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;

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the congregation of God for ever:

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 Baalam against them, that he should curse them: but 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 it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

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, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] allied 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 prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded [to be given] to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings 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] I was not at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and after certain days I obtained leave 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 I came to Jerusalem, and understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, in preparing for him a chamber 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 it grieved me greatly: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff 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.

Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither I brought again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat-offering and the 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;

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given [them]: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, had fled every one to his field.

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 I contended with the rulers, and said, 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 all Judah brought the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries.

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 over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them [was] Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah: for they were accounted faithful; and their office [was] to distribute to 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, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its offices.

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 in Judah [some] treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified [against them] in the day in which they sold provisions.

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 Tyre also therein, who brought fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the sabbath to the children of Judah, and 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 contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, What evil thing [is] this that ye do, and profane 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 did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon 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.

And it came to pass, that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set [some] of my servants at the gates, [that] there should 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 merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

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.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do [so] again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came 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 commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and [that] they should come [and] keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, [concerning] this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy 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 days also I saw Jews [that] had married wives 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 spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language, but according to the language of each 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;

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to 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 Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause to sin.

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

Shall we then hearken to you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying foreign wives?

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 sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, [was] son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore 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, 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 cleansed them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;

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 wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.