Nehemiah 13
1 On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God, forever.
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 This was because they had not come to the people of Israel with bread and with water, but they had hired Balaam to curse Israel. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
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 As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.
Rĩrĩa andũ maaiguire watho ũcio, makĩeheria andũ othe arĩa maarĩ ageni kuuma Isiraeli.
4 Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to 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 Eliashib prepared for Tobiah a large storeroom, where previously they kept the grain offering, the incense, the articles, and the tithes of the grain, new wine, and the oil, which were designated for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.
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 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,
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 and I returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom in the courts of the house of God.
ngĩcooka Jerusalemu. Ndacooka Jerusalemu nĩguo ndaamenyire ũũru ũrĩa Eliashibu eekĩte nĩ ũndũ wa kũhe Tobia kanyũmba nja ya nyũmba ya Ngai.
8 I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.
Nĩndarakaririo nĩ ũhoro ũcio mũno na ngĩikia indo ciothe cia Tobia nja.
9 I ordered that they purify the storerooms, and I put back in them the articles of the house of God, the grain offerings, and the incense.
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 learned that the Levites' portions had not been given to them, and they had run away, each to his own field, the Levites and the singers who did the work.
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 confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.
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 Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.
Andũ othe a Juda nĩmarehire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, o na maguta makũmbĩ-inĩ.
13 I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and from the Levites, Pedaiah. Next to them was Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were counted as trustworthy. Their duties were to distribute the supplies to their associates.
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 Call me to mind, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and its services.
Ndirikana, Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya, na ndũgatharie wĩra na ũtungata ũrĩa ndungatĩte nyũmba-inĩ ya Ngai wakwa ndĩ mwĩhokeku.
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of heavy loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I protested that they were selling food on that day.
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 Men from Tyre living in Jerusalem brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in the city!
Andũ a Turo arĩa maatũũraga Jerusalemu nĩmarehaga thamaki na indo cia mĩthemba yothe, na magaciendagĩria andũ a Juda mũthenya wa Thabatũ kũu Jerusalemu.
17 Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
Ngĩrũithia andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a Juda, ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ũyũ mũreka wa waganu wa gũthaahia mũthenya wa Thabatũ?
18 Did not your fathers do this? Did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
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 As soon as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so no load could be brought in on the Sabbath 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 The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.
Rĩmwe kana meerĩ, onjorithia na endia a indo cia mĩthemba yothe maraarire nja ya Jerusalemu.
21 But I warned them, “Why do you camp outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.
No ngĩmakaania ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũraare rũthingo-inĩ? Mũngĩĩka ũguo rĩngĩ nĩndĩmũnyiitithia.” Kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo matiacookire gũũka mũthenya wa Thabatũ.
22 Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Call me to mind for this also, my God, and have mercy on me because of the covenant loyalty you have toward me.
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 In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Na rĩrĩ, matukũ-inĩ macio nĩndonire arũme a Juda arĩa maahikĩtie andũ-a-nja a kuuma Ashidodi, na Amoni, na Moabi.
24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. None of them could speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one of the other peoples.
Nuthu ya ciana ciao ciaaragia rũthiomi rwa Ashidodi kana thiomi cia ndũrĩrĩ icio ingĩ, no matiooĩ kwaria rũthiomi rwa Juda.
25 I confronted them, and I cursed them, and I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
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 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of these women? Among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, his foreign wives caused 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 Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
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 Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.
Mũriũ ũmwe wa Joiada mũrũ wa Eliashibu mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene aarĩ mũthoni-we wa Sanibalati ũrĩa Mũhoroni. Nĩndamũingatire oime harĩ niĩ.
29 Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
Maririkane, Wee Ngai wakwa, tondũ nĩmathaahirie wĩra wa ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, o na magĩthaahia kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa wĩra wa athĩnjĩri-Ngai na kĩa Alawii.
30 Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.
Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ngĩtheria athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii kuuma kũrĩ ũndũ o wothe mũgeni, ngĩcooka ngĩmagaĩra o mũndũ wĩra wake kĩũmbe.
31 I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.
Ningĩ nĩndathondekire mweke wa kũhothaga ngũ na maciaro ma mbere mahinda marĩa maatuĩtwo. Wee Ngai wakwa, ndirikana na ũnjĩke wega.
