Nehemiah 13

1 And on that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people: and therein was found written, that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come in to the church of God for ever:

Forsothe in that dai it was red in the book of Moises, in heryng of the puple; and it was foundun writun ther ynne, that Amonytis and Moabitis owen not entre in to the chirche of God til in to with outen ende;

2 Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.

for thei metten not the sones of Israel with breed and watir, and thei hiriden ayens the sones of Israel Balaam, for to curse hem; and oure God turnede the cursyng in to blessyng.

3 And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated every stranger from Israel.

Sotheli it was doon, whanne `thei hadden herd the lawe, thei departiden ech alien fro Israel.

4 And over this thing was Eliasib the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.

And upon these thingis Eliasib, the prest, `was blameful, that was the souereyn in the tresorie of the hows of oure God, and was the neiybore of Tobie.

5 And he made him a great storeroom, where before him they laid up gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and the firstfruits of the priests.

Therfor he made to him a grete treserie, `that is, in the hows of God; and men kepynge yiftis, and encence, and vessels, and the tithe of wheete, of wyn, and of oile, the partis of dekenes, and of syngeris, and of porteris, and the firste fruytis of prestis, `weren there bifor him.

6 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I went to the king, and after certain days I asked the king:

Forsothe in alle these thingis Y was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thrittithe yeer of Artaxerses, kyng of Babiloyne, Y cam to the kyng, and in the ende of daies Y preiede the kyng.

7 And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make him a storehouse in the courts of the house of God.

And Y cam in to Jerusalem, and Y vndurstood the yuel, which Eliasib hadde do to Tobie, to make to hym a tresour in the porchis of Goddis hows; and to me it semede ful yuel.

8 And it seemed to me exceeding evil. And I cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out of the storehouse.

And Y castide forth the vessels of the hows of Tobie out of the tresorie;

9 And I commanded and they cleansed the storehouses: and I brought thither again the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.

and Y comaundide, and thei clensiden the tresories; and Y brouyte ayen there the vessels of Goddis hous, sacrifice, and encence.

10 And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: and that the Levites, and the singing men, and they that ministered were fled away every man to his own country:

And Y knew that the partes of dekenes weren not youun, and that ech man of the dekenes and of the syngeris, and of hem that mynystriden hadde fledde in to his cuntrei;

11 And I pleaded the matter against the magistrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, and I made them to stand in their places.

and Y dide the cause ayens magistratis, and Y seide, Whi `forsaken we the hous of God? And Y gaderide hem togidere, `that is, dekenes and mynystris `that hadden go awei, and Y made hem to stonde in her stondyngis.

12 And all Juda brought the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

And al Juda brouyte the tithe of wheete, of wiyn, and of oile, in to bernes.

13 And we set over the storehouses Selemias the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and of the Levites Phadaia, and next to them Hanan the son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were approved as faithful, and to them were committed the portions of their brethren.

And we ordeyneden on the bernes, Selemye, the prest, and Sadoch, the writere, and Phadaie, of the dekenes, and bisidis hem, Anan, the sone of Zaccur, the sone of Mathanye; for thei weren preued feithful men, and the partis of her britheren weren bitakun to hem.

14 Remember me, O my God, for this thing, and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have done relating to the house of my God and his ceremonies.

My God, haue mynde of me for this thing, and do thou not awei my merciful doyngis, whiche Y dide in the hows of my God, and in hise cerymonyes.

15 In those days I saw in Juda some treading the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I charged them that they should sell on a day on which it was lawful to sell.

Yn tho daies Y siy in Juda men tredinge pressours in the sabat, `men bryngynge hepis, and chargynge on assis wiyn, and grapis, and figis, and al birthun, and `bringynge in to Jerusalem in the dai of sabat; and Y witnesside to hem, that thei schulden sille in the dai, in which it was leueful to sille.

16 Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda in Jerusalem.

And men of Tire dwelliden `in it, and brouyten in fischis, and alle thingis set to sale, and thei selden `in the sabatis to the sones of Juda and of Jerusalem.

