Nehemiah 13

1 On that day, a portion, was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, —and it was found written therein, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not enter into the convocation of God, unto times age-abiding;

Forsothe in that dai it was red in the book of Moises, in heryng of the puple; and it was foundun writun ther ynne, that Amonytis and Moabitis owen not entre in to the chirche of God til in to with outen ende;

2 because they met not the sons of Israel, with bread and with water, —but hired against them Balaam, to curse them, although our God turned the curse into a blessing.

for thei metten not the sones of Israel with breed and watir, and thei hiriden ayens the sones of Israel Balaam, for to curse hem; and oure God turnede the cursyng in to blessyng.

3 So it came to pass, when they had heard the law, —that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

Sotheli it was doon, whanne `thei hadden herd the lawe, thei departiden ech alien fro Israel.

4 Now, before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over a chamber of the house of God, was allied unto Tobiah;

And upon these thingis Eliasib, the prest, `was blameful, that was the souereyn in the tresorie of the hows of oure God, and was the neiybore of Tobie.

5 so he prepared him a large chamber, where aforetime they used to lay the meal-offering, the frankincense, and the utensils, and the tithe of the corn, the new wine and the oil, in charge of the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, —and the heave-offerings for the priests.

Therfor he made to him a grete treserie, `that is, in the hows of God; and men kepynge yiftis, and encence, and vessels, and the tithe of wheete, of wyn, and of oile, the partis of dekenes, and of syngeris, and of porteris, and the firste fruytis of prestis, `weren there bifor him.

6 But, throughout all this [time], was I not in Jerusalem, —for, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I came unto the king, and, at the end of certain days, obtained I leave of the king;

Forsothe in alle these thingis Y was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thrittithe yeer of Artaxerses, kyng of Babiloyne, Y cam to the kyng, and in the ende of daies Y preiede the kyng.

7 and came to Jerusalem, —and had intelligence of the wickedness which Eliashib had committed for Tobiah, in preparing for him a chamber, in the courts of the house of God;

And Y cam in to Jerusalem, and Y vndurstood the yuel, which Eliasib hadde do to Tobie, to make to hym a tresour in the porchis of Goddis hows; and to me it semede ful yuel.

8 and it grieved me exceedingly, —and I cast forth all the household utensils of Tobiah, outside of the chamber.

And Y castide forth the vessels of the hows of Tobie out of the tresorie;

9 Then commanded I, and they purified the chambers, —and I put back there, the utensils of the house of God, the meal-offering and the frankincense.

and Y comaundide, and thei clensiden the tresories; and Y brouyte ayen there the vessels of Goddis hous, sacrifice, and encence.

10 Then came I to know, that, the portions of the Levites, had not been given [them], —so that the Levites and the singers, who had been doing the work, had fled every one to his field.

And Y knew that the partes of dekenes weren not youun, and that ech man of the dekenes and of the syngeris, and of hem that mynystriden hadde fledde in to his cuntrei;

11 Therefore contended I with the deputies, and said, Wherefore is the house of God, forsaken? So I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

and Y dide the cause ayens magistratis, and Y seide, Whi `forsaken we the hous of God? And Y gaderide hem togidere, `that is, dekenes and mynystris `that hadden go awei, and Y made hem to stonde in her stondyngis.

12 Then, all Judah, brought in the tithe of corn, and new wine, and oil, unto the treasuries;

And al Juda brouyte the tithe of wheete, of wiyn, and of oile, in to bernes.

13 and I made treasurers over the treasuries—Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from among the Levites, and, next unto them, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, —for faithful were they accounted, and it was [laid] upon them to distribute unto their brethren.

And we ordeyneden on the bernes, Selemye, the prest, and Sadoch, the writere, and Phadaie, of the dekenes, and bisidis hem, Anan, the sone of Zaccur, the sone of Mathanye; for thei weren preued feithful men, and the partis of her britheren weren bitakun to hem.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, —and do not wipe out my lovingkindnesses, which I have done for the house of my God, and for those keeping charge thereof.

My God, haue mynde of me for this thing, and do thou not awei my merciful doyngis, whiche Y dide in the hows of my God, and in hise cerymonyes.

15 In those days, saw I in Judah—some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and lading asses, moreover also wine, grapes, and figs, and every kind of burden, which they were bringing into Jerusalem on the sabbath day, —so I protested against it, as a day for them to sell provisions.

Yn tho daies Y siy in Juda men tredinge pressours in the sabat, `men bryngynge hepis, and chargynge on assis wiyn, and grapis, and figis, and al birthun, and `bringynge in to Jerusalem in the dai of sabat; and Y witnesside to hem, that thei schulden sille in the dai, in which it was leueful to sille.

