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.
One day when the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the section was found where it was written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed into the assembly of God,
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 hadn't brought food and water when they met the Israelites, but instead they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them—though our God turned that curse into a blessing!
3 Mgbe a gụpụtara iwu a, ndị Izrel chụpụrụ ndị mba ọzọ niile nọ nʼọgbakọ ha.
When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.
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,
Before all this, Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the Temple of our God.
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.
He had provided Tobiah with a large room which had previously been used to store the grain offerings, incense, and Temple items, as well as the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil allocated to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, in addition to the offerings for 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
When all this happened I was not in Jerusalem because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I requested permission from the king to go back.
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.
When I arrived back in Jerusalem I discovered the dreadful thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courtyard of God's Temple.
8 Iwe were m nke ukwuu, nke mere na m sitere nʼọnụụlọ ahụ tụpụsịa ngwongwo Tobaya niile nʼezi.
I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.
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.
I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.
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.
I also found out that the food allowances for the Levites were not being provided, so the Levites had gone back to take care of their fields, along with the singers who led the worship services.
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.
I went and confronted the leaders, asking, “Why is God's Temple being neglected?” I called the Levites back and made sure they were carrying out their responsibilities.
12 Ndị Juda niile bidokwara iweta ụtụ ha, na onyinye ọka, na mmanya vaịnị na mmanụ oliv ha nʼụlọ ịchịkọba ihe dị nʼụlọnsọ.
Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.
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.
I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms with Hanan, son of Zakkur, son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered honest people. Their responsibility was to distribute the allowances to their fellow Levites.
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.
My God, please remember me over this. Please don't forget my good deeds I have done for the Temple of my God and its services.
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.
Around that time I noticed people treading the winepress on Sabbath. I saw others collecting grain and loading it up on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing it all 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.
I told them off for selling their produce on that day.
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?
Some people from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of things and they were selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
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?”
I confronted the Jewish leaders, asking them, “Why are you are doing such an evil thing? You are violating the Sabbath day! Wasn't this what your forefathers did, bringing our God down on us, causing us and this city such disasters? Now you're bringing even more trouble on us by violating 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.
So I ordered Jerusalem's gates to be shut at sunset on the day before the Sabbath, and that were not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. I assigned some of my men to guard the gates to make sure no goods would be brought in 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.
A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.
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.
I warned them, saying, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again I'll have you arrested!” After that they didn't come 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.
Then I told the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. My God, please also remember me for doing this, and be merciful to me because of your trustworthy love.
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,
Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.
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.
Half their children could only speak the language of Ashdod or that of another people, and didn't know how to speak the language of Judah.
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.
So I confronted them and told them they were cursed. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God, saying, “You must not allow your daughters to marry their sons, or allow your sons—or yourselves— to marry their daughters.
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.
Wasn't it marriages like these that made King Solomon of Israel sin? There wasn't a king in any nation like him. God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was made to sin by foreign women.
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 do we have to hear about you committing this dreadful sin, how you are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”
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.
Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I expelled him.
29 Cheta ha, Chineke m, nʼihi na ha merụrụ ọrụ nchụaja, na ọgbụgba ndụ ọrụ nchụaja, na nke ndị Livayị.
My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and 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.
I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
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.
I also arranged for wood to be supplied for the altar at the specified times, and for the first part of the produce to be donated. My God, remember me favorably.
