Nekkemiya 13
1 Ku lunaku olwo, Ekitabo kya Musa ne kisomebwa ng’abantu bawulira, ne bazuula nga kyawandiikibwa nti tewabanga Omwamoni newaakubadde Omumowaabu akkirizibwanga okuyingira mu kuŋŋaaniro lya Katonda,
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 kubanga tebaayaniriza Bayisirayiri na mmere newaakubadde amazzi, wabula baagulirira Balamu akolimire Abayisirayiri. Kyokka Katonda waffe yafuula ekikolimo okuba omukisa.
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 Abantu bwe baawulira etteeka eryo, ne bagoba bannaggwanga bonna mu Isirayiri.
When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.
4 Ebyo nga tebinnabaawo, Eriyasibu omu ku bakabona, yali aweereddwa obuvunaanyizibwa okulabiriranga amawanika g’ennyumba ya Katonda waffe, kyokka nga mukwano nnyo wa Tobiya.
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 Eriyasibu yali awadde Tobiya ekimu ku bisenge ebigazi omwali muterekebwa ekiweebwayo eky’emmere ey’empeke, n’omugavu, n’ebintu ebikozesebwa mu kusinza, ne kimu kya kkumi eky’emmere ey’empeke, ne wayini omuggya, awamu n’omuzigo ogwaweebwanga Abaleevi, n’abayimbi, n’abakuumi ba wankaaki, n’ebyo ebyaweebwanga bakabona.
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 Kyokka ebyo byonna bwe byali bikolebwa, ssaali mu Yerusaalemi, kubanga mu mwaka ogw’amakumi asatu mu ebiri ogw’obufuzi bwa Alutagizerugizi kabaka w’e Babulooni, nnali nzizeeyo eri kabaka. Oluvannyuma lw’ebbanga, ne nsaba kabaka,
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 ne nkomawo e Yerusaalemi, ne manyisibwa ekibi Eriyasibu kye yali akoze, bwe yawa Tobiya ekisenge mu mpya z’ennyumba ya Katonda.
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 Ne nyiiga nnyo era ne nkasuka ebintu bya Tobiya byonna ebweru, okubiggya mu kisenge.
I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.
9 Ne ndagira ebisenge bitukuzibwe, n’oluvannyuma ebintu ebyabeeranga mu nnyumba ya Katonda, n’emmere ey’empeke, n’omugavu ne biddizibwamu.
I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.
10 Ne ntegeezebwa ng’emigabo gy’Abaleevi nagyo gyali tegibaweerebbwa, era nga n’Abaleevi bonna awamu n’abayimbi baali bazzeeyo mu bibanja byabwe.
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 Kyenava nnenya abakungu ne mbabuuza nti, “Lwaki ennyumba ya Katonda terabiriddwa?” Bonna ne mbayita ne mbagamba bakomewo mu bifo mwe baabeeranga.
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 Yuda yenna ne baleeta ekimu eky’ekkumi eky’emmere ey’empeke ne wayini omuggya n’omuzigo, ne babiteeka mu mawanika.
Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.
13 Ne nnonda Seremiya omu ku bakabona, ne Zadooki omuwandiisi, ne Pedaya omu ku Baleevi balabirirenga amawanika. Ne nnonda ne Kanani mutabani wa Zakkuli, mutabani wa Mattaniya okubayambangako; baali basajja beesimbu.
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 Ozinjukirenga Ayi Katonda wange olw’ekikolwa ekyo, oleme okusangulawo ebyo byonna bye nakolera ennyumba ya Katonda wange, n’okuweereza kwe naweereza n’obwesigwa.
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 Mu biro ebyo, ne ndaba abasajja mu Yuda, nga basogola omwenge ku Ssabbiiti, era nga baleeta emmere ey’empeke awamu ne wayini, n’emizabbibu, n’ettiini, n’emigugu emirala egya buli ngeri, nga babitisse endogoyi. Bino baali babiyingiza mu Yerusaalemi ku Ssabbiiti. Kyenava mbalabula obutatunda mmere ku lunaku olwo.
