。」從此以後，他們在安息日不再來了。
I warned them, saying, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again I'll have you arrested!” After that they didn't come on the Sabbath.
22 我吩咐利未人潔淨自己，來守城門，使安息日為聖。我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，照你的大慈愛憐恤我。
Then I told the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. My God, please also remember me for doing this, and be merciful to me because of your trustworthy love.
23 那些日子，我也見猶大人娶了亞實突、亞捫、摩押的女子為妻。
Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.
24 他們的兒女說話，一半是亞實突的話，不會說猶大的話，所說的是照着各族的方言。
Half their children could only speak the language of Ashdod or that of another people, and didn't know how to speak the language of Judah.
25 我就斥責他們，咒詛他們，打了他們幾個人，拔下他們的頭髮，叫他們指着上帝起誓，必不將自己的女兒嫁給外邦人的兒子，也不為自己和兒子娶他們的女兒。
So I confronted them and told them they were cursed. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God, saying, “You must not allow your daughters to marry their sons, or allow your sons—or yourselves— to marry their daughters.
26 我又說：「以色列王所羅門不是在這樣的事上犯罪嗎？在多國中並沒有一王像他，且蒙他上帝所愛，上帝立他作以色列全國的王；然而連他也被外邦女子引誘犯罪。
Wasn't it marriages like these that made King Solomon of Israel sin? There wasn't a king in any nation like him. God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was made to sin by foreign women.
27 如此，我豈聽你們行這大惡，娶外邦女子干犯我們的上帝呢？」
So do we have to hear about you committing this dreadful sin, how you are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 大祭司以利亞實的孫子、耶何耶大的一個兒子是和倫人參巴拉的女婿，我就從我這裏把他趕出去。
Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I expelled him.
29 我的上帝啊，求你記念他們的罪；因為他們玷污了祭司的職任，違背你與祭司利未人所立的約。
My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and Levites.
30 這樣，我潔淨他們，使他們離絕一切外邦人，派定祭司和利未人的班次，使他們各盡其職。
I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
31 我又派百姓按定期獻柴和初熟的土產。我的上帝啊，求你記念我，施恩與我。
I also arranged for wood to be supplied for the altar at the specified times, and for the first part of the produce to be donated. My God, remember me favorably.
