UNehemiya 13

1 Ngalolosuku babala egwalweni lukaMozisi endlebeni zabantu; kwasekutholwa kubhaliwe kulo ukuthi umAmoni lomMowabi kabasoze bangene ebandleni likaNkulunkulu phakade;

In that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people; and it was found written in it, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not enter into the congregation of God for ever;

2 ngoba bengahlangabezanga abantwana bakoIsrayeli ngesinkwa langamanzi, kodwa baqhatsha bemelene labo uBalami, ukubaqalekisa; kodwa uNkulunkulu wethu waphendula isiqalekiso saba yisibusiso.

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

3 Kwasekusithi sebewuzwile umlayo behlukanisa koIsrayeli yonke ingxube yezizwe.

And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, [even] every alien in Israel.

4 Ngaphambi kwalokho-ke uEliyashibi umpristi owayemiswe phezu kwekamelo likaNkulunkulu wethu, wayeyisihlobo sikaTobiya.

And before this time Eliasib the priest lived in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;

5 Wayemlungisele ikamelo elikhulu lapho ababekade befaka khona umnikelo wokudla, impepha, lezitsha, lokwetshumi kwamabele, iwayini elitsha, lamafutha, okwakulayelwe amaLevi labahlabeleli labalindimasango, lomnikelo wabapristi.

and he made himself a great treasury, and there they were formerly in the habit of bestowing the offