< Neemi 13 >
1 Yon jou, pandan yo t'ap li nan liv lalwa Moyiz la pou pèp la, yo rive yon kote ki di: Moun Amon yo ak moun Moab yo pa janm gen dwa mete pwent pye yo kote pèp Bondye a sanble.
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.
2 Paske moun Amon ak moun Moab yo te refize bay moun pèp Izrayèl yo pen ak dlo lè yo t'ap soti kite peyi Lejip la. Okontrè, yo bay Balaram lajan pou l' te ka madichonnen yo. Men, Bondye fè tou, li vire madichon an, li fè l' tounen benediksyon.
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.
3 Lè moun pèp Izrayèl yo tande sa yo te li nan liv lalwa a, yo pran tout moun lòt nasyon ki t'ap viv nan mitan yo, yo mete yo deyò.
As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.
4 Anvan tout bagay sa yo, se Elyachib, yonn nan prèt yo, yo te mete reskonsab chanm depo magazen tanp lan. Li te fanmi prèt Tobija.
Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to Tobiah.
5 Se konsa li pran yonn nan gwo chanm depo kote yo te konn mete ofrann yo, lansan an, veso ki sèvi nan tanp lan, ofrann ladim sou ble a, sou diven nivo a ak sou lwil, ofrann yo te fè pou moun Levi yo, pou mizisyen yo ak pou gad pòtay yo, ansanm ak pòsyon yo mete apa pou prèt yo, li fè ranje chanm lan pou Tobija.
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.
6 Pandan tout bagay sa yo t'ap pase, mwen pa t' lavil Jerizalèm paske, lè wa Atagzèsès te rive sou tranndezan depi l' t'ap gouvènen, nou te fè yon vwayaj al bò kote l'. Kèk tan apre sa, li ban m' otorizasyon ankò,
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,
7 epi m' tounen lavil Jerizalèm. Se lè sa a mwen vin konnen move bagay Elyachib te fè a, lè li te pran yon chanm nan lakou tanp Bondye a pou l' te bay Tobija rete.
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.
8 Mwen te fache anpil poutèt sa. Mwen pran tout mèb ki te lakay Tobija yo, mwen jete yo deyò nan lari.
I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.
9 Lèfini, mwen bay lòd pou yo fè sèvis pou mete chanm depo yo nan kondisyon pou fè sèvis Bondye, apre sa pou yo mete tout veso ki pou sèvis tanp lan, ansanm ak ofrann yo ak lansan an nan plas yo ankò.
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.
10 Mwen vin konnen tou pèp la pa t' bay sa pou yo te bay pou moun Levi yo, kifè moun Levi yo ak mizisyen yo te leve kite travay yo lavil Jerizalèm, yo tounen nan jaden yo.
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.
11 Mwen rale zòrèy chèf yo, mwen mande yo poukisa yo pa okipe tanp la ankò. Mwen voye chache moun Levi yo ak mizisyen yo, m' fè yo tounen nan tanp lan vin fè travay yo.
So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.
12 Lè sa a, tout moun pèp Izrayèl yo pote ofrann ladim ble, ladim diven ak ladim lwil vin mete nan depo a.
Then all Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.
13 Mwen chwazi twa moun: Chelemya, yon prèt, Zadòk, yon direktè lalwa, ak Pedaja, yon moun Levi, mwen mete yo reskonsab chanm depo yo. Mwen chwazi yon lòt moun, Anan, pitit gason Zakou, pitit pitit Matanya, pou ede yo nan travay la. Mwen konnen mesye sa yo te nèg serye. Se yo ki te reskonsab separe pwovizyon yo bay prèt ak moun Levi parèy yo.
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.
14 Se poutèt sa, O Bondye mwen, pa bliye m', tanpri! Pa bliye tout bagay sa yo mwen te fè pou tanp ou a ak pou regleman ou bay yo, paske mwen bay lavi m' nèt pou sèvi ou!
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.
15 Lè sa a tou, mwen wè kèk moun nan peyi Jida a ki t'ap fè ji rezen gwo jou repo a. Gen lòt menm ki t'ap chaje pakèt ble, diven, rezen, fig frans ak anpil lòt chay toujou sou bourik pou yo ale lavil Jerizalèm jou repo a. Mwen avèti yo pou yo pa vann jou sa a.
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.
