Nehemiah 13
1 On that day, when someone read to the people parts of the laws [that God gave] to Moses, they read where it was written that no one from the Ammon people-group or the Moab people-group was ever to be allowed to be with God’s people while they were gathered together [to worship].
Na rĩrĩ, mũthenya ũcio, Ibuku rĩa Musa rĩgĩthomwo na mũgambo mũnene andũ makĩĩiguagĩra, rĩgĩthomwo handũ haandĩkĩtwo atĩ gũtirĩ Mũamoni kana Mũmoabi ũgetĩkĩrio akorwo kĩũngano-inĩ kĩa andũ a Ngai,
2 The reason for that was that the people of Ammon and the people of Moab did not give/sell any food or water to the Israelis [while the Israelis were going through their areas after they left Egypt]. Instead, the people of Ammon and Moab paid money to Balaam in order that he would curse the Israelis. But God commanded Balaam to bless the people, not to curse them.
tondũ matiigana kũhe andũ a Isiraeli irio na maaĩ; no-o nĩ kũrĩha maarĩhire Balamu amarume. (No rĩrĩ, Ngai witũ akĩgarũra kĩrumi gĩgĩtuĩka kĩrathimo.)
3 So when the people heard these laws [being read to them], they sent away all the people whose ancestors had come from other countries.
Rĩrĩa andũ maaiguire watho ũcio, makĩeheria andũ othe arĩa maarĩ ageni kuuma Isiraeli.
4 Previously, Eliashib the priest had been appointed to be in charge of the storerooms in the temple. He was a relative of [our enemy] Tobiah.
Mbere ĩyo, Eliashibu ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩakoretwo atuĩtwo mũrũgamĩrĩri wa makũmbĩ ma nyũmba ya Ngai witũ. Aarĩ wa thiritũ ya hakuhĩ na Tobia,
5 He allowed Tobiah to use a large room in which they had previously stored the grain offerings and the incense, the equipment that is used in the temple, the offerings [that the people had brought] for the priests, and the tithes of grain and wine and [olive] oil that [God] had commanded the people to bring to the [other] descendants of Levi, and to the temple musicians, and to the temple guards.
na nĩamũhete nyũmba nene aikarage ĩrĩa mbere ĩyo yaigagwo mĩhothi ya ngano, na ũbumba, na indo cia hekarũ, o na mĩhothi ya gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano na maguta marĩa maaheagwo Alawii, na aini na aikaria a ihingo, o na mĩhothi ĩrĩa yarutagĩrwo athĩnjĩri-Ngai.
6 While [Tobias was using that room], I was not in Jerusalem, because in the 32nd year that Artaxerxes was the king of Babylonia, I went back there to report to him. After a while I requested the king to allow me to return to Jerusalem, [and he allowed me to go].
No rĩrĩa maũndũ maya mothe maathiiaga na mbere, niĩ ndiarĩ kũu Jerusalemu, nĩgũkorwo mwaka-inĩ ũcio wa mĩrongo ĩtatũ na ĩĩrĩ wa ũthamaki wa Aritashashita, mũthamaki wa Babuloni, nĩndacookete kũrĩ mũthamaki. Matukũ manini maathira nĩndamũhooire rũtha,
7 When I arrived in Jerusalem, I found out that Eliashib had done an evil thing by allowing Tobiah to use a room in God’s temple.
ngĩcooka Jerusalemu. Ndacooka Jerusalemu nĩguo ndaamenyire ũũru ũrĩa Eliashibu eekĩte nĩ ũndũ wa kũhe Tobia kanyũmba nja ya nyũmba ya Ngai.
8 I became very angry, and I threw out of that room everything that belonged to Tobiah.
Nĩndarakaririo nĩ ũhoro ũcio mũno na ngĩikia indo ciothe cia Tobia nja.
9 Then I commanded [that they perform a ritual] to make the rooms (pure/acceptable to God) again. And I also ordered that all the equipment used in the temple and all the grain offerings and incense should be put in that room again.
Ngĩcooka ngĩruta watho kũgĩe igongona rĩa gũtheria nyũmba ĩyo, na ngĩcookia indo ciothe cia nyũmba ya Ngai kuo, hamwe na maruta ma ngano na ũbumba.
10 I also found out that the temple musicians and [other] descendants of Levi had left Jerusalem and returned to their fields/farms, because the Israeli people had not been bringing to them the food [that they needed].
Ningĩ nĩndamenyire atĩ Alawii matiaheagwo gĩcunjĩ kĩrĩa kĩerĩtwo maaheagwo, na Alawii othe hamwe na aini arĩa maatungataga nĩmatiganĩirie ũtungata, magacooka mĩgũnda-inĩ yao.
