Nehemiah 13
1 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;
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,
2 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.
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).
3 Sotheli it was doon, whanne `thei hadden herd the lawe, thei departiden ech alien fro Israel.
As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
4 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.
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
5 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.
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.
6 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.
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
7 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.
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.
8 And Y castide forth the vessels of the hows of Tobie out of the tresorie;
And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
9 and Y comaundide, and thei clensiden the tresories; and Y brouyte ayen there the vessels of Goddis hous, sacrifice, and encence.
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.
10 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;
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.
11 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.
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,
12 And al Juda brouyte the tithe of wheete, of wiyn, and of oile, in to bernes.
and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
13 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.
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.
14 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.
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.
15 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.
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.
16 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.
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.
17 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?
Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
18 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.
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!”
19 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.
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.
20 And marchauntis, and men sillinge alle thingis set to sale dwelliden with out Jerusalem onys and twies.
Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
21 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.
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.
22 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.
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.
23 But also in tho daies Y siy Jewys weddinge wyues, wymmen of Azotus, and wymmen of Amonytis, and wymmen of Moabitis.
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 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.
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
25 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;
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!
26 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.
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.
27 Whether also we vnobedient schulden do al this grete yuel, that we trespasse ayens `oure Lord God, and wedde alien wyues?
Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 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.
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.
29 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,
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 ech man in his seruice, and in the offring,
Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
31 that is, dressing, of trees in tymes ordeyned, and in the firste fruytis. My God, haue mynde of me in to good.
I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