16 And, men of Tyre, dwelt therein, who were bringing in fish—and every kind of ware for sale, —and were selling, on the sabbath, to the sons of Judah, and in Jerusalem;

And men of Tire dwelliden `in it, and brouyten in fischis, and alle thingis set to sale, and thei selden `in the sabatis to the sones of Juda and of Jerusalem.

17 so I contended with the nobles of Judah, —and said unto them, What is this wicked thing which, ye, are doing, and profaning the sabbath day?

And Y rebuykide the principal men of Juda, and Y seide to hem, What is this yuel thing which ye doen, and maken vnhooli the daie of the sabat?

18 Was it not, thus, your fathers did, and our God brought upon us all this calamity, and upon this city?—and, ye, would add indignation against Israel, by profaning the sabbath!

Whether oure fadris diden not these thingis, and oure God brouyte on vs al this yuel, and on this citee? and `ye encreessen wrathfulnesse on Israel, in defoulynge the sabat.

19 And it came to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem made a shadow before the sabbath, then gave I word, and they shut the doors, and I gave word, that they should not open them, until after the sabbath, —and, some of my young men, set I near the gates, so that no burden should be brought in, on the sabbath day.

Forsothe it was doon, whanne the yatis of Jerusalem hadden restid in the dai of sabat, Y seide, Schitte ye the yatis; and thei schittiden the yatis; and I comaundide, that thei schuden not opene tho yatis til aftir the sabat. And of my children Y ordeynede noumbris on the yatis, that no man schulde brynge in a birthun in the dai of sabat.

20 But the traders and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

And marchauntis, and men sillinge alle thingis set to sale dwelliden with out Jerusalem onys and twies.

21 Therefore I testified against them, and said unto them, Wherefore are ye lodging against the wall? if ye do it again, a hand, will I thrust upon you, —From that time, they came not on the sabbath.

And Y aresonyde hem, and Y seide to hem, Whi dwellen ye euene ayens the wal? If ye doon this the secounde tyme, Y schal sette hond on you. Therfor fro that tyme thei camen not in the sabat.

22 And I gave word to the Levites, that they should be purifying themselves and coming in, as keepers of the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. This also, remember to me, O my God, and have pity upon me, according to the abundance of thy lovingkindness.

Also Y seide to dekenes, that thei schulden be clensid, and that thei schulden come to kepe the yatis, and to halowe the dai of sabat. And therfor for this thing, my God, haue mynde of me, and spare me bi the mychilnesse of thi merciful doyngis.

23 Moreover, in these days, saw I the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, of Moab;

But also in tho daies Y siy Jewys weddinge wyues, wymmen of Azotus, and wymmen of Amonytis, and wymmen of Moabitis.

24 and, their children, were one-half speaking the language of Ashdod, and understood not how to speak the language of the Jews, —but after the tongue of both people.

And her children spaken half part bi the speche of Ayotus, and kouden not speke bi the speche of Jewis, and thei spaken bi the langage of puple and of puple.

25 So I contended with them, and laid a curse upon them, and I smote, from among them, certain men, and pulled out their hair, —and I put them on oath by God, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take of their daughters, for your sons nor for yourselves.

And Y rebuykide hem, and Y curside; and Y beet the men `of hem, and Y made hem ballid, and Y made hem to swere bi the Lord, that thei schulden not yyue her douytris to the sones of `tho aliens, and that thei schulden not take of the douytris of `tho aliens to her sones, and to hem silf;

26 Was it not, over these things, that Solomon king of Israel sinned—though, among many nations, there was no king such as he, and he was, beloved by his God, and so God gave him to be king over all Israel, —even him, did foreign women, cause to sin.

and Y seide, Whether Salomon, the kyng of Israel, synnede not in siche a thing? And certis in many folkis was no kyng lijk hym, and he was loued of his God, and God settide hym kyng on al Israel, and therfor alien wymmen brouyten hym to synne.

27 Unto you, then, shall we hearken, to do all this great wickedness, to act unfaithfully with our God, —by marrying foreign wives?

Whether also we vnobedient schulden do al this grete yuel, that we trespasse ayens `oure Lord God, and wedde alien wyues?

28 And, one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, —therefore I chased him from me.

Forsothe Sanabalath Horonyte hadde weddid a douyter of the sones of Joiada, sone of Eliasib, the grete prest, which Sanaballath Y droof awei fro me.

29 Remember them, O my God, —on account of the Defilings of the Priesthood, and the Covenant of the Priesthood, and of the Levites.

My Lord God, haue mynde ayens hem, that defoulen presthod, and the riyt of prestis and of dekenes. Therfor I clenside hem fro alle aliens, and I ordeynede ordris of prestis and of dekenes,

30 So I purified them from everything foreign, —and appointed charges unto the priests and unto the Levites, every one in his work;

ech man in his seruice, and in the offring,

31 also for the offering of wood, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good!

that is, dressing, of trees in tymes ordeyned, and in the firste fruytis. My God, haue mynde of me in to good.