17 And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and said to them: What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?

And Y rebuykide the principal men of Juda, and Y seide to hem, What is this yuel thing which ye doen, and maken vnhooli the daie of the sabat?

18 Did not our fathers do these things, and our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon this city? And you bring more wrath upon Israel by violating the sabbath.

Whether oure fadris diden not these thingis, and oure God brouyte on vs al this yuel, and on this citee? and `ye encreessen wrathfulnesse on Israel, in defoulynge the sabat.

19 And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath day, I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I commanded that they should not open them till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burthens on the sabbath day.

Forsothe it was doon, whanne the yatis of Jerusalem hadden restid in the dai of sabat, Y seide, Schitte ye the yatis; and thei schittiden the yatis; and I comaundide, that thei schuden not opene tho yatis til aftir the sabat. And of my children Y ordeynede noumbris on the yatis, that no man schulde brynge in a birthun in the dai of sabat.

20 So the merchants, and they that sold all kinds of wares, stayed without Jerusalem once or twice.

And marchauntis, and men sillinge alle thingis set to sale dwelliden with out Jerusalem onys and twies.

21 And I charged them, and I said to them: Why stay you before the wall? if you do so another time, I will lay hands on you. And from that time they came no more on the sabbath.

And Y aresonyde hem, and Y seide to hem, Whi dwellen ye euene ayens the wal? If ye doon this the secounde tyme, Y schal sette hond on you. Therfor fro that tyme thei camen not in the sabat.

22 I spoke also to the Levites that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

Also Y seide to dekenes, that thei schulden be clensid, and that thei schulden come to kepe the yatis, and to halowe the dai of sabat. And therfor for this thing, my God, haue mynde of me, and spare me bi the mychilnesse of thi merciful doyngis.

23 In those days also I saw Jews that married wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of Moab.

But also in tho daies Y siy Jewys weddinge wyues, wymmen of Azotus, and wymmen of Amonytis, and wymmen of Moabitis.

24 And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews’ language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.

And her children spaken half part bi the speche of Ayotus, and kouden not speke bi the speche of Jewis, and thei spaken bi the langage of puple and of puple.

25 And I chid them, and laid my curse upon them. And I beat some of them, and shaved off their hair, and made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:

And Y rebuykide hem, and Y curside; and Y beet the men `of hem, and Y made hem ballid, and Y made hem to swere bi the Lord, that thei schulden not yyue her douytris to the sones of `tho aliens, and that thei schulden not take of the douytris of `tho aliens to her sones, and to hem silf;

26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin in this kind of thing? and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin.

and Y seide, Whether Salomon, the kyng of Israel, synnede not in siche a thing? And certis in many folkis was no kyng lijk hym, and he was loued of his God, and God settide hym kyng on al Israel, and therfor alien wymmen brouyten hym to synne.

27 And shall we also be disobedient and do all this great evil to transgress against our God, and marry strange women?

Whether also we vnobedient schulden do al this grete yuel, that we trespasse ayens `oure Lord God, and wedde alien wyues?

28 And one of the sons of Joiada the son of Eliasib the high priest, was son in law to Sanaballat the Horonite, and I drove him from me.

Forsothe Sanabalath Horonyte hadde weddid a douyter of the sones of Joiada, sone of Eliasib, the grete prest, which Sanaballath Y droof awei fro me.

29 Remember them, O Lord my God, that defile the priesthood, and the law of priests and Levites.

My Lord God, haue mynde ayens hem, that defoulen presthod, and the riyt of prestis and of dekenes. Therfor I clenside hem fro alle aliens, and I ordeynede ordris of prestis and of dekenes,

30 So I separated from them all strangers, and I appointed the courses of the priests and the Levites, every man in his ministry:

ech man in his seruice, and in the offring,

31 And for the offering of wood at times appointed, and for the firstfruits: remember me, O my God, unto good. Amen.

that is, dressing, of trees in tymes ordeyned, and in the firste fruytis. My God, haue mynde of me in to good.