Nehemaya 13

1 Nʼụbọchị ahụ, a gụpụtara okwu Chineke na ntị ndị Izrel site nʼakwụkwọ iwu Mosis. Mgbe a na-agụpụta ya, a chọpụtara na o megidere iwu na onye Amọn, maọbụ onye Moab, ga-eso nʼofufe ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke.

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 Nʼihi na ha bụ ndị iro ụmụ Izrel. Ha enyeghị ha ihe oriri na ihe ọṅụṅụ kama ha zụrụ Belam ka ọ bụọ ụmụ Izrel ọnụ. (Ma Chineke anyị gbanwere ịbụ ọnụ ahụ mee ka ọ ghọọ ngọzị.)

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 Mgbe a gụpụtara iwu a, ndị Izrel chụpụrụ ndị mba ọzọ niile nọ nʼọgbakọ ha.

And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, [even] every alien in Israel.

4 Ma tupu ihe ndị a niile emee, Eliashib onye bụ onye nchụaja, onye e doro nʼisi ilekọta ime ụlọ a na-achịkọba ihe nʼụlọ Chineke anyị, ya na Tobaya nwee ezi mmekọrịta,

And before this time Eliasib the priest lived in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;

5 o weere otu ọnụụlọ buru ibu a na-achịkọba ihe nye ya. Na mbụ, ọ bụ ọnụụlọ ebe a na-achịkọta onyinye ọka na ụda na-esi isi ụtọ, na ngwongwo ụlọnsọ, na efere mmanya ọhụrụ, na mmanụ oliv. Mosis enyelarị ya nʼiwu na ọ bụ ndị Livayị na ndị ọbụ abụ na ndị nche nwe onyinye ndị ahụ. Ndị nchụaja nwekwa oke nʼihe ndị a.

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 Mgbe ihe ndị a na-eme, anọghị m na Jerusalem, nʼihi na nʼiri afọ atọ na abụọ nke ọchịchị Ataksekses, eze Babilọn, a lọghachikwutere m eze. Ma e mesịrị m nata ya ike

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 laghachikwa na Jerusalem. Nʼebe a ka m nọ mata banyere ihe ọjọọ ahụ Eliashib mere, inye Tobaya otu ọnụụlọ nke dị nʼogige ụlọ Chineke ka ọ bụrụ ebe izuike ya.

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 Iwe were m nke ukwuu, nke mere na m sitere nʼọnụụlọ ahụ tụpụsịa ngwongwo Tobaya niile nʼezi.

And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.

9 Enyere m iwu ka e doo ọnụụlọ ndị ahụ niile ọcha, a chighachikwara m ngwongwo ụlọ Chineke niile nʼime ha, ha na onyinye mkpụrụ ọka, na ụda na-esi isi ụtọ ndị ahụ.

And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored there the vessels of the house of God, [and] the offerings, and the frankincense.

10 A chọpụtakwara m na-enyebeghị ndị Livayị oke ihe ruru ha, nke mere na ndị ọbụ abụ, na ndị nche ndị ọ bụ ọrụ ha i doo ofufe, alaghachila nʼubi ha dị iche iche.

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 Nʼihi ya, abaara m ha mba jụọ ha si: “Gịnị mere unu jiri gbakụta ụlọnsọ ukwu Chineke azụ?” Mgbe ahụ akpọghachiri m ndị Livayị nyekwa ha ọrụ ha nʼụlọnsọ.

And I strove with the commanders, and said, Therefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.

12 Ndị Juda niile bidokwara iweta ụtụ ha, na onyinye ọka, na mmanya vaịnị na mmanụ oliv ha nʼụlọ ịchịkọba ihe dị nʼụlọnsọ.

And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,

13 E tinyere m Shelemaya onye nchụaja, na Zadọk ode akwụkwọ, na Pedaia onye Livayị, ka ha bụrụ ndị na-elekọta ụlọ ịchịkọba ihe niile ahụ. Emekwara m Hanan nwa Zakua, nwa Matanaya, onye ga na-enyere ha aka, nʼihi na a gụrụ ha dịka ndị kwesiri ntụkwasị obi. Ọrụ ha bụ ikere ndị Livayị ibe ha niile oke.

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 Chineke m, biko cheta m nʼihi nke a, ehichapụkwala ihe niile m ji obi m niile rụọ nʼụlọnsọ gị na ije ozi niile ya.

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 Nʼụbọchị ndị ahụ, ka m hụrụ na Juda ndị na-azọcha mmanya vaịnị nʼụbọchị izuike, ndị ji ịnyịnya ibu na-ebubata ogbe ọka, na-ebokwasị ha nʼelu ịnyịnya ibu, tinyekwara mmanya, na mkpụrụ vaịnị na fiig, na ibu niile ọbụla. Ha na-ebubatakwa ha nʼime Jerusalem nʼụbọchị izuike. Nke a mere m ji dọọ ha aka na ntị megide ire nri nʼụbọchị ahụ.

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 Ndị si obodo Taịa, bụ ndị birila na Jerusalem nọ na-ebubata azụ na ngwa ahịa ndị ọzọ dị iche iche, na-ere ha na Juda, nakwa na Jerusalem nʼụbọchị izuike.

and I testified in the day of their sale. Also their lived in it [men] bringing fish, and selling every [kind of] merchandise to the children of Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath.

