Nehemia 13
1 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,
In that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people; and it was found written in it, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not enter into the congregation of God for ever;
2 tondũ matiigana kũhe andũ a Isiraeli irio na maaĩ; no-o nĩ kũrĩha maarĩhire Balamu amarume. (No rĩrĩ, Ngai witũ akĩgarũra kĩrumi gĩgĩtuĩka kĩrathimo.)
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Rĩrĩa andũ maaiguire watho ũcio, makĩeheria andũ othe arĩa maarĩ ageni kuuma Isiraeli.
And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, [even] every alien in Israel.
4 Mbere ĩyo, Eliashibu ũrĩa mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai nĩakoretwo atuĩtwo mũrũgamĩrĩri wa makũmbĩ ma nyũmba ya Ngai witũ. Aarĩ wa thiritũ ya hakuhĩ na Tobia,
And before this time Eliasib the priest dwelt in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;
5 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.
and he made himself a great treasury, and there they were formerly in the habit of bestowing the offerings, and the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, the ordered portion of the Levites, and singers, and porters; and the first-fruits of the priests.
6 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,
But in all this [time] I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king;
7 ngĩcooka Jerusalemu. Ndacooka Jerusalemu nĩguo ndaamenyire ũũru ũrĩa Eliashibu eekĩte nĩ ũndũ wa kũhe Tobia kanyũmba nja ya nyũmba ya Ngai.
and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliasib had done in the case of Tobias, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God.
8 Nĩndarakaririo nĩ ũhoro ũcio mũno na ngĩikia indo ciothe cia Tobia nja.
And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.
9 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.
And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored thither the vessels of the house of God, [and] the offerings, and the frankincense.
10 Ningĩ nĩndamenyire atĩ Alawii matiaheagwo gĩcunjĩ kĩrĩa kĩerĩtwo maaheagwo, na Alawii othe hamwe na aini arĩa maatungataga nĩmatiganĩirie ũtungata, magacooka mĩgũnda-inĩ yao.
And I understood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites and the singers doing the work.
11 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio ngĩrũithia anene acio, ngĩmooria atĩrĩ: “Nyũmba ya Ngai ĩtiganĩirio nĩkĩ?” Ningĩ ngĩmeeta othe hamwe, ngĩmacookia o mũndũ wĩra-inĩ wake.
And I strove with the commanders, and said, Wherefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.
12 Andũ othe a Juda nĩmarehire gĩcunjĩ gĩa ikũmi kĩa ngano, na ndibei ya mũhihano, o na maguta makũmbĩ-inĩ.
And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,
13 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.
to the charge of Selemia the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and Phadaea of the Levites: and next to them [was] Anan the son of Zacchur, son of Matthanias; for they were accounted faithful: [it was] their office to distribute to their brethren.
14 Ndirikana, Wee Ngai wakwa, nĩ ũndũ wa maũndũ maya, na ndũgatharie wĩra na ũtungata ũrĩa ndungatĩte nyũmba-inĩ ya Ngai wakwa ndĩ mwĩhokeku.
Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my kindness be forgotten which I have wrought in [regard to] the house of the Lord God.
15 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.
In those days I saw in Juda [men] treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and loading asses with both wine, and grapes, and figs, and every [kind of] burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day:
16 Andũ a Turo arĩa maatũũraga Jerusalemu nĩmarehaga thamaki na indo cia mĩthemba yothe, na magaciendagĩria andũ a Juda mũthenya wa Thabatũ kũu Jerusalemu.
and I testified in the day of their sale. Also their dwelt in it [men] bringing fish, and selling every [kind of] merchandise to the children of Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath.
17 Ngĩrũithia andũ arĩa maarĩ igweta a Juda, ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ ũndũ ũrĩkũ ũyũ mũreka wa waganu wa gũthaahia mũthenya wa Thabatũ?
And I strove with the free children of Juda, and said to them, What [is] this evil thing which ye do, and profane the sabbath-day?
18 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.”
Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do ye bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath?
19 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.
And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Jerusalem, before the sabbath, that I spoke, and they shut the gates; and I gave orders that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set [some] of my servants at the gates, that none should bring [in] burdens on the sabbath-day.
20 Rĩmwe kana meerĩ, onjorithia na endia a indo cia mĩthemba yothe maraarire nja ya Jerusalemu.
So all [the merchants] lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 No ngĩmakaania ngĩmooria atĩrĩ, “Nĩ kĩĩ gĩgũtũma mũraare rũthingo-inĩ? Mũngĩĩka ũguo rĩngĩ nĩndĩmũnyiitithia.” Kuuma hĩndĩ ĩyo matiacookire gũũka mũthenya wa Thabatũ.
Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye lodge in front of the wall? if ye do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the sabbath.
22 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.
and I told the Levites who were purifying themselves, and came and kept the gates, that they should sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of thy mercy.
23 Na rĩrĩ, matukũ-inĩ macio nĩndonire arũme a Juda arĩa maahikĩtie andũ-a-nja a kuuma Ashidodi, na Amoni, na Moabi.
And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:
24 Nuthu ya ciana ciao ciaaragia rũthiomi rwa Ashidodi kana thiomi cia ndũrĩrĩ icio ingĩ, no matiooĩ kwaria rũthiomi rwa Juda.
and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.
25 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.
And I strove with them and cursed them; and I smote some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying, ]Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, and ye shall not take of their daughters to your sons.
26 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.
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.
27 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?”
So we will not hearken to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God, —to marry strange wives.
28 Mũriũ ũmwe wa Joiada mũrũ wa Eliashibu mũthĩnjĩri-Ngai ũrĩa mũnene aarĩ mũthoni-we wa Sanibalati ũrĩa Mũhoroni. Nĩndamũingatire oime harĩ niĩ.
and Elisub the high priest, [one] of the sons of Joada, [being] son-in-law of Sanaballat the Uranite, I chased him away from me.
29 Maririkane, Wee Ngai wakwa, tondũ nĩmathaahirie wĩra wa ũthĩnjĩri-Ngai, o na magĩthaahia kĩrĩkanĩro kĩa wĩra wa athĩnjĩri-Ngai na kĩa Alawii.
Remember them, O God, for their [false] connection with the priesthood, and [the breaking] the covenant of the priesthood, and [for defiling] the Levites.
30 Nĩ ũndũ ũcio, ngĩtheria athĩnjĩri-Ngai na Alawii kuuma kũrĩ ũndũ o wothe mũgeni, ngĩcooka ngĩmagaĩra o mũndũ wĩra wake kĩũmbe.
So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, [every] man according to his work.
31 Ningĩ nĩndathondekire mweke wa kũhothaga ngũ na maciaro ma mbere mahinda marĩa maatuĩtwo. Wee Ngai wakwa, ndirikana na ũnjĩke wega.
And the offering of the wood-bearers [was] at certain set times, and in the [times of the] first-fruits. Remember me, O our God, for good.
