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,
On that day, when someone read to the people parts of the laws [that God gave] to Moses, they read where it was written that no one from the Ammon people-group or the Moab people-group was ever to be allowed to be with God’s people while they were gathered together [to worship].
2 kubanga tebaayaniriza Bayisirayiri na mmere newaakubadde amazzi, wabula baagulirira Balamu akolimire Abayisirayiri. Kyokka Katonda waffe yafuula ekikolimo okuba omukisa.
The reason for that was that the people of Ammon and the people of Moab did not give/sell any food or water to the Israelis [while the Israelis were going through their areas after they left Egypt]. Instead, the people of Ammon and Moab paid money to Balaam in order that he would curse the Israelis. But God commanded Balaam to bless the people, not to curse them.
3 Abantu bwe baawulira etteeka eryo, ne bagoba bannaggwanga bonna mu Isirayiri.
So when the people heard these laws [being read to them], they sent away all the people whose ancestors had come from other countries.
4 Ebyo nga tebinnabaawo, Eriyasibu omu ku bakabona, yali aweereddwa obuvunaanyizibwa okulabiriranga amawanika g’ennyumba ya Katonda waffe, kyokka nga mukwano nnyo wa Tobiya.
Previously, Eliashib the priest had been appointed to be in charge of the storerooms in the temple. He was a relative of [our enemy] Tobiah.
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 allowed Tobiah to use a large room in which they had previously stored the grain offerings and the incense, the equipment that is used in the temple, the offerings [that the people had brought] for the priests, and the tithes of grain and wine and [olive] oil that [God] had commanded the people to bring to the [other] descendants of Levi, and to the temple musicians, and to the temple guards.
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,
While [Tobias was using that room], I was not in Jerusalem, because in the 32nd year that Artaxerxes was the king of Babylonia, I went back there to report to him. After a while I requested the king to allow me to return to Jerusalem, [and he allowed me to go].
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 in Jerusalem, I found out that Eliashib had done an evil thing by allowing Tobiah to use a room in God’s temple.
8 Ne nyiiga nnyo era ne nkasuka ebintu bya Tobiya byonna ebweru, okubiggya mu kisenge.
I became very angry, and I threw out of that room everything that belonged to Tobiah.
9 Ne ndagira ebisenge bitukuzibwe, n’oluvannyuma ebintu ebyabeeranga mu nnyumba ya Katonda, n’emmere ey’empeke, n’omugavu ne biddizibwamu.
Then I commanded [that they perform a ritual] to make the rooms (pure/acceptable to God) again. And I also ordered that all the equipment used in the temple and all the grain offerings and incense should be put in that room again.
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 temple musicians and [other] descendants of Levi had left Jerusalem and returned to their fields/farms, because the Israeli people had not been bringing to them the food [that they needed].
11 Kyenava nnenya abakungu ne mbabuuza nti, “Lwaki ennyumba ya Katonda terabiriddwa?” Bonna ne mbayita ne mbagamba bakomewo mu bifo mwe baabeeranga.
So I rebuked the officials, saying to them, “(Why have you not taken care of the work in the temple?/It is disgraceful that you have not taken care of the work in the temple.)” [RHQ] So I brought the descendants of Levi and the musicians back to the temple, and told them to do their work there again.
12 Yuda yenna ne baleeta ekimu eky’ekkumi eky’emmere ey’empeke ne wayini omuggya n’omuzigo, ne babiteeka mu mawanika.
Then all the people of Judah again started to bring to the temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and [olive] oil.
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 appointed these men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah, who was a priest; Zadok, who knew the Jewish laws very well; and Pedaiah, a descendant of Levi. I appointed Hanan, who is the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah, to assist them. I knew that I could trust these men while they distributed those offerings to their fellow workers.
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, do not forget all these good things that I have faithfully done for your temple and for the work that is done there!
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.
During that time, I saw some people in Judea [who were working] on the Sabbath day. [Some were] pressing grapes [to make wine]. Others were putting grain, [bags of] wine, [baskets of] grapes, figs, and many [HYP] other things, on their donkeys and taking them into Jerusalem. I warned them that they should not sell things to the people of Judea on Sabbath days.
