Nehemaia 13

1 ‌ʻI he ʻaho ko ia naʻa nau lau ʻi he fono ʻa Mōsese ʻi he ʻao ʻoe kakai; pea naʻe ʻilo ʻi ai, ʻe ʻikai hoko ki he fakataha ʻoe ʻOtua ʻae kakai ʻAmoni, mo e kakai Moape ʻo taʻengata;

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 Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai tenau fakafetaulaki ki he fānau ʻa ʻIsileli ʻaki ʻae mā mo e vai, ka naʻa nau tuku totongi kia Pelami ke tuʻu kiate kinautolu, koeʻuhi ke ne tukiʻi ʻakinautolu: ka naʻe liliu ʻe hotau ʻOtua ʻae tuki ko e tāpuaki.

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 Pea naʻe hoko ʻo pehē, ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he fono, naʻa nau fakamavae mei ʻIsileli ʻae ngaahi kakai kehekehe kotoa pē.

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 Pea ki muʻa ʻi he meʻa ni, ko Iliasipi ko e taulaʻeiki, ʻaia naʻe pule ki he fale ʻe taha ʻi he fale ʻoe ʻOtua, naʻe kaumeʻa ia kia Topaia:

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 Pea naʻa ne teuteu moʻona ʻae fale lahi, ʻaia naʻa nau tuku ki ai ʻi muʻa ʻae ngaahi feilaulau meʻakai, mo e meʻa namu kakala, mo e ngaahi ipu, mo e ngaahi meʻa ʻoe tukuhau, mo e uaine foʻou, mo e lolo, ʻaia naʻe fekau ke foaki ki he kau Livai, mo e kau hiva, mo e kau leʻo matapā; mo e ngaahi feilaulau ʻoe kau taulaʻeiki.

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 Ka ʻi he ngaahi kuonga ni kotoa pē naʻe ʻikai te u ʻi Selūsalema: he naʻaku haʻu ki he tuʻi, ʻi hono taʻu ʻe tolungofulu ma ua ʻo ʻAtakisekisi ko e tuʻi ʻo Papilone, pea hili ʻae ʻaho niʻihi naʻaku maʻu ʻae fekau mei he tuʻi:

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 Pea ne u haʻu ki Selūsalema, pea u hoko ʻo ʻilo ʻae kovi naʻe fai ʻe Iliasipi maʻa Topaia, ʻi heʻene teuteu moʻona ʻae fale ʻi he ngaahi potu fale ʻoe fale ʻo hotau ʻOtua.

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 Pea naʻaku mamahi lahi ai: ko ia naʻaku lī kituʻa ʻae ngaahi ngaʻotoʻota kotoa pē ʻo Topaia mei he fale.

I became very angry, and I threw out of that room everything that belonged to Tobiah.

9 Pea naʻaku fekau, pea naʻa nau fakamaʻa ʻae ngaahi fale: pea naʻaku toe fetuku ki ai ʻae ngaahi ipu ʻoe fale ʻoe ʻOtua, mo e ngaahi feilaulau meʻakai mo e meʻa namu kakala.

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 Pea ne u vakai naʻe ʻikai faʻa ʻatu ki he kau Livai honau ngaahi ʻinasi he ko e kau Livai mo e kau hiva, ʻaia naʻe fai ʻae ngāue, kuo hola taki taha ki heʻene ngoue.

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 Pea naʻaku valoki ʻae kau pule, ʻo pehē, Ko e hā kuo liʻaki ai ʻae fale ʻoe ʻOtua? Pea ne u tānaki ʻo fakataha ʻakinautolu, ʻo fokotuʻu ʻakinautolu ʻi honau potu.

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 Pea naʻe ʻomi ai ʻe Siuta kotoa pē ʻae tāuvao ʻoe uite mo e uaine foʻou mo e lolo ki he ngaahi feleoko.

Then all the people of Judah again started to bring to the temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and [olive] oil.

13 Pea ne u fakanofo ʻae kau leʻo koloa ki he ngaahi fale koloa, ko Selemaia ko e taulaʻeiki, mo Satoki ko e tangata tohi, pea ʻi he kau Livai, ko Pitaia: pea naʻe hoko mo kinautolu, ʻa Hanani, ko e foha ʻo Sakuli, ko e foha ʻo Matania: he naʻe ongolelei ʻakinautolu ko e angatonu, pea ko ʻenau ngāue ia ke tufaki ki honau ngaahi kāinga.

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 ‌ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi au koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni, pea ʻoua naʻa ke holoholo ke mole ʻeku ngaahi ngāue lelei ʻaia kuo u fai maʻae fale ʻo hoku ʻOtua, pea maʻae ngaahi lakanga ngāue ʻi ai.

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 Pea naʻaku mamata ki he niʻihi ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia naʻe malakaki ʻae ngaahi tataʻoʻanga uaine ʻi he ʻaho tapu, pea fetuku ʻae ngaahi ū uite, pea fakaheka ki he fanga ʻasi, pea mo e uaine foki, mo e ngaahi kālepi, mo e ngaahi fiki, mo e ngaahi kavenga kehekehe, ʻaia naʻa nau fetuku ki Selūsalema ʻi he ʻaho tapu: pea naʻaku valoki ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻaho naʻa nau fakatau meʻa kai,

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 Pea naʻe nofo ai ʻae kau tangata Taia, ʻaia naʻa nau ʻomi ʻae ngaahi ika, mo e ngaahi meʻa kehekehe, pea fakatau ʻi he ʻaho tapu ki he fānau ʻa Siuta, pea ʻi Selūsalema.

