UNehemiya 13
1 Ngalolosuku babala egwalweni lukaMozisi endlebeni zabantu; kwasekutholwa kubhaliwe kulo ukuthi umAmoni lomMowabi kabasoze bangene ebandleni likaNkulunkulu phakade;
On that day there was read in the scroll of Moses, in the ears of the people, and it has been found written in it that an Ammonite and Moabite does not come into the assembly of God for all time,
2 ngoba bengahlangabezanga abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngesinkwa langamanzi, kodwa baqhatsha bemelene labo uBalami, ukubaqalekisa; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso.
because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turns the reviling into a blessing.
3 Kwasekusithi sebewuzwile umlayo behlukanisa koIsrayeli yonke ingxube yezizwe.
And it comes to pass, at their hearing the Law, that they separate all the mixed people from Israel.
4 Ngaphambi kwalokho-ke uEliyashibi umpristi owayemiswe phezu kwekamelo likaNkulunkulu wethu, wayeyisihlobo sikaTobiya.
And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah,
5 Wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu lapho ababekade befaka khona umnikelo wokudla, impepha, lezitsha, lokwetshumi kwamabele, iwayini elitsha, lamafutha, okwakulayelwe amaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango, lomnikelo wabapristi.
and he makes for him a great chamber, and there they were formerly putting the present, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil—the commanded thing of the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers—and the raised-offering of the priests.
6 Kodwa kukho konke lokhu ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngoba ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lambili kaAthakisekisi inkosi yeBhabhiloni ngeza enkosini; lekupheleni kwezinsuku ngacela imvumo enkosini,
And during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and at the end of days I have asked of the king,
7 ngeza eJerusalema, ngaqedisisa ngokubi uEliyashibi ayekwenzele uTobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu.
and I come to Jerusalem, and understand concerning the evil that Eliashib has done for Tobiah, to make to 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 is very displeasing to me, and I cast all the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside, out of the chamber,
9 Ngasengilaya, bahlambulula amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu lomnikelo wokudla lempepha.
and I command, and they cleanse the chambers, and I bring back there the vessels of the house of God with the present and the frankincense.
10 Ngasengisazi ukuthi izabelo zamaLevi zazinganikwanga, lokuthi amaLevi labahlabeleli ababesenza umsebenzi babalekela ngulowo ensimini yakhe.
And I know that the portions of the Levites have not been given, and they flee each to his field—the Levites and the singers, doing the work.
11 Ngasengiphikisana lababusi ngathi: Kungani indlu kaNkulunkulu itshiyiwe? Ngababuthanisa, ngabamisa endaweni yabo.
And I strive with the prefects, and say, “Why has the house of God been forsaken?” And I gather them, and set them on their station;
12 Khona wonke uJuda waletha okwetshumi kwamabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha eziphaleni.
and all Judah has brought in the tithe of the grain, and of the new wine, and of the oil, to 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 appoint treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; and by their hand [is] Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they have been reckoned steadfast, and on them [it is] to give a portion to their brothers.
14 Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, mayelana lalokho, ungayicitshi imisebenzi yami yomusa engiyenzele indlu kaNkulunkulu wami lezinkonzo zayo.
Be mindful of me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my kind acts that I have done, for the house of my God, and for its charges.
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 I have seen in Judah those treading wine-vats on Sabbath, and bringing in the sheaves, and loading on the donkeys, and also, wine, grapes, and figs, and every burden, indeed, they are bringing into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, and I testify in the day of their selling provision.
16 LabeTire bahlala kuyo, beletha inhlanzi lempahla yonke ethengiswayo, bakuthengisa ngesabatha kubantwana bakoJuda laseJerusalema.
And the Tyrians have dwelt in it, bringing in fish, and every ware, and selling on Sabbath to the sons of Judah and in Jerusalem.
17 Khona ngaphikisana lezikhulu zakoJuda, ngathi kuzo: Iyini le into embi eliyenzayo lingcolisa usuku lwesabatha?
And I strive with the nobles of Judah, and say to them, “What [is] this evil thing that you are doing, and defiling 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.
Thus did not your fathers do? And our God brings in on us all this evil, and on this city, and you are adding fierceness on Israel, to defile 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 comes to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem have been dark before the Sabbath, that I command, and the doors are shut, and I command that they do not open them until after the Sabbath; and of my servants I have stationed at the gates; there does not come in a burden on the Sabbath day.
20 Ngakho abathengi labathengisi bempahla yonke balala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye loba kabili.
And they lodge—the merchants and sellers of all ware—at the outside of Jerusalem, once or twice,
21 Khona ngafakaza ngimelene labo ngathi kibo: Lilalelani maqondana lomduli? Uba likwenza futhi, ngizalidumela ngesandla. Kusukela kulesosikhathi kababuyanga ngesabatha.
and I testify against them, and say to them, “Why are you lodging in front of the wall? If you repeat [it], I put forth a hand on you”; from that time they have not come in on the Sabbath.
22 Ngasengitshela amaLevi ukuthi azihlambulule, eze alinde amasango, ukungcwelisa usuku lwesabatha. Langalokho ungikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobunengi bomusa wakho.
And I command to the Levites that they be cleansed, and coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Your kindness.
23 Futhi, ngalezonsuku ngabona amaJuda ayethethe abafazi, abangamaAshidodikazi, amaAmoni, amaMowabi.
Also, in those days, I have seen the Jews [who] have settled women of Ashdod, of Ammon, of Moab.
24 Labantwana babo, ingxenye babekhuluma isiAshidodi njalo bengelakukhuluma isiJuda, kodwa ngokolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe.
And of their sons, half are speaking Ashdoditish—and are not knowing to speak Jewish—and according to the language of people and 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 strive with them, and declare them vile, and strike certain of them, and pluck off their hair, and cause them to swear by God, “You do not give your daughters to their sons, nor do you take of their daughters to your sons, and to 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.
By these did not Solomon king of Israel sin? And among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God makes him king over all Israel—even him [whom] the strange women caused to sin.
27 Pho, sizalilalela yini ukwenza bonke lobobubi obukhulu, ngokona kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuthatha abafazi bezizweni?
And do we listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God, to settle strange women?”
28 Lenye yamadodana kaJehoyada indodana kaEliyashibi umpristi omkhulu, yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi umHoroni; ngakho ngayixotsha yasuka kimi.
And [one] of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest, [is] son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, and I cause him to flee from off me.
29 Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba bangcolisile ubupristi lesivumelwano sobupristi lesamaLevi.
Be mindful of them, O my God, for the redeemed of 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,
And I have cleansed them from every stranger, and appoint charges to priests and to Levites, each in his work,
31 leyomnikelo wenkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, leyezithelo zokuqala. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuhle.
and for the wood-offering at appointed times, and for first-fruits. Be mindful of me, O my God, for good.
