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;

And on that day did they reade in the booke of Moses, in the audience of the people, and it was found written therein, that the Ammonite, and the Moabite should not enter into the Congregation 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 met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: and our God turned the curse into a blessing.

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

Now when they had heard the Lawe, they separated from Israel all those that were mixed.

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.

And before this had the Priest Eliashib the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, being kinsman to Tobiah:

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 he had made him a great chamber and there had they aforetime layde the offringes, the incense, and the vessels, and the tithes of corne, of wine, and of oyle (appointed for the Leuites, and the singers, and the porters) and the offringes of 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.

But in all this time was not I in Ierusalem: for in the two and thirtieth yere of Artahshashte King of Babel, came I vnto the King, and after certaine dayes I obteined of 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.

And when I was come to Ierusalem, I vnderstood the euil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in that hee had made him a chamber in the court of the house of God,

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

And it grieued me sore: therefore I cast forth all the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber.

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

And I commanded them to clense ye chambers: and thither brought I againe the vessels of the house of God with the meate offring and the incense.

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;

And I perceiued that the portions of the Leuites had not bene giuen, and that euery one was fled to his lande, euen the Leuites and singers that executed the worke.

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.

Then reproued I the rulers and sayd, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I assembled them, and set them in their place.

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

Then brought all Iudah the tithes of corne and of wine, and of oyle vnto the treasures.

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.

And I made treasurers ouer the treasures, Shelemiah the Priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Leuites, Pedaiah, and vnder their hande Hanan the sonne of Zaccur the sonne of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithfull, and their office was to distribute vnto their brethren.

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, O my God, herein, and wipe not out my kindenes that I haue shewed on the house of my God, and on the offices thereof.

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 dayes saw I in Iudah them, that trode wine presses on ye Sabbath, and that brought in sheaues, and which laded asses also with wine, grapes, and figges, and all burdens, and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the Sabbath day: and I protested to them in the day that they sold vitailes.

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.

There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein, which brought fish and all wares, and solde on the Sabbath vnto the children of Iudah euen in Ierusalem.

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 reprooued I the rulers of Iudah, and sayd vnto them, What euil thing is this that yee doe, and breake 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 fathers thus, and our God brought all this plague vpon vs, and vpon this citie? yet yee increase the wrath vpon Israel, in breaking 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.

And when the gates of Ierusalem beganne to be darke before the Sabbath, I commaded to shut the gates, and charged, that they should not be opened til after the Sabbath, and some of my seruants set I at the gates, that there shoulde no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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

So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem.

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.

And I protested among them, and said vnto them, Why tary ye all night about the wall? If ye do it once againe, I will lay hands vpon you. from that time came they no more 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.

And I sayde vnto the Leuites, that they should clense themselues, and that they shoulde come and keepe the gates, to sanctifie the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and pardon me according to thy great mercy.

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

In those dayes also I saw Iewes that married wiues of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of 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.

And their children spake halfe in ye speach of Ashdod, and could not speake in the Iewes language, and according to the language of the one people, and of the other people.

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;

Then I reprooued them, and cursed them, and smote certaine of them, and pulled off their heare, and tooke an othe of them by God, Yee shall not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes, neither shall ye take of their daughters vnto your sonnes, nor for your selues.

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 Salomon the king of Israel sinne by these thinges? yet among many nations was there no King like him: for he was beloued of his God, and God had made him King ouer Israel: yet strange women caused him to sinne.

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

Shall wee then obey vnto you, to doe all this great euil, and to transgresse against our God, euen to marry strange wiues?

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.

And one of the sonnes of Ioiada the sonne of Eliashib the hie Priest was the sonne in law of Sanballat the Horonite: but I chased him 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, that defile the Priesthoode, and the couenant of the Priesthoode, and of the Leuites.

30 ech man in his seruice, and in the offring,

Then cleansed I them from all strangers, and appoynted the wardes of the Priestes and of the Leuites, euery one in his office,

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

And for the offring of the wood at times appoynted, and for the first fruites. Remember me, O my God, in goodnes.