UNehemiya 13

1 Ngalolosuku babala egwalweni lukaMozisi endlebeni zabantu; kwasekutholwa kubhaliwe kulo ukuthi umAmoni lomMowabi kabasoze bangene ebandleni likaNkulunkulu phakade;

On that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever;

2 ngoba bengahlangabezanga abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngesinkwa langamanzi, kodwa baqhatsha bemelene labo uBalami, ukubaqalekisa; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso.

because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them; howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 Kwasekusithi sebewuzwile umlayo behlukanisa koIsrayeli yonke ingxube yezizwe.

And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the alien mixture.

4 Ngaphambi kwalokho-ke uEliyashibi umpristi owayemiswe phezu kwekamelo likaNkulunkulu wethu, wayeyisihlobo sikaTobiya.

Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,

5 Wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu lapho ababekade befaka khona umnikelo wokudla, impepha, lezitsha, lokwetshumi kwamabele, iwayini elitsha, lamafutha, okwakulayelwe amaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango, lomnikelo wabapristi.

had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the priests.

6 Kodwa kukho konke lokhu ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngoba ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lambili kaAthakisekisi inkosi yeBhabhiloni ngeza enkosini; lekupheleni kwezinsuku ngacela imvumo enkosini,

But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king, and after certain days asked I leave of the king;

7 ngeza eJerusalema, ngaqedisisa ngokubi uEliyashibi ayekwenzele uTobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu.

and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

8 Kwasekusiba kubi kakhulu kimi; ngakho ngaphosela phandle zonke impahla zendlu kaTobiya phandle kwekamelo.

And it grieved me sore; therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

9 Ngasengilaya, bahlambulula amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu lomnikelo wokudla lempepha.

Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense.

10 Ngasengisazi ukuthi izabelo zamaLevi zazinganikwanga, lokuthi amaLevi labahlabeleli ababesenza umsebenzi babalekela ngulowo ensimini yakhe.

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.

11 Ngasengiphikisana lababusi ngathi: Kungani indlu kaNkulunkulu itshiyiwe? Ngababuthanisa, ngabamisa endaweni yabo.

Then contended I with the rulers, and said: 'Why is the house of God forsaken?' And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

12 Khona wonke uJuda waletha okwetshumi kwamabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha eziphaleni.

Then brought all Judah the tithe of the corn and the wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

13 Ngasengibeka abagciniziphala phezu kweziphala, oShelemiya umpristi, loZadoki umbhali, loPhedaya kumaLevi, leceleni kwabo uHanani indodana kaZakuri indodana kaMathaniya, ngoba kwathiwa bathembekile; njalo kwakuphezu kwabo ukwabela abafowabo.

And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their office was to distribute unto their brethren.

14 Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, mayelana lalokho, ungayicitshi imisebenzi yami yomusa engiyenzele indlu kaNkulunkulu wami lezinkonzo zayo.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the wards thereof.

15 Ngalezonsuku ngabona koJuda abanyathela izikhamelo zewayini ngesabatha, labangenisa izithungo, abathwalisa obabhemi, lewayini futhi, izithelo zesivini, lemikhiwa, lawo wonke umthwalo, abakungenisa eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha. Ngafakaza mhla bethengisa ukudla.

In those days saw I in Judah some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of corn, and lading asses therewith; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I forewarned them in the day wherein they sold victuals.

16 LabeTire bahlala kuyo, beletha inhlanzi lempahla yonke ethengiswayo, bakuthengisa ngesabatha kubantwana bakoJuda laseJerusalema.

There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and all manner of ware, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17 Khona ngaphikisana lezikhulu zakoJuda, ngathi kuzo: Iyini le into embi eliyenzayo lingcolisa usuku lwesabatha?

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them: 'What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?

18 Kabenzanga njalo yini oyihlo, loNkulunkulu wethu wehlisela phezu kwethu bonke lobububi laphezu kwalumuzi? Kanti lina landisa ulaka phezu kukaIsrayeli ngokungcolisa isabatha.

Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.'

19 Kwasekusithi lapho amasango eJerusalema eseqala ukuba mnyama mandulo kwesabatha, ngalaya ukuthi iminyango kayivalwe, njalo ngalaya ukuthi bangayivuli kuze kube ngemva kwesabatha. Ngabeka ezinye zenceku zami emasangweni ukuze kungangeni mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha.

And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the sabbath; and some of my servants set I over the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

20 Ngakho abathengi labathengisi bempahla yonke balala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye loba kabili.

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of ware lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Khona ngafakaza ngimelene labo ngathi kibo: Lilalelani maqondana lomduli? Uba likwenza futhi, ngizalidumela ngesandla. Kusukela kulesosikhathi kababuyanga ngesabatha.

Then I forewarned them, and said unto them: 'Why lodge ye about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.' From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.

22 Ngasengitshela amaLevi ukuthi azihlambulule, eze alinde amasango, ukungcwelisa usuku lwesabatha. Langalokho ungikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobunengi bomusa wakho.

And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy.

23 Futhi, ngalezonsuku ngabona amaJuda ayethethe abafazi, abangamaAshidodikazi, amaAmoni, amaMowabi.

In those days also saw I the Jews that had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;

24 Labantwana babo, ingxenye babekhuluma isiAshidodi njalo bengelakukhuluma isiJuda, kodwa ngokolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe.

and their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.

25 Ngasengiphikisana lawo, ngawaqalekisa, ngatshaya amanye awo, ngawangcothula inwele; ngawafungisa ngoNkulunkulu: Kaliyikunika amadodakazi enu kumadodana abo, njalo kaliyikuthathela amadodana enu emadodakazini abo, kumbe lina ngokwenu.

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God: 'Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

26 USolomoni inkosi yakoIsrayeli konanga yini ngalezozinto? Kube kanti phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi kwakungelankosi enjengaye, owayethandeka kuNkulunkulu wakhe, loNkulunkulu wamenza inkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli wonke; laye abafazi bezizweni bamenza ukuthi one.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless even him did the foreign women cause to sin.

27 Pho, sizalilalela yini ukwenza bonke lobobubi obukhulu, ngokona kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuthatha abafazi bezizweni?

Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to break faith with our God in marrying foreign women?'

28 Lenye yamadodana kaJehoyada indodana kaEliyashibi umpristi omkhulu, yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi umHoroni; ngakho ngayixotsha yasuka kimi.

And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

29 Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba bangcolisile ubupristi lesivumelwano sobupristi lesamaLevi.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

30 Ngokunjalo ngabahlambulula kubo bonke abezizweni, ngamisa imfanelo kubapristi lakumaLevi, ngulowo lalowo emsebenzini wakhe,

Thus cleansed I them from everything foreign, and appointed wards for the priests and for the Levites, every one in his work;

31 leyomnikelo wenkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, leyezithelo zokuqala. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuhle.

and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.