Nehemiæ 13
1 In die autem illo lectum est in volumine Moysi audiente populo: et inventum est scriptum in eo, quod non debeant introire Ammonites et Moabites in ecclesiam Dei usque in æternum:
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 eo quod non occurrerint filiis Israel cum pane et aqua: et conduxerint adversum eos Balaam, ad maledicendum eis: et convertit Deus noster maledictionem in benedictionem.
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 Factum est autem, cum audissent legem, separaverunt omnem alienigenam ab Israel.
And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, [even] every alien in Israel.
4 Et super hoc erat Eliasib sacerdos, qui fuerat præpositus in gazophylacio domus Dei nostri, et proximus Tobiæ.
And before this time Eliasib the priest dwelt in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;
5 Fecit ergo sibi gazophylacium grande, et ibi erant ante eum reponentes munera, et thus, et vasa, et decimam frumenti, vini, et olei, partes Levitarum, et cantorum, et ianitorum, et primitias sacerdotales.
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 In omnibus autem his non fui in Ierusalem, quia anno trigesimo secundo Artaxerxis regis Babylonis veni ad regem, et in fine dierum rogavi regem.
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 Et veni in Ierusalem, et intellexi malum, quod fecerat Eliasib Tobiæ ut faceret ei thesaurum in vestibulis domus Dei.
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 Et malum mihi visum est valde. Et proieci vasa domus Tobiæ foras de gazophylacio:
And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.
9 præcepique et emundaverunt gazophylacia: et retuli ibi vasa domus Dei, sacrificium, et thus.
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 Et cognovi quod partes Levitarum non fuissent datæ: et fugisset unusquisque in regionem suam de Levitis, et cantoribus, et de his, qui ministrabant:
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 et egi causam adversus magistratus, et dixi: Quare dereliquimus domum Dei? Et congregavi eos, et feci stare in stationibus suis.
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 Et omnis Iuda apportabat decimam frumenti, vini, et olei in horrea.
And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,
13 Et constituimus super horrea Selemiam Sacerdotem, et Sadoc scribam, et Phadaiam de Levitis, et iuxta eos Hanan filium Zachur, filium Mathaniæ: quoniam fideles comprobati sunt, et ipsis creditæ sunt partes fratrum suorum.
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 Memento mei Deus meus pro hoc, et ne deleas miserationes meas, quas feci in domo Dei mei, et in ceremoniis eius.
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 In diebus illis vidi in Iuda calcantes torcularia in Sabbato, portantes acervos, et onerantes super asinos vinum, et uvas, et ficus, et omne onus, et inferentes in Ierusalem die Sabbati. Et contestatus sum ut in die qua vendere liceret, venderent.
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 Et Tyrii habitaverunt in ea inferentes pisces, et omnia venalia: et vendebant in Sabbatis filiis Iuda in Ierusalem:
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 et obiurgavi optimates Iuda, et dixi eis: Quæ est hæc res mala, quam vos facitis et profanatis diem Sabbati?
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 Numquid non hæc fecerunt patres nostri, et adduxit Deus noster super nos omne malum hoc, et super civitatem hanc? Et vos additis iracundiam super Israel violando Sabbatum.
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 Factum est autem, cum quievissent portæ Ierusalem in die Sabbati, dixi: et clauserunt ianuas, et præcepi ut non aperirent eas usque post Sabbatum: et de pueris meis constitui super portas, ut nullus inferret onus in die Sabbati.
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 Et manserunt negotiatores, et vendentes universa venalia foris Ierusalem semel et bis.
So all [the merchants] lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Et contestatus sum eos, et dixi eis: Quare manetis ex adverso muri? Si secundo hoc feceritis, manum mittam in vos. Itaque ex tempore illo non venerunt in Sabbato.
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 Dixi quoque Levitis ut mundarentur, et venirent ad custodiendas portas, et sanctificandam diem Sabbati: et pro hoc ergo memento mei Deus meus, et parce mihi secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum.
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 Sed et in diebus illis vidi Iudæos ducentes uxores Azotidas, Ammonitidas, et Moabitidas.
And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:
24 Et filii eorum ex media parte loquebantur Azotice, et nesciebant loqui Iudaice, et loquebantur iuxta linguam populi, et populi.
and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.
25 Et obiurgavi eos, et maledixi. Et cecidi ex eis viros, et decalvavi eos, et adiuravi in Deo, ut non darent filias suas filiis eorum, et non acciperent de filiabus eorum filiis suis, et sibimetipsis, dicens:
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 Numquid non in huiuscemodi re peccavit Salomon rex Israel? Et certe in gentibus multis non erat rex similis ei, et dilectus Deo suo erat, et posuit eum Deus regem super omnem Israel: et ipsum ergo duxerunt ad peccatum mulieres alienigenæ.
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 Numquid et nos inobedientes faciemus omne malum grande hoc ut prævaricemur in Deo nostro, et ducamus uxores peregrinas?
So we will not hearken to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God, —to marry strange wives.
28 De filiis autem Ioiada filii Eliasib sacerdotis magni, gener erat Sanaballat Horonites, quem fugavi a me.
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 Recordare Domine Deus meus adversum eos, qui polluunt sacerdotium, iusque Sacerdotale et Leviticum.
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 Igitur mundavi eos ab omnibus alienigenis, et constitui ordines Sacerdotum et Levitarum, unumquemque in ministerio suo:
So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, [every] man according to his work.
31 et in oblatione lignorum in temporibus constitutis, et in primitivis: memento mei Deus meus in bonum. Amen.
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.