11 So I rebuked the officials, saying to them, “(Why have you not taken care of the work in the temple?/It is disgraceful that you have not taken care of the work in the temple.)” [RHQ] So I brought the descendants of Levi and the musicians back to the temple, and told them to do their work there again.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩrũithia anene acio, ngĩmooria atĩrĩ: “Nyũmba ya Ngai ĩtiganĩirio nĩkĩ?” Ningĩ ngĩmeeta othe hamwe, ngĩmacookia o mũndũ wĩra-inĩ wake.
12 Then all the people of Judah again started to bring to the temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and [olive] oil.
Andũ othe a Juda nĩmarehire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, o na maguta makũmbĩ-inĩ.
13 I appointed these men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah, who was a priest; Zadok, who knew the Jewish laws very well; and Pedaiah, a descendant of Levi. I appointed Hanan, who is the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah, to assist them. I knew that I could trust these men while they distributed those offerings to their fellow workers.
Na niĩ ngĩtua Shelemia ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, na Zadoku ũrĩa mwandĩki-marũa, marĩ na Mulawii wetagwo Pedaia, arũgamĩrĩri a makũmbĩ, na ngĩtua Hanani mũrũ wa Zakuri mũrũ wa Matania mũnini wao, tondũ andũ aya nĩmoonagwo marĩ ehokeku. Nĩmatuirwo a kũgayagĩra ariũ a ithe wao indo.
14 My God, do not forget all these good things that I have faithfully done for your temple and for the work that is done there!
Ndirikana, Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya, na ndũgatharie wĩra na ũtungata ũrĩa ndungatĩte nyũmba-inĩ ya Ngai wakwa ndĩ mwĩhokeku.
15 During that time, I saw some people in Judea [who were working] on the Sabbath day. [Some were] pressing grapes [to make wine]. Others were putting grain, [bags of] wine, [baskets of] grapes, figs, and many [HYP] other things, on their donkeys and taking them into Jerusalem. I warned them that they should not sell things to the people of Judea on Sabbath days.
Matukũ-inĩ macio nĩndeyoneire andũ a Juda makĩhiha ndibei mũthenya wa Thabatũ na makĩrehe ngano, na magĩkuuithia ndigiri ngano hamwe na ndibei, na thabibũ, na ngũyũ, na mĩthemba yothe ya mĩrigo. Indo icio ciothe maarehaga Jerusalemu mũthenya wa Thabatũ. Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩmakaania kwendia irio mũthenya ũcio wa Thabatũ.
16 I also saw some people from Tyre [city] who were living there in Jerusalem who were bringing fish and other things [into Jerusalem] to sell to the people of Judea on the Sabbath day.
Andũ a Turo arĩa maatũũraga Jerusalemu nĩmarehaga thamaki na indo cia mĩthemba yothe, na magaciendagĩria andũ a Juda mũthenya wa Thabatũ kũu Jerusalemu.
17 So I rebuked the Jewish leaders and told them, “This is [RHQ] a very evil thing that you are doing! You are causing the Sabbath days to be unholy.
Ngĩrũithia andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a Juda, ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ũyũ mũreka wa waganu wa gũthaahia mũthenya wa Thabatũ?
18 Your ancestors did [RHQ] things like that, so God punished them, and as a result, this city was destroyed! And now by causing the Sabbath day to be unholy, you are going to cause God to be angry with us Israeli people [and punish us] more!”
Maithe manyu ma tene-rĩ, githĩ ti maũndũ ta maya meekire, nake Ngai witũ agĩtũrehere mathĩĩna maya mothe matũkorete na magakora itũũra rĩĩrĩ inene? No rĩu inyuĩ mũrarehera Isiraeli mangʼũrĩ maingĩ makĩria na ũndũ wa gũthaahia Thabatũ.”
19 So I ordered that at (the beginning of every Sabbath day/every Friday evening) they should shut the gates of the city before it became dark. I also ordered that they should not open the gates until (the Sabbath day was ended [the next day]/Saturday evening). Then [each Sabbath day] I put some of my men at the gates, so they would make sure that nothing to sell was brought into the city on that day.
Na rĩrĩ, hwaĩ-inĩ kwambĩrĩria kũgĩa nduma ihingo-inĩ cia Jerusalemu Thabatũ ĩtanakinya-rĩ, ngĩathana mĩrango ya Jerusalemu ĩhingwo na ndĩkahingũrwo nginya Thabatũ ĩthire. Ngĩiga andũ amwe akwa ihingo-inĩ marangĩre, nĩgeetha gũtikagĩe mũrigo ũngĩtoonyio thĩinĩ mũthenya wa Thabatũ.
20 One or two times merchants [DOU] stayed outside of the city on (Friday night/[the night before the Sabbath day]).
Rĩmwe kana meerĩ, onjorithia na endia a indo cia mĩthemba yothe maraarire nja ya Jerusalemu.
21 I warned them, “It is useless [RHQ] for you to stay here outside the walls [on Friday night]! If you do this again, I will tell my men to arrest you!” So after that, they did not come on Sabbath days.
