Nehemiah 13

1 Te khohnin ah Moses cabu khuikah te pilnam kah a hna ah a tae pah. Te vaengah cabu khuiah te Ammoni neh Moab tah kumhal due Pathen kah hlangping khuila kun sak pawt ham a daek te a hmuh.

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

2 Israel ca rhoek te buh neh, tui neh a doe uh pawt bueng kolla Israel te thaephoei thil ham Balaam te a paang uh. Tedae kaimih kah Pathen loh rhunkhuennah te yoethennah la a poeh sak.

because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them; however, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 Olkhueng te a yaak van neh namcom boeih tah Israel taeng lamloh a hoep uh.

It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

4 Te hlan vaengah khosoih Eliashib te Tobiah neh a yoei la kaimih kah Pathen im kah imkhan ah a khueh.

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

5 Anih ham te imkhan a len a saii pah. Te dongah a hmai ah khocang, hmueihtui, hnopai, parha pakhat, cangpai, misur thai neh situi khaw, Levi rhoek kah olpaek khaw, laa sa rhoek khaw, thoh tawt rhoek neh khosoih rhoek kah khosaa aka pae khaw pahoi om uh.

had prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers; and the wave offerings for the priests.

6 Te vaeng rhuet te Jerusalem ah ka om moenih. Babylon manghai Artaxerxes kah sawmthum kum nit daengah ni manghai taengla ka mael tih khohnin a thoknah te manghai taengah ka bih.

But in all this, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king; and after some days I asked leave of the king,

7 Tedae Jerusalem la ka mael vaengah tah Eliashib loh Tobiah ham boethae a saii te ka yakming. Anih ham te Pathen im kah vongup khuiah khai a saii pah.

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

8 Te lalah kai he muep n'noih dongah Tobiah im kah hnopai boeih te imkhan lamloh poeng la ka voeih pah.

It grieved me severely. Therefore I threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of the room.

9 Ka thui bangla imkhan te a caihcil uh phoeiah ni Pathen im kah hnopai te khaw khocang hmueihtui neh ka mael pueng.

Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms. I brought into them the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense again.

10 Levi rhoek buham a moe pawt te khaw ka ming. Te vaengah Levi khaw, laa sa rhoek khaw, bitat aka saii rhoek khaw amah khohmuen la rhip yong uh.

I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had each fled to his field.

11 Te dongah ukkung rhoek te ka ho tih, “Pathen im ke balae tih a hnoo?” ka ti nah. Te phoeiah amih te ka coi tih amah paihmuen ah ka pai sak.

Then I contended with the rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

12 Te daengah Judah pum loh parha pakhat, cangpai, misur thai neh situi khaw thakvoh khuila a pawk puei uh.

Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the treasuries.

13 Thakvoh rhoek te khosoih Shelemiah, cadaek Zadok neh Levi lamkah Pedaiah taengah ka kael sak. Amih kut hmuikah Mattaniah koca Zakkuur capa Hanan tah uepom la a moeh uh dongah amih taengah a manuca rhoek ham boe aka soep la ka khueh.

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 business was to distribute to their brothers.

14 Ka Pathen aw he ham he kai m'poek lah. Ka Pathen im ham neh a rhaltawt rhoek ham ka saii vanbangla ka sitlohnah te na khoe moenih.

Remember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

15 Amih tue vaengah Judah khui lamloh Sabbath ah misur rhom aka pok, canghlom aka puen, laak dongah aka tloeng khaw ka hmuh. Te vaengah misurtui, misurthaih, thaibu, hnorhih cungkuem khaw Sabbath hnin ah Jerusalem la a khuen uh. Te dongah amih kah sakah a yoih uh hnin ah tah ka rhalrhing sak.

In those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath in Judah, bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.

16 A khuiah nga neh aka phu boeih aka khuen tih Sabbath vaengah Judah koca rhoek taeng neh Jerusalem ah aka yoi Tyre rhoek loh kho a sak uh.

Some men of Tyre also lived there, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17 Te dongah Judah hlangcoelh rhoek te ka ho tih amih te, “Balae tih boethae hno na saii neh Sabbath hnin na poeih uh.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

18 Na pa rhoek loh he he a saii uh moenih a? Te dongah ni mamih kah Pathen loh mamih soah neh khopuei soah he yoethae cungkuem a pai sak. Nangmih loh Sabbath na poeih tih Israel te thinsa na koei uh coeng,” ka ti nah.

Didn’t your fathers do this, and didn’t our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 Te dongah Sabbath hlan kah Jerusalem vongka a khup nen tah ka ti nah bangla thohkhaih rhoek a khaih uh. Te vaengah Sabbath a poeng hil a ong uh pawt ham ka thui pah. Ka tueihyoeih rhoek te vongka ah ka pai sak tih Sabbath hnin ah hnorhih puen uh voel pawh.

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 until after the Sabbath. I set some of my servants over the gates, so that no burden should be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 Te dongah thenpom rhoek neh hnoyoih cungkuem aka yoi rhoek tah Jerusalem kah vongvoel ah vai khaw hnavoei khaw rhaeh uh.

So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside of Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Tedae amih te ka rhalrhing sak tih amamih taengah khaw, “Balae tih vongtung kaep ah na rhaeh uh? Nangmih soah kut kan hlah vetih na talh uh ve saw,” ka ti nah. Te khohnin lamlong tah Sabbath ah mop uh pawh.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, “Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they didn’t come on the Sabbath.

22 Te phoeiah Levi rhoek te khaw a caihcil la om ham, vongka ngaithuen ham aka pawk khaw Sabbath hnin te ciim ham khaw ka uen. Te dongah ka Pathen aw kai he m'poek lamtah na sitlohnah loh a cungkuem vanbangla kai he n'rhen lah.

I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me for this also, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.

23 Te vaeng hnin ah pataeng Judah rhoek loh Ashodi, Ammoni, Moab nu rhoek neh kho a sak uh te ka hmuh.

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

24 A ca rhoek khaw rhakthuem Ashodi ol la cal uh tih amih te pilnam neh pilnam pataeng Judah ol la a voek ham hmat uh pawh.

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 Te dongah amih te ka ho tih thae ka phoei. Amih hlang te ka taam tih ka poelh. Amih te Pathen taengah ka toemngam; Na tanu te amih koca rhoek taengla na pae uh ve. Amih nu te na ca rhoek ham neh namamih ham na lo uh ve.

I contended with them, cursed them, struck certain of them, plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

26 Israel manghai Solomon khaw he nen he a tholh moenih a? Namtom te yet lakli ah anih bang manghai a om moenih. A Pathen loh a lungnah la a om dongah anih te Pathen loh Israel boeih soah manghai la a khueh lalah anih te kholong nu rhoek loh a tholh sak.

Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet 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 foreign women caused even him to sin.

27 He boethae duet boeih saii ham, mamih Pathen taengah boekoek ham, kholong nu neh khosak ham a nangmih kawng khaw ka yaak eh?

Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?”

28 Te dongah khosoih len Eliashib capa Joiada koca lamkah Khoroni Sanballat kah a cava khaw ka taeng lamloh ka yong sak.

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 Ka Pathen aw amih te poek lah. A khosoihbi khaw, a khosoihbi neh Levi paipi khaw a noknah.

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

30 Amih te kholong boeih taeng lamloh ka caihcil tih hamsum te khosoih la, Levi la a bitat dongah rhip ka pai sak.

Thus I cleansed them from all foreigners and appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;

31 A tue a caeng vaengkah nawnnah thing ham neh thaihcuek ham khaw, Pathen aw ka taengkah he ka hnothen la poek mai.

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