Nehemiah 13
1 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,
Siku hiyo, Kitabu cha Mose kilisomwa kwa sauti kuu, na watu wote wakasikia. Humo ilionekana imeandikwa kwamba hakuna Mwamoni wala Mmoabu atakayeruhusiwa katika kusanyiko la watu wa Mungu,
2 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).
kwa sababu hawakuwalaki Waisraeli kwa chakula na maji. Badala yake walimwajiri Balaamu kuwalaani (lakini hata hivyo Mungu wetu aligeuza laana kuwa baraka).
3 As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
Watu waliposikia sheria hii, waliwatenga watu wote wasio Waisraeli waliokuwa wa uzao wa kigeni.
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
Kabla ya hili, kuhani Eliashibu alikuwa amewekwa kuwa msimamizi wa vyumba vya ghala ya nyumba ya Mungu wetu. Alikuwa na uhusiano wa karibu na Tobia,
5 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.
naye alikuwa amempa Tobia chumba kikubwa ambacho mwanzo kilikuwa kikitumika kuweka sadaka za nafaka, uvumba na vyombo vya Hekalu, pamoja na zaka za nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta waliyoagizwa Waisraeli kwa ajili ya Walawi, waimbaji na mabawabu wa lango, pamoja na matoleo kwa makuhani.
6 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
Lakini wakati haya yote yalipokuwa yakitendeka, sikuwa Yerusalemu, kwa kuwa katika mwaka wa thelathini na mbili wa utawala wa Artashasta mfalme wa Babeli nilikuwa nimerudi kwa mfalme. Baadaye nilimwomba ruhusa,
7 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.
nikarudi Yerusalemu. Hapo niligundua jambo la uovu alilofanya Eliashibu kwa kumpa Tobia chumba katika nyua za nyumba ya Mungu.
8 And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
Nilikasirika sana na nikavitupa nje vyombo vyote vya Tobia.
9 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.
Nilitoa amri kutakasa vyumba, kisha nikavirudisha vifaa vya nyumba ya Mungu, pamoja na sadaka za nafaka na uvumba.
10 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.
Pia niligundua kuwa mafungu yaliyopangwa kupewa Walawi hawakuwa wamepewa, nao Walawi wote na waimbaji waliowajibika kwa huduma walikuwa wamerudi katika mashamba yao.
11 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,
Basi niliwakemea maafisa na kuwauliza, “Kwa nini nyumba ya Mungu imepuuzwa?” Kisha niliwaita pamoja na kuwaweka kwenye nafasi zao.
12 and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
Yuda wote walileta zaka za nafaka, divai mpya na mafuta kwenye ghala.
13 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.
Nikamweka kuhani Shelemia, mwandishi Sadoki, na Mlawi aliyeitwa Pedaya kuwa wasimamizi wa ghala, na kumfanya Hanani mwana wa Zakuri, mwana wa Matania kuwa msaidizi wao, kwa sababu watu hawa walionekana kuwa waaminifu. Walipewa wajibu wa kugawa mahitaji kwa ndugu zao.
14 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.
Ee Mungu wangu, unikumbuke kwa hili, wala usifute kile nilichokifanya kwa uaminifu kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wangu na kwa ajili ya huduma yake.
15 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.
Siku hizo nikaona watu katika Yuda wakikanyaga mashinikizo ya divai siku ya Sabato na kuleta nafaka wakiwapakiza punda, pamoja na divai, zabibu, tini na aina nyingine za mizigo. Nao walikuwa wakileta haya yote Yerusalemu siku ya Sabato. Kwa hiyo niliwaonya dhidi ya kuuza vyakula siku hiyo.
16 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.
Watu kutoka Tiro waliokuwa wakiishi Yerusalemu walileta samaki na aina nyingi za bidhaa na kuziuza Yerusalemu siku ya Sabato kwa watu wa Yuda.
17 Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
Niliwakemea wakuu wa Yuda na kuwaambia, “Ni uovu gani huu mnaofanya wa kuinajisi siku ya Sabato?
18 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!”
Je, baba zenu hawakufanya mambo kama haya, hata wakamsababisha Mungu wetu kuleta maafa haya yote juu yetu na juu ya mji huu? Sasa bado mnazidi kuchochea ghadhabu yake dhidi ya Israeli kwa kuinajisi Sabato.”
19 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.
Wakati vivuli vya jioni vilipoangukia juu ya malango ya Yerusalemu kabla ya Sabato, niliamuru milango ifungwe, wala isifunguliwe mpaka Sabato iishe. Nikawaweka baadhi ya watu wangu mwenyewe kwenye malango ili pasiwepo mzigo utakaoingizwa ndani siku ya Sabato.
20 Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
Mara moja au mbili wachuuzi na wauzaji wa bidhaa za aina zote walilala usiku nje ya mji wa Yerusalemu.
21 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.
Lakini niliwaonya na kuwaambia, “Kwa nini mnalala karibu na ukuta? Kama mkifanya hivi tena, nitawaadhibu.” Kuanzia wakati ule hawakuja tena siku ya Sabato.
22 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.
Kisha nikawaamuru Walawi kujitakasa na kwenda kulinda malango ili kutunza Sabato iwe takatifu. Ee Mungu wangu, unikumbuke kwa ajili ya hili pia, nawe unionyeshe wema wako sawasawa na upendo wako mkuu.
23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Zaidi ya hayo, niliona Wayahudi waliokuwa wameoa wanawake kutoka Ashdodi, Amoni na Moabu.
24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
Nusu ya watoto wao walizungumza lugha ya Kiashidodi au lugha ya watu wengine, bali hawakuweza kuzungumza Kiyahudi.
25 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!
Niliwakemea na kuwalaani. Niliwapiga baadhi ya watu na kungʼoa nywele zao. Niliwaapisha kwa jina la Mungu na kusema: “Msiwaoze binti zenu kwa wana wao, wala binti zao wasiolewe na wana wenu wala ninyi wenyewe.
26 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.
Je, Solomoni hakutenda dhambi kwa sababu ya wanawake wa namna hiyo? Miongoni mwa mataifa mengi hapakuwepo mfalme kama yeye. Alipendwa na Mungu wake. Naye Mungu alimweka kuwa mfalme juu ya Israeli yote, lakini hata yeye, wanawake wa mataifa mengine walimfanya atende dhambi.
27 Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
Je, tulazimike sasa kusikia kwamba ninyi pia mmefanya uovu huu mkubwa na kutokuwa waaminifu kwa Mungu wetu kwa kuoa wanawake wa kigeni?”
28 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.
Mmoja wa wana wa Yoyada mwana wa Eliashibu kuhani mkuu alikuwa mkwewe Sanbalati Mhoroni. Nami nilimfukuza mbele yangu.
29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
Ee Mungu wangu, uwakumbuke, kwa sababu wamenajisi ukuhani, na agano la kikuhani na la Walawi.
30 Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
Kwa hiyo niliwatakasa makuhani na Walawi kutokana na chochote kilichokuwa cha kigeni, na kuwapa wajibu, kila mmoja katika kazi yake.
31 I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
Pia nilihakikisha kwamba matoleo ya kuni yaliletwa kwa wakati unaopaswa, na malimbuko kwa wakati wake. Ee Mungu wangu, unikumbuke, unitendee mema.