No ngĩmakaania ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũraare rũthingo-inĩ? Mũngĩĩka ũguo rĩngĩ nĩndĩmũnyiitithia.” Kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo matiacookire gũũka mũthenya wa Thabatũ.
22 I also commanded the descendants of Levi to [perform the ritual to] purify themselves and to guard the city gates, to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy [by not allowing merchants to enter it on Sabbath days]. My God, do not forget this also that I [have done for you]! And because of your faithfully loving me, allow me to continue to live [many more years]!
Ningĩ ngĩatha Alawii meetherie macooke mathiĩ makarangĩre ihingo nĩgeetha maige mũthenya wa Thabatũ ũrĩ mũtheru. Ndirikana, Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩ ũndũ wa ũndũ ũyũ o naguo, na ũnjiguĩre tha kũringana na wendo waku mũnene.
23 During that time, I also found out that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod [city], and from [the] Ammon and Moab [people-groups].
Na rĩrĩ, matukũ-inĩ macio nĩndonire arũme a Juda arĩa maahikĩtie andũ-a-nja a kuuma Ashidodi, na Amoni, na Moabi.
24 The result was that half of their children spoke the language that people in Ashdod speak or some other language, and they didn’t know how to speak our language.
Nuthu ya ciana ciao ciaaragia rũthiomi rwa Ashidodi kana thiomi cia ndũrĩrĩ icio ingĩ, no matiooĩ kwaria rũthiomi rwa Juda.
25 So I rebuked those men, and I [asked God to] curse them, and I beat them and pulled out [some of] their hair. Then I forced them to solemnly promise, knowing that God [MTY] was [listening], that they would never again marry foreigners, and never allow their children to marry foreigners.
Ngĩmarũithia na ngĩmetĩria kĩrumi. Nĩndahũũrire arũme amwe ao na ngĩmamunya njuĩrĩ. Ngĩtũma mehĩte mwĩhĩtwa makĩgwetaga rĩĩtwa rĩa Ngai, ngĩmeera atĩrĩ: “Menyai gũkaaneana airĩtu anyu mahikio nĩ ariũ ao, kana aanake anyu inyuĩ ene mahikie airĩtu ao.
26 [I said to them], “Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned [RHQ] as a result of [marrying] foreign women. He was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him, and caused him to become the king of all the Israeli people, but his foreign wives caused even him to sin.
Githĩ ti ihikanio ta icio ciatũmire Solomoni mũthamaki wa Isiraeli eehie? Ndũrĩrĩ-inĩ nyingĩ gũtiarĩ mũthamaki ũngĩ watariĩ take. Ngai wake nĩamwendete, akĩmũtua mũthamaki Isiraeli guothe; no-o na kũrĩ ũguo-rĩ, nĩatoonyirio mehia-inĩ nĩ andũ-a-nja a kũngĩ.
27 [Do you think that] we should do what you have done, and disobey our God by marrying foreign women [who worship idols]? [RHQ]”
Ithuĩ-rĩ, no nginya tũigue atĩ o na inyuĩ mũreka waganu ũyũ wothe mũũru ũũ, mũkaaga kwĩhokeka kũrĩ Ngai witũ na ũndũ wa kũhikia andũ-a-nja a kũngĩ?”
28 One of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the Supreme Priest, had married the daughter of [our enemy] Sanballat, from Beth-Horon [town]. So I forced Jehoiada’s son to leave Jerusalem.
Mũriũ ũmwe wa Joiada mũrũ wa Eliashibu mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene aarĩ mũthoni-we wa Sanibalati ũrĩa Mũhoroni. Nĩndamũingatire oime harĩ niĩ.
29 My God, do not forget that those people [who have married foreign women] have caused it to be a shame/disgrace to be a priest, and have caused people to despise the agreement that you made with the priests and with the [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests])!
Maririkane, Wee Ngai wakwa, tondũ nĩmathaahirie wĩra wa ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, o na magĩthaahia kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa wĩra wa athĩnjĩri-Ngai na kĩa Alawii.
30 I did all that to make sure that there were no more foreign people among the [Israeli] people [who would encourage them to worship idols]. I also established regulations for the priests and [other] descendants of Levi, in order that they would know what work they should do.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ngĩtheria athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii kuuma kũrĩ ũndũ o wothe mũgeni, ngĩcooka ngĩmagaĩra o mũndũ wĩra wake kĩũmbe.
31 I also arranged for people to bring the firewood [that was needed to burn on the altar, as Moses had declared] that we should [do]. I also arranged for the people to bring the first part of what they harvested [each year]. My God, do not forget [that] I [have done all these things], and bless me [for doing them]!
Ningĩ nĩndathondekire mweke wa kũhothaga ngũ na maciaro ma mbere mahinda marĩa maatuĩtwo. Wee Ngai wakwa, ndirikana na ũnjĩke wega.