17 A baara m ndị a na-asọpụrụ na Juda mba, si ha, “Gịnị bụ ihe ọjọọ nke a unu na-eme, na-emerụ ụbọchị izuike?

And I strove with the free children of Juda, and said to them, What [is] this evil thing which you do, and profane the sabbath-day?

18 Ọ bụghị otu ihe a ka nna nna unu ha mere, nke mere na Chineke wetara ọdachi a tụkwasị anyị nakwa obodo a? Ugbu a, unu na-akpali ọnụma tụkwasị na nke dị megide Izrel site nʼimerụ ụbọchị izuike?”

Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do you bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath?

19 Nʼihi nke a, enyere m iwu na a ga-emechi ọnụ ụzọ ama Jerusalem nʼuhuruchi tupu ụbọchị izuike, ruo mgbe ụbọchị izuike gafesịrị. Emere m ka ụfọdụ ndị ohu m na-anọ na nche nʼebe ahụ, ịhụ na ọ dịghị onye ahịa ọbụla ga-abata nʼime obodo Jerusalem nʼụbọchị izuike.

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 Ya mere, ndị na-azụ ahịa na ndị na-ere ụdị ngwa ahịa dị iche iche, na-anọ ọnọdụ abalị nʼazụ Jerusalem, otu gboro maọbụ ugboro abụọ.

So all [the merchants] lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Ma a dọrọ ha aka na ntị, sị, “Gịnị ka unu ji na-anọ ọnọdụ abalị nʼakụkụ mgbidi a? Ọ bụrụ na unu eme ya ọzọ, aga m enye iwu ka e jide unu.” Site nʼụbọchị ahụ gaa nʼihu, ha abịakwaghị ọzọ nʼụbọchị izuike.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you lodge in front of the wall? if you do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the sabbath.

22 Mgbe ahụ, enyere m ndị Livayị iwu ka ha doo onwe ha ọcha, nọọkwa na nche nʼọnụ ụzọ ama, ịhụ na onye ọbụla doro ụbọchị izuike nsọ. Chineke m, biko, cheta m nʼihi ihe ọma ndị a niile, nwee amara nʼebe m nọ, dịka ịba ụba nke obi ebere gị si dị.

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 your mercy.

23 Ọzọ, nʼụbọchị ndị ahụ a hụrụ m ndị ikom Juda ndị lụtara ndị inyom site nʼetiti ndị Ashdọd, na ndị Amọn, na ndị Moab,

And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:

24 chọpụtakwa na ọkara nʼetiti ụmụ ha na-asụ naanị asụsụ ndị Ashdọd, maọbụ otu asụsụ nke ndị mba ọzọ, ma ha amaghị asụsụ Juda ma ọlị.

and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.

25 Ya mere, abaara m ha mba, bụkwaa ha ọnụ. Ụfọdụ ha ka m tiri ihe, dọọkwa ha nʼagịrị isi. Emesịa, emere m ka ha ṅụọ iyi nʼaha Chineke si: “Unu agaghị ekwekwa ka ụmụ ndị ikom na ndị inyom unu lụọ ndị mba ọzọ ma unu onwe unu agakwaghị alụtara ụmụ unu, maọbụ onwe unu, ndị inyom ndị mba ọzọ.

And I strove with them and cursed them; and I struck some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying, ]You shall not give your daughters to their sons, and you shall not take of their daughters to your sons.

26 Ọ bụghị ọlụlụ di na nwunye dị otu a wetara ọdịda Solomọn? O nweghị eze ọzọ dị na mba ọbụla a pụrụ iji tụnyere Solomọn, nʼihi na Chineke ya hụrụ ya nʼanya mee ya eze ndị Izrel niile. Ma ọ bụ ndị nwunye mba ọzọ ọ lụrụ dubara ya na mmehie ikpere arụsị.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him amongst many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.

27 Ugbu a, ọ bụ ka anyị gere na ntị na unu onwe unu na-emekwa ajọ ihe dị otu a, na unu ekwesighị ntụkwasị obi nye Chineke anyị, site nʼịlụ ndị inyom ndị mba ọzọ?”

So we will not listen to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God, —to marry strange wives.

28 Ya mere, esitere m nʼebe m nọ chụpụ otu nʼime ụmụ ndị ikom Joiada, nwa Eliashib, onyeisi nchụaja, onye bụ ọgọ Sanbalat onye Hor.

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 Cheta ha, Chineke m, nʼihi na ha merụrụ ọrụ nchụaja, na ọgbụgba ndụ ọrụ nchụaja, na nke ndị Livayị.

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 Ya mere, e doro m ndị nchụaja, na ndị Livayị ọcha, wezugakwa ihe ọbụla nke na-ekwesighị nʼebe ha nọ. E kenyere m ha ọrụ, onye ọbụla nʼije ozi ya.

So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, [every] man according to his work.

31 Emekwara m ka a na-ebubata nkụ nke ebe ịchụ aja nʼoge kwesiri, meekwa ka a na-ewebata onyinye mkpụrụ mbụ niile nʼoge ha. Cheta m Chineke, gosi m ihuọma gị.

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.