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 Abantu b’e Ttuulo abaatuulanga mu Yerusaalemi, baaleetanga ebyennyanja n’ebyamaguzi eby’engeri ez’enjawulo, nga babitunza abantu ba Yuda mu Yerusaalemi ku Ssabbiiti.
I told them off for selling their produce on that day.
17 Nanenya abakulembeze ba Yuda ne mbagamba nti, “Kiki kino eky’ekivve kye mukola nga mwonoona olunaku lwa Ssabbiiti?
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 Bajjajjammwe tebaakola bintu bye bimu, Katonda waffe n’alyoka aleeta ekikangabwa kino kyonna ku ffe ne ku kibuga kyaffe kino? Kaakano mwongera kusiikula kiruyi kirala eri Isirayiri nga mwonoona Ssabbiiti?”
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 Awo ebisiikirize ebya kawungeezi bwe byali bitandise okugwa ku miryango gya Yerusaalemi, nga Ssabbiiti tennatuuka, ne ndagira emiryango okuggalwa era gireme okuggulwa okutuusa nga Ssabbiiti eweddeko. Nateeka abamu ku basajja bange ku miryango, waleme kubaawo mugugu guyingizibwa wadde ogufulumizibwa ku Ssabbiiti.
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 Omulundi gumu oba ebiri, abasuubuzi n’abatundanga ebintu eby’engeri zonna baasula ebweru w’ekibuga Yerusaalemi.
A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.
21 Kyokka ne mbalabula nga mbagamba nti, “Lwaki musula awo ku bbugwe? Bwe munaddamu okukikola nzija kubabonereza.” Okuva ku olwo tebaddayo kujja ku Ssabbiiti.
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 Ne ndyoka ndagira Abaleevi okwetukuza bagende bakuume emiryango, okusobola okukuuma olunaku lwa Ssabbiiti nga lutukuvu. Onzijukire olwa kino nakyo Ayi Katonda wange, era ondage ekisa okusinziira ku kwagala kwo okungi.
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 Ate era mu nnaku ezo, ne ndaba abasajja ba Yuda abaali bawasizza abakazi okuva mu Asudodi, ne Amoni, ne Mowaabu.
Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.
24 Kimu kyakubiri ku baana baabwe baali boogera olulimi lw’Abasudodi, oba olumu ku nnimi z’abantu abalala.
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 Ne mbanenya ne mbakolimira. Ne nkubako abamu ku basajja abo Abayudaaya, ne mbakuunyuulako enviiri. Ne mbalayiza mu linnya lya Katonda nga mbagamba nti, “Temuwangayo bawala bammwe kufumbirwa batabani baabwe, wadde bawala baabwe okufumbirwa batabani bammwe, oba mmwe mwennyini.
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 Okufumbiriganwa okw’engeri eyo, si kwe kwaleetera Sulemaani kabaka wa Isirayiri okwonoona? Mu mawanga gonna, tewaali kabaka nga ye. Yali ayagalibwa nnyo Katonda, era Katonda yamufuula kabaka wa Isirayiri yonna, kyokka abakazi bannaggwanga amalala, baamuwabya, n’akola ebibi.
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 Ate tuwulira nga mukoze ebintu bino ebibi bwe bityo. Temuba beesigwa eri Katonda waffe bwe muwasa abakazi bannamawanga.”
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 Omu ku batabani ba Yekoyaada, mutabani wa Eriyasibu kabona omukulu yali mukoddomi wa Sanubalaati Omukoloni. Ne mmugoba we ndi.
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 Bajjukire, Ayi Katonda wange, kubanga baayonoona omulimu gw’obwakabona n’endagaano y’obwakabona ne ey’Abaleevi.
My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and Levites.
30 Ne ntukuza bakabona awamu n’Abaleevi okuva mu buli kintu kyonna ekitali kitukuvu, buli omu ne mmuwa emirimu egy’okukola.
I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
31 Ne nteekawo enkola ey’abantu okuwaayo enku mu biseera ebigereke, era n’ebibala ebibereberye. Onzijukire n’okwagala kwo Ayi Katonda wange.
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.