16 Te gen kèk moun lavil Tir ki te rete lavil Jerizalèm pou fè kòmès. Yo te konn pote pwason ak tout lòt kalite machandiz pou yo te vann moun Jida yo jou repo a.
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!
17 Mwen rale zòrèy chèf peyi Jida yo, mwen di yo: -Ki kalite bagay lèd n'ap fè la a konsa! Gade jan n'ap derespekte jou repo Bondye a non!
Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Se sa menm zansèt nou yo te konn fè, kifè Bondye nou an te pini nou, li te kite tout malè sa yo tonbe sou nou ak sou lavil la. Koulye a n'ap fè Bondye pi fache toujou lè nou pa respekte jou repo li a!
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.”
19 Se konsa mwen bay lòd pou yo toujou fèmen tout batan pòtay lavil la pou tout jou repo a, depi lavèy lè solèy fin kouche, epi pou yo kite yo fèmen pou jouk nan denmen lè solèy la va kouche ankò. Mwen mete kèk moun pa m' menm ap veye bò pòtay yo pou ankenn chay pa antre nan lavil la jou repo a.
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.
20 Yonn ou de fwa, kèk machann k'ap fè trafik vann tout kalite machandiz te blije pase nwit lavèy jou repo a, deyò lòt bò pòtay lavil Jerizalèm.
The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Mwen avèti yo, mwen di yo: -Sa nou bezwen rete pase nwit lan deyò bò miray la fè? Si nou fè sa ankò, m'ap fè mete men sou nou. Depi lè sa a yo pa janm vini jou repo a ankò.
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.
22 Mwen bay moun Levi yo lòd pou yo fè sèvis pou mete tèt pa yo nan kondisyon pou fè sèvis Bondye, apre sa pou yo vin veye pòtay yo pou nou te ka fete jou repo a jan Bondye vle l' la. Poutèt sa tou, o Bondye mwen, pa bliye mwen! Pou jan ou gen bon kè, tanpri, pitye pou mwen!
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.
23 Se lè sa a tou, mwen vin wè te gen anpil jwif ki te marye ak fanm ki te moun peyi Asdòd, moun peyi Amon osinon moun peyi Moab.
In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 Mwatye nan timoun yo te pale lang peyi Asdòd la ase ou ankò yon lòt kalite lang. Yo pa t' konn pale lang nou an.
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.
25 Mwen rale zòrèy mesye yo, mwen mande pou madichon tonbe sou yo. Mwen fè bat anpil ladan yo, mwen fè rache cheve nan tèt yo. Mwen fè yo fè sèman devan Bondye pou yo pa janm pran pitit fi yo pou yo marye yo ak mesye lòt nasyon yo, ni tou pou yo pa janm pran fi nan mitan fi lòt nasyon yo pou madanm pa yo osinon pou madanm pitit gason yo.
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.
26 Mwen di yo: -Se peche sa a menm wa Salomon te fè! Atout pa t' gen tankou l' nan tout wa lòt nasyon yo, atout Bondye l' la te renmen l', atout se Bondye menm ki te mete l' wa sou tout pèp Izrayèl la, se madanm lòt nasyon yo ki te pran tèt li pou fè l' fè sa ki mal.
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.
27 Koulye a nou ta renmen tout moun vin konnen n'ap fè menm gwo peche sa a, n'ap trayi Bondye nou an, n'ap marye ak medam ki moun lòt nasyon?
Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 Jojada te pitit Elyachib, granprèt la. Yonn nan pitit gason l' yo te marye ak pitit fi Sanbalat, nèg lavil Bèt-Owon an. Mwen mete l' deyò pou m' pa janm wè l' devan je m' ankò.
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.
29 O Bondye mwen, pa janm bliye moun sa yo pou jan yo avili travay prèt yo ak kontra ou te siyen ak prèt yo ansanm ak moun Levi yo!
Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 Mwen te wete tout bagay ki pou moun lòt nasyon yo nan mitan pèp la pou yo te ka nan kondisyon pou sèvi Bondye. Mwen fè regleman pou prèt yo ak moun Levi yo. Konsa, chak moun te gen travay pa yo.
Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.
31 Mwen bay lè pou yo fè ofrann bwa yo ak ofrann premye grenn ak premye fwi ki mi nan jaden lè rekòt. O Bondye mwen, pa bliye m' tande! Pa bliye se mwen menm ki fè tou sa!
I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.