Nehemia 13

1 Siku hiyo walisoma Kitabu cha Musa katika masikio ya watu. Ilionekana imeandikwa ndani yake kwamba hakuna Mwamoni au Mmoabu anapaswa kuja katika kusanyiko la Mungu, milele.

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 Hii ilikuwa kwa sababu hawakuja kwa watu wa Israeli na mkate na maji, bali walikuwa wamemwajiri Balaamu kulaani Israeli. Hata hivyo, Mungu wetu aligeuza laana kuwa baraka.

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 Mara tu waliposikia sheria, waliwatenga Israeli toka kwa kila mgeni.

As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

4 Sasa kabla ya hapo Eliashibu kuhani akawekwa juu ya vyumba vya nyumba ya Mungu wetu. Alikuwa na uhusiano na Tobia.

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 Eliashibu alimuandalia Tobia chumba kikubwa, ambako hapo awali waliweka sadaka ya nafaka, uvumba, makala, na sehemu ya kumi ya nafaka, divai, na mafuta, ambazo ziliwekwa kwa ajili ya Walawi, waimbaji, walinzi wa mlango, na michango kwa makuhani.

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 Lakini wakati huu wote sikuwepo Yerusalemu. Kwa mwaka wa thelathini na mbili wa Artashasta mfalme wa Babeli, nilikwenda kwa mfalme. Baada ya muda nikamwomba mfalme ruhusa ya kuondoka,

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 na nikarudi Yerusalemu. Nikafahamu mabaya ambayo Eliashibu alikuwa amefanya kwa kumpa Tobia chumba cha kuhifadhi katika mahakama ya nyumba ya Mungu.

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 Nilikuwa na hasira sana na nikatupa vitabu vya nyumba ya Tobia nje ya chumba cha kuhifadhi.

And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

9 Niliamuru kwamba watakase vituo vya kuhifadhi, nami nikarudisha ndani yao makala ya nyumba ya Mungu, sadaka ya nafaka, na uvumba.

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 Niligundua kwamba sehemu zilizotolewa kwa ajili ya kuwapa Walawi hazikutolewa kwao, ili waweze kuondoka haraka hekaluni, kila mmoja kwenda shambani kwake, kama waimbaji waliofanya walivyoondoka.

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 Kwa hiyo nikawasiliana na maafisa na kusema, 'Kwa nini nyumba ya Mungu imeachwa?' Niliwakusanya pamoja na kuwaweka kwenye nafasi zao.

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 Kisha Yuda wote wakaleta zaka ya nafaka, divai mpya, na mafuta kwenye vituo vya kuhifadhi.

and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.

13 Nikawaweka kama watunza hazina juu ya hazina, Shelemia kuhani, na Sadoki mwandishi, na Walawi, Pedaya. Hanani, mwana wa Zakuri, mwana wa Matania, alikuwa na wafuasi wao, kwa sababu walihesabiwa kuwa waaminifu. Kazi yao ilikuwa kusambaza vifaa kwa washirika wao.

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 Nikumbuke, Ee Mungu wangu, juu ya hili, wala usiondoe matendo mema niliyoyatenda kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wangu na huduma zake.

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 Siku hizo nikaona watu wa Yuda waliokanyaga mvinyo siku ya Sabato, na kuleta makundi ya nafaka, na kuwapakia punda, na divai, na zabibu, na tini, na kila aina ya mizigo nzito, waliyoleta Yerusalemu siku ya Sabato. Nikashuhudia kuwa walikuwa wakiuza chakula siku hiyo.

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 Watu kutoka Tiro waliokaa Yerusalemu walileta samaki na kila aina ya bidhaa, na wakawauza siku ya Sabato kwa watu wa Yuda na katika mji!

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 Kisha nikawaambia viongozi wa Yuda, “Je! ni ubaya gani huu mnafanya, kuinajisi siku ya Sabato?

Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

18 Je! Baba zenu hawakufanya hivyo? Je, Mungu wetu hakuleta mabaya haya juu yetu na juu ya mji huu? Sasa unaleta ghadhabu zaidi juu ya Israeli kwa kudharau Sabato.”

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 Mara ilipokuwa giza kwenye milango ya Yerusalemu kabla ya Sabato, niliamuru milango ifungwe na kwamba haifai kufunguliwa hadi baada ya Sabato. Niliwaweka baadhi ya watumishi wangu kwenye malango ili mzigo wowote usiweze kuletwa siku ya Sabato.

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 Wafanyabiashara na wauzaji wa kila aina ya bidhaa walikimbia nje ya Yerusalemu mara moja au mbili.

Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,

21 Lakini niliwaonya, “Mbona mnakaa nje ya ukuta? Ikiwa mtafanya hivyo tena, nitakuweka mikononi!” Kutoka wakati huo hawakuja siku ya sabato.

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 Nikawaamuru Walawi kujitakasa, na kuja kulinda milango, ili kutakasa siku ya Sabato. Nikumbuke kwa hili pia, Mungu wangu, na kunipatia huruma kwa sababu ya uaminifu wa agano ulilonalo kwangu.

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 Katika siku hizo niliona Wayahudi waliokuwa wameoa wanawake wa Ashdodi, Amoni na Moabu.

In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 Nusu ya watoto wao walizungumza lugha ya Ashdodi, lakini hawakuweza kuzungumza lugha ya Yuda, lakini lugha ya mmoja wa watu wengine.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

25 Nami nikawasiliana nao, na mimi niliwaadhibu, na nikawapiga baadhi yao na kuvuta nywele zao. Naliwaapisha kwa Mungu, nikisema, Msiwape wana wao binti zenu, wala msiwachukue binti zao kwa ajili ya wana wenu, wala ninyi wenyewe.

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 Je, Sulemani mfalme wa Israeli hakufanya dhambi kwa sababu ya wanawake hawa? Miongoni mwa mataifa mengi hapakuwa na mfalme kama yeye, na alipendwa na Mungu wake. Mungu akamfanya awe mfalme juu ya Israeli wote. Hata hivyo, wake zake wa kigeni walimfanya atende dhambi.

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 Je, tunapaswa kukusikiliza na kufanya uovu huu hata kumhalifu Mungu wetu na kuwaoa wanawake wageni?

Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 Mmoja wa wana wa Yoyada, mwana wa Eliashibu, kuhani mkuu, alikuwa mkwewe na Sanbalati Mhoroni. Kwa hiyo nilimondoa kutoka mbele yangu.

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 Wakukumbushe, Mungu wangu, kwa sababu wameunajisi ukuhani, na agano la ukuhani na Walawi.

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

30 Kwa hiyo nimewatakasa kutoka kila kitu kigeni, na kuimarisha kazi za makuhani na Walawi, kila mmoja kwa kazi yake mwenyewe.

Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

31 Nilitoa sadaka za kuni wakati uliowekwa na matunda ya kwanza. Nikumbuke, Mungu wangu, kwa mema.

I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.