Nehemiah 13
1 In that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people; and it was found written in it, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not enter into the congregation of God for ever;
那日，當著民眾宣讀梅瑟書時，人們聽到書中寫著說：「永遠不准阿孟人和摩阿布人，加入天主的會眾，
2 because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
因為他們沒有攜帶飲食歡迎以色列人民，反賄賂巴郎詛咒他們，我們的天主卻將詛咒轉為祝福。
3 And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, [even] every alien in Israel.
民眾一聽了這法律，便將各外族由以色列人中隔絕。
4 And before this time Eliasib the priest lived in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;
這事以前，厄肋雅史布司祭，曾被派管理天主的倉庫，他是托彼雅的親信，
5 and he made himself a great treasury, and there they were formerly in the habit of bestowing the offerings, and the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, the ordered portion of the Levites, and singers, and porters; and the first fruits of the priests.
遂為托彼雅準備了一所大倉房，以前其中是存敦供物、乳香、器具、以及肋未人。歌詠者和守門者按法律所應得的什一之榖、酒和油，並司祭所應得的供物。
6 But in all this [time] I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king;
發生這一切事時，我不在耶路撒冷，因為在巴比倫王阿塔薛西斯三十二年，我已回到君王那裏；滿了一個時以後，我又求得君王准許，
7 and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliasib had done in the case of Tobias, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God.
回了耶路撒冷；此時我才發覺出，厄雅史布為托彼雅所行的壞事，為他在天主聖殿的庭院中，準備了一所大倉房。
8 And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.
我感覺十分難受，立即將托彼雅的一切器物，拋出倉房之外，
9 And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored there the vessels of the house of God, [and] the offerings, and the frankincense.
下命清潔那倉房，將天主聖殿的器具、供物和乳香仍放在裏面。
10 And I understood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites and the singers doing the work.
我還發覺肋未人應得之分，人們已不繳納，為此供職的肋未人和歌詠者，各回了本鄉。
11 And I strove with the commanders, and said, Therefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.
我便責斥首長們說：「為什麼又將肋未人召喚起來，又恢復了他們的職務。
12 And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,
那時，全猶大又將什一之穀、酒和油送入倉房。
13 to the charge of Selemia the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and Phadaea of the Levites: and next to them [was] Anan the son of Zacchur, son of Matthanias; for they were accounted faithful: [it was] their office to distribute to their brethren.
我派定了舍肋米雅司祭、匝多克經師和肋未人培達雅，作管理倉房的人；委任瑪塔尼雅的子孫，匝雇爾的兒子哈南，作他們的助手，都是忠實可靠的人；他們的職務是將十一之物，分給他們的兄弟。
14 Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my kindness be forgotten which I have wrought in [regard to] the house of the Lord God.
我的天主，這了這事，請記憶我! 不要抹去我對我天主的聖殿，和其中的禮儀所做的一切善事。
15 In those days I saw in Juda [men] treading wine presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and loading asses with both wine, and grapes, and figs, and every [kind of] burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day:
那時我在猶大，看見有人在安息日踏榨酒池，搬運禾綑，馱在驢上，並把油、葡萄無花果和其他各種重載，安息日運到耶路撒冷；為了他們在此日買賣應用品，我曾警戒了他們。
16 and I testified in the day of their sale. Also their lived in it [men] bringing fish, and selling every [kind of] merchandise to the children of Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath.
有住這裏的提洛人，運來了魚和各種貨物，安息日還在耶路撒冷賣給猶太人，
17 And I strove with the free children of Juda, and said to them, What [is] this evil thing which you do, and profane the sabbath-day?
我遂責斥有權勢的猶太人說：「你們怎麼行這樣的壞事，褻瀆安息日呢，
18 Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do you bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath?
你們的祖先不是曾這樣行事，而使我們的天主，加給了我們和這城這一切災禍嗎﹖現今你們褻瀆安息日，還要義怒再多加在以色列人身上嗎﹖
19 And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Jerusalem, before the sabbath, that I spoke, and they shut the gates; and I gave orders that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set [some] of my servants at the gates, that none should bring [in] burdens on the sabbath-day.
所以在安息日前一天，陰影一來到耶路撒冷城門，我就下令關閉城門，不准開門，直到安息日過去；並派我的僕役守門，安息日不准任何重載運進。
20 So all [the merchants] lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.
有一兩次，販夫和賣各種貨物的商人，在耶路撒冷外過夜；
21 Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you lodge in front of the wall? if you do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the sabbath.
我警告他們說：「你們為什麼在城垣前過夜﹖若是你們再這樣做，我就要向你們下手，」從此以後，安息日他們不敢再來。
22 and I told the Levites who were purifying themselves, and came and kept the gates, that they should sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of your mercy.
我也命令肋未人先聖潔自己，然後去看守城門，為聖化聖日。我的天主，為了這事，也請你記憶我! 照你的大仁慈憐恤我!
23 And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:
那時，我還發見好些猶太人，娶了阿市多得、阿孟和摩阿布人的女子為妻。
24 and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.
他們的兒子，有一半只會說阿市多得話，或這些民族的一種語言，而不會講猶太話。
25 And I strove with them and cursed them; and I struck some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying, ]You shall not give your daughters to their sons, and you shall not take of their daughters to your sons.
我遂責斥咒罵這樣的男人，其中一些我還打了他們，扯了他們的頭髮，叫他們指著天主起誓，向他們說：「你們不可再把你們的女兒，嫁給他們的兒子，也不可為你們的兒子並為你們自己，娶他們的女兒。
26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him amongst many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.
以色列的君王撒羅滿，豈不是在這事上犯了罪嗎﹖在這樣多民族中，沒有一個相似他的君王，他又是天主所愛的，天主使他成為全以色列的君王，但是外方女子竟引他犯了罪。
27 So we will not listen to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God, —to marry strange wives.
我們豈能任憑你們行這一切大壞事，娶外方婦女，背棄天主嗎﹖」
28 and Elisub the high priest, [one] of the sons of Joada, [being] son-in-law of Sanaballat the Uranite, I chased him away from me.
大司祭厄肋雅史布的兒子約雅達，有個兒子是曷龍人桑巴拉特的女婿，我便驅逐他離開我。
29 Remember them, O God, for their [false] connection with the priesthood, and [the breaking] the covenant of the priesthood, and [for defiling] the Levites.
我的天主，請記住他們! 因為他們褻瀆了司祭和肋未的誓約。
30 So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, [every] man according to his work.
如此我清除了一切異類，整頓了司祭和肋未人職守，規定了各人應盡的職務，
31 And the offering of the wood-bearers [was] at certain set times, and in the [times of the] first fruits. Remember me, O our God, for good.
劃定了奉獻木柴和什一之物的時期。我的天主! 求你記憶我，使我蒙福!