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 also saw some people from Tyre [city] who were living there in Jerusalem who were bringing fish and other things [into Jerusalem] to sell to the people of Judea on the Sabbath day.
17 Nanenya abakulembeze ba Yuda ne mbagamba nti, “Kiki kino eky’ekivve kye mukola nga mwonoona olunaku lwa Ssabbiiti?
So I rebuked the Jewish leaders and told them, “This is [RHQ] a very evil thing that you are doing! You are causing the Sabbath days to be unholy.
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?”
Your ancestors did [RHQ] things like that, so God punished them, and as a result, this city was destroyed! And now by causing the Sabbath day to be unholy, you are going to cause God to be angry with us Israeli people [and punish us] more!”
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 that at (the beginning of every Sabbath day/every Friday evening) they should shut the gates of the city before it became dark. I also ordered that they should not open the gates until (the Sabbath day was ended [the next day]/Saturday evening). Then [each Sabbath day] I put some of my men at the gates, so they would make sure that nothing to sell was brought into the city on that day.
20 Omulundi gumu oba ebiri, abasuubuzi n’abatundanga ebintu eby’engeri zonna baasula ebweru w’ekibuga Yerusaalemi.
One or two times merchants [DOU] stayed outside of the city on (Friday night/[the night before the Sabbath day]).
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, “It is useless [RHQ] for you to stay here outside the walls [on Friday night]! If you do this again, I will tell my men to arrest you!” So after that, they did not come on Sabbath days.
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.
I also commanded the descendants of Levi to [perform the ritual to] purify themselves and to guard the city gates, to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy [by not allowing merchants to enter it on Sabbath days]. My God, do not forget this also that I [have done for you]! And because of your faithfully loving me, allow me to continue to live [many more years]!
23 Ate era mu nnaku ezo, ne ndaba abasajja ba Yuda abaali bawasizza abakazi okuva mu Asudodi, ne Amoni, ne Mowaabu.
During that time, I also found out that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod [city], and from [the] Ammon and Moab [people-groups].
24 Kimu kyakubiri ku baana baabwe baali boogera olulimi lw’Abasudodi, oba olumu ku nnimi z’abantu abalala.
The result was that half of their children spoke the language that people in Ashdod speak or some other language, and they didn’t know how to speak our language.
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 rebuked those men, and I [asked God to] curse them, and I beat them and pulled out [some of] their hair. Then I forced them to solemnly promise, knowing that God [MTY] was [listening], that they would never again marry foreigners, and never allow their children to marry foreigners.
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.
[I said to them], “Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned [RHQ] as a result of [marrying] foreign women. He was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him, and caused him to become the king of all the Israeli people, but his foreign wives caused even him to sin.
27 Ate tuwulira nga mukoze ebintu bino ebibi bwe bityo. Temuba beesigwa eri Katonda waffe bwe muwasa abakazi bannamawanga.”
[Do you think that] we should do what you have done, and disobey our God by marrying foreign women [who worship idols]? [RHQ]”
28 Omu ku batabani ba Yekoyaada, mutabani wa Eriyasibu kabona omukulu yali mukoddomi wa Sanubalaati Omukoloni. Ne mmugoba we ndi.
One of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the Supreme Priest, had married the daughter of [our enemy] Sanballat, from Beth-Horon [town]. So I forced Jehoiada’s son to leave Jerusalem.
29 Bajjukire, Ayi Katonda wange, kubanga baayonoona omulimu gw’obwakabona n’endagaano y’obwakabona ne ey’Abaleevi.
My God, do not forget that those people [who have married foreign women] have caused it to be a shame/disgrace to be a priest, and have caused people to despise the agreement that you made with the priests and with the [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests])!
30 Ne ntukuza bakabona awamu n’Abaleevi okuva mu buli kintu kyonna ekitali kitukuvu, buli omu ne mmuwa emirimu egy’okukola.
I did all that to make sure that there were no more foreign people among the [Israeli] people [who would encourage them to worship idols]. I also established regulations for the priests and [other] descendants of Levi, in order that they would know what work they should do.
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 people to bring the firewood [that was needed to burn on the altar, as Moses had declared] that we should [do]. I also arranged for the people to bring the first part of what they harvested [each year]. My God, do not forget [that] I [have done all these things], and bless me [for doing them]!
