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.
On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God, forever.
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.
This was because they had not come to the people of Israel with bread and with water, but they had hired Balaam to curse Israel. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Mara tu waliposikia sheria, waliwatenga Israeli toka kwa kila mgeni.
As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.
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 was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to Tobiah.
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.
Eliashib prepared for Tobiah a large storeroom, where previously they kept the grain offering, the incense, the articles, and the tithes of the grain, new wine, and the oil, which were designated for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and 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,
But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,
7 na nikarudi Yerusalemu. Nikafahamu mabaya ambayo Eliashibu alikuwa amefanya kwa kumpa Tobia chumba cha kuhifadhi katika mahakama ya nyumba ya Mungu.
and I returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom 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.
I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.
9 Niliamuru kwamba watakase vituo vya kuhifadhi, nami nikarudisha ndani yao makala ya nyumba ya Mungu, sadaka ya nafaka, na uvumba.
I ordered that they purify the storerooms, and I put back in them the articles of the house of God, the grain offerings, and the incense.
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 learned that the Levites' portions had not been given to them, and they had run away, each to his own field, the Levites and the singers who did the work.
11 Kwa hiyo nikawasiliana na maafisa na kusema, 'Kwa nini nyumba ya Mungu imeachwa?' Niliwakusanya pamoja na kuwaweka kwenye nafasi zao.
So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.
12 Kisha Yuda wote wakaleta zaka ya nafaka, divai mpya, na mafuta kwenye vituo vya kuhifadhi.
Then all Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to 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 storehouses Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and from the Levites, Pedaiah. Next to them was Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were counted as trustworthy. Their duties were to distribute the supplies to their associates.
14 Nikumbuke, Ee Mungu wangu, juu ya hili, wala usiondoe matendo mema niliyoyatenda kwa ajili ya nyumba ya Mungu wangu na huduma zake.
Call me to mind, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and 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 in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of heavy loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I protested that they were 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!
Men from Tyre living in Jerusalem brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in the city!
17 Kisha nikawaambia viongozi wa Yuda, “Je! ni ubaya gani huu mnafanya, kuinajisi siku ya Sabato?
Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing 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 fathers do this? Did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on 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.
As soon as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20 Wafanyabiashara na wauzaji wa kila aina ya bidhaa walikimbia nje ya Yerusalemu mara moja au mbili.
The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.
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 do you camp outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they did not come 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 commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Call me to mind for this also, my God, and have mercy on me because of the covenant loyalty you have toward me.
23 Katika siku hizo niliona Wayahudi waliokuwa wameoa wanawake wa Ashdodi, Amoni na Moabu.
In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of 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. None of them could speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one of the other peoples.
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 confronted them, and I cursed them, and I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters 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 Solomon king of Israel sin on account of these women? Among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, his foreign wives caused him to sin.
27 Je, tunapaswa kukusikiliza na kufanya uovu huu hata kumhalifu Mungu wetu na kuwaoa wanawake wageni?
Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously 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.
One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.
29 Wakukumbushe, Mungu wangu, kwa sababu wameunajisi ukuhani, na agano la ukuhani na Walawi.
Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and 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 cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.
31 Nilitoa sadaka za kuni wakati uliowekwa na matunda ya kwanza. Nikumbuke, Mungu wangu, kwa mema.
I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.
