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 aeternum:

On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God;

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 did not give the children of Israel bread and water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.

3 Factum est autem, cum audissent legem, separaverunt omnem alienigenam ab Israel.

So after hearing the law, they took out of Israel all the mixed people.

4 Et super hoc erat Eliasib sacerdos, qui fuerat praepositus in gazophylacio domus Dei nostri, et proximus Tobiae.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of Tobiah,

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.

Had made ready for him a great room, where at one time they kept the meal offerings, the perfume, and the vessels and the tenths of the grain and wine and oil which were given by order to the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers, and the lifted offerings for 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 all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go,

7 Et veni in Ierusalem, et intellexi malum, quod fecerat Eliasib Tobiae ut faceret ei thesaurum in vestibulis domus Dei.

And I came to Jerusalem; and it was clear to me what evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in making ready for him a room in the buildings of the house of God.

8 Et malum mihi visum est valde. Et proieci vasa domus Tobiae foras de gazophylacio:

And it was evil in my eyes: so I had all Tobiah's things put out of the room.

9 praecepique et emundaverunt gazophylacium: et retuli ibi vasa domus Dei, sacrificium, et thus.

Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean: and I put back in them the vessels of the house of God, with the meal offerings and the perfume.

10 Et cognovi quod partes Levitarum non fuissent datae: et fugisset unusquisque in regionem suam de Levitis, et cantoribus, et de his, qui ministrabant:

And I saw that the Levites had not been given what was needed for their support; so that the Levites and the music-makers, who did the work, had gone away, everyone to his field.

11 et egi causam adversus magistratus, et dixi: Quare dereliquimus domum Dei? Et congregavi eos, et feci stare in stationibus suis.

Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the house of God been given up? And I got them together and put them in their places.

12 Et omnis Iuda apportabat decimam frumenti, vini, et olei in horrea.

Then all Judah came with the tenth part of the grain and wine and oil and put it into the store-houses.

13 Et constituimus super horrea Selemiam Sacerdotem, et Sadoc scribam, et Phadaiam de Levitis, et iuxta eos Hanan filium Zachur, filium Mathaniae: quoniam fideles comprobati sunt, et ipsis creditae sunt partes fratrum suorum.

And I made controllers over the store-houses, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and with them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur the son of Mattaniah: they were taken to be true men and their business was the distribution of these things to their brothers.

14 Memento mei Deus meus pro hoc, et ne deleas miserationes meas, quas feci in domo Dei mei, et in ceremoniis eius.

Keep me in mind, O my God, in connection with this, and do not let the good which I have done for the house of my God and its worship go from your memory completely.

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 Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and getting in grain and putting it on asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods which they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food.

16 Et Tyrii habitaverunt in ea inferentes pisces, et omnia venalia: et vendebant in sabbatis filiis Iuda in Ierusalem:

And there were men of Tyre there, who came with fish and all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

17 et obiurgavi optimates Iuda, et dixi eis: Quae est haec res mala, quam vos facitis et profanatis diem Sabbati?

Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them, What is this evil which you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy?

18 Numquid non haec 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 do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

19 Factum est autem, cum quievissent portae Ierusalem in die Sabbati, dixi: et clauserunt ianuas, et praecepi ut non aperirent eas usque post Sabbatum: et de pueris meis constitui super portas, ut nullus inferret onus in die Sabbati.

And so, when the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut and not to be open again till after the Sabbath: and I put some of my servants by the door so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.

20 Et manserunt negotiatores, et vendentes universa venalia foris Ierusalem semel et bis.

So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's rest outside 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 gave witness against them and said, Why are you waiting all night by the wall? if you do so again I will have you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again 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 gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy.

23 Sed et in diebus illis vidi Iudaeos ducentes uxores Azotidas, Ammonitidas, et Moabitidas.

And in those days I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab:

24 Et filii eorum ex media parte loquebantur Azotice, et nesciebant loqui Iudaice, et loquebantur iuxta linguam populi, et populi.

And their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples.

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 took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

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 alienigenae.

Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

27 Numquid et nos inobedientes faciemus omne malum grande hoc ut praevaricemur in Deo nostro, et ducamus uxores peregrinas?

Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?

28 De filiis autem Ioiada filii Eliasib sacerdotis magni, gener erat Sanaballat Horonites, quem fugavi a me.

And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: so I sent him away from me.

29 Recordare Domine Deus meus adversum eos, qui polluunt sacerdotium, iusque Sacerdotale et Leviticum.

Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.

30 Igitur mundavi eos ab omnibus alienigenis, et constitui ordines Sacerdotum et Levitarum, unumquemque in ministerio suo:

So I made them clean from all strange people, and had regular watches fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;

31 et in oblatione lignorum in temporibus constitutis, et in primitivis: memento mei Deus meus in bonum. Amen.

And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.