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 Pea ne u valoki ʻae ngaahi houʻeiki ʻo Siuta, pea u pehē kiate kinautolu, “Ko e hā ʻae meʻa kovi ni ʻoku mou fai, pea mou fakahala ʻae ʻaho tapu?

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 ‌ʻIkai naʻe fai pehē ʻe hoʻomou ngaahi tamai, pea ʻikai naʻe ʻomi ʻe hotau ʻOtua ʻae ngaahi kovi ni kiate kitautolu, pea ki he kolo ni? Ka ʻoku mou ʻomi ʻae houhau lahi hake ki ʻIsileli ʻi hoʻomou fakahalaʻi ʻae ʻaho tapu.”

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 Pea ʻi he fakaʻaʻau ke poʻuli ʻae ngaahi matapā ʻo Selūsalema ʻi he teʻeki hoko ʻae ʻaho tapu, naʻaku fekau ke tāpuni ʻae ngaahi matapā, pea u fekau ke ʻoua naʻa toʻo kaeʻoua ke hili ʻae ʻaho tapu; pea ne u fakanofo ʻae niʻihi ʻo ʻeku kau tamaioʻeiki ʻi he ngaahi matapā, ke ʻoua naʻa ʻomi ki ai ha kavenga ʻe taha ʻi he ʻaho tapu.

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 Ko ia naʻe mohe ai ʻituʻa Selūsalema ʻae kau maʻu koloa mo e kau fakatau ʻoe ngaahi meʻa kehekehe kotoa pē, ʻo tuʻo taha pe tuʻo ua.

One or two times merchants [DOU] stayed outside of the city on (Friday night/[the night before the Sabbath day]).

21 Pea ne u valoki ʻakinautolu, ʻo pehē kiate kinautolu, “Ko e hā ʻoku mou mohe ai ʻo ofi ki he ʻā maka? Kapau te mou toe fai ia, te u puke ʻakimoutolu.” Pea talu mei he kuonga ko ia naʻe ʻikai te nau toe haʻu ʻi he ʻaho tapu.

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 Pea ne u fekau ki he kau Livai, ke nau fakamaʻa ʻakinautolu, pea ke nau haʻu ʻo vakai ki he ngaahi matapā, ke fakatapui ʻae ʻaho tapu. ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi au koeʻuhi ko e meʻa ni foki, pea fakamoʻui au ʻo fakatatau ki hono lahi ʻo hoʻo angaʻofa.

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 Pea naʻaku mamata foki ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko ia ki he kau Siu naʻa nau mali mo e kau fefine ʻo ʻAsitoti, mo ʻAmoni, mo Moape;

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 Pea naʻe lea fakavaeua ʻe heʻenau fānau ʻi he lea ʻo ʻAsitoti, pea naʻe ʻikai te nau faʻa lea ʻi he lea ʻae kakai Siu pē, kae ʻi he lea ʻae kakai fakatouʻosi.

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 Pea ne u valoki ʻakinautolu, pea manuki ʻakinautolu, pea taaʻi honau niʻihi, pea fusi honau fulufuluʻi [ʻulu], pea fakafuakavaʻi ʻakinautolu ʻi he ʻOtua, ʻo pehē, “ʻOua naʻa mou foaki homou ngaahi ʻofefine ki honau ngaahi foha, pe toʻo honau ngaahi ʻofefine ki homou ngaahi foha, pe moʻomoutolu.

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 ‌ʻIkai naʻe fai angahala ʻe Solomone ko e tuʻi ʻa ʻIsileli ʻi he ngaahi meʻa ni? Ka naʻe ʻikai ha tuʻi hangē ko ia ʻi he ngaahi puleʻanga lahi, ʻaia naʻe ʻofeina ʻe hono ʻOtua, pea fakanofo ia ʻe he ʻOtua ke tuʻi ki ʻIsileli kotoa pē, ka ko e moʻoni naʻe fakaangahalaʻi ia ʻe he kau fefine muli.

[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 Pea te mou tokanga koā kiate kimoutolu ke mou fai ʻae ngaahi kovi lahi ni, ke talangataʻa ki hotau ʻOtua ʻi he mali mo e kau fefine muli?”

[Do you think that] we should do what you have done, and disobey our God by marrying foreign women [who worship idols]? [RHQ]”

28 Pea ko e foha ʻe taha ʻo Soiata, ko e foha ʻo Iliasipi ko e taulaʻeiki lahi, ko e foha ia ʻi he fono kia Sanipalate ko e tangata Holoni: ko ia naʻaku tuli ia ke ʻalu ʻiate au.

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 ‌ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi ʻakinautolu, ko e meʻa ʻi heʻenau fakahalaʻi ʻae ngāue fakataulaʻeiki, mo e fuakava ʻoe ngāue fakataulaʻeiki, pea ʻoe kau Livai.

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 Naʻe pehē pe ʻeku fakamaʻa ʻakinautolu mei he kakai muli, peau tuʻutuʻuni ʻae ngaahi lakanga ʻoe kau taulaʻeiki, mo e kau Livai, takitaha ki heʻene ngāue;

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 Pea mo e foaki ʻoe ʻakau fefie, ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho naʻe kotofa, pea ki he ngaahi ʻuluaki fua. ʻE hoku ʻOtua, ke ke manatuʻi au, ke u lelei ai.

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]!