Nehemiæ 13
1 in die autem illo lectum est in volumine Mosi audiente populo et inventum est scriptum in eo quod non debeat introire Ammanites et Moabites in ecclesiam Dei usque in aeternum
At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
2 eo quod non occurrerint filiis Israhel cum pane et aqua et conduxerint adversum eum Balaam ad maledicendum ei et convertit Deus noster maledictionem in benedictionem
because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
3 factum est autem cum audissent legem separaverunt omnem alienigenam ab Israhel
As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
4 et super hoc erat Eliasib sacerdos qui fuerat positus in gazofilacio domus Dei nostri et proximus Tobiae
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
5 fecit ergo sibi gazofilacium grande et ibi erant ante eum reponentes munera et tus et vasa et decimam frumenti et vini et olei partes Levitarum et cantorum et ianitorum et primitias sacerdotales
and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
6 in omnibus autem his non fui in Hierusalem quia in anno tricesimo secundo Artarxersis regis Babylonis veni ad regem et in fine dierum rogavi regem
While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king
7 et veni in Hierusalem et intellexi malum quod fecerat Eliasib Tobiae ut faceret ei thesaurum in vestibulis domus Dei
to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.
8 et malum mihi visum est valde et proieci vasa domus Tobiae foras de gazofilacio
And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
9 praecepique et mundaverunt gazofilacia et rettuli ibi vasa domus Dei sacrificium et tus
Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
10 et cognovi quoniam partes Levitarum non fuissent datae et fugisset unusquisque in regionem suam de Levitis et de cantoribus et de his qui ministrabant
I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.
11 et egi causam adversus magistratus et dixi quare dereliquimus domum Dei et congregavi eos et feci stare in stationibus suis
So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
12 et omnis Iuda adportabat decimam frumenti et vini et olei in horrea
and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
13 et constituimus super horrea Selemiam sacerdotem et Sadoc scribam et Phadaiam de Levitis et iuxta eos Anan filium Zacchur filium Matthaniae quoniam fideles conprobati sunt et ipsis creditae sunt partes fratrum suorum
I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.
14 memento mei Deus meus pro hoc et ne deleas miserationes meas quas feci in domo Dei mei et in caerimoniis eius
Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
15 in diebus illis vidi in Iuda calcabant torcularia in sabbato portantes acervos et onerantes super asinos vinum et uvas et ficus et omne onus et inferentes Hierusalem in die sabbati et contestatus sum ut in die qua vendere liceret venderent
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
16 et Tyrii habitaverunt in ea inferentes pisces et omnia venalia et vendebant in sabbatis filiis Iuda et in Hierusalem
Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 et obiurgavi optimates Iuda et dixi eis quae est res haec mala quam vos facitis et profanatis diem sabbati
Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
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 Israhel violando sabbatum
Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
19 factum est itaque cum quievissent portae Hierusalem die sabbati dixi et cluserunt ianuas et praecepi ut non aperirent eas usque post sabbatum et de pueris meis constitui super portas ut nullus inferret onus in die sabbati
When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
20 et manserunt negotiatores et vendentes universa venalia foris Hierusalem semel et bis
Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
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
but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.
22 dixi quoque Levitis ut mundarentur et venirent ad custodiendas portas et sanctificandum diem sabbati et pro hoc ergo memento mei Deus meus et parce mihi secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum
Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
23 sed et in diebus illis vidi Iudaeos ducentes uxores azotias ammanitidas et moabitidas
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 et filii eorum ex media parte loquebantur azotice et nesciebant loqui iudaice et loquebantur iuxta linguam populi et populi
Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
25 et obiurgavi eos et maledixi et cecidi ex ipsis viros et decalvavi eos et adiuravi in Deo ut non darent filias suas filiis eorum et non acciperent de filiabus eorum filiis suis et sibimet ipsis dicens
I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
26 numquid non in huiuscemodi re peccavit Salomon rex Israhel et certe in gentibus multis non erat rex similis ei et dilectus Deo suo erat et posuit eum Deus regem super omnem Israhel et ipsum ergo ad peccatum duxerunt mulieres alienigenae
Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
27 numquid et nos inoboedientes faciemus omne malum grande hoc ut praevaricemur in Deo nostro et ducamus uxores peregrinas
Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 de filiis autem Ioiada filii Eliasib sacerdotis magni gener erat Sanaballat Horonitis quem fugavi a me
Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.
29 recordare Domine Deus meus adversum eos qui polluunt sacerdotium iusque sacerdotale et leviticum
Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 igitur mundavi eos ab omnibus alienigenis et constitui ordines sacerdotum et Levitarum unumquemque in ministerio suo
Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
31 et in oblatione lignorum in temporibus constitutis et in primitiis memento mei Deus meus in bonum
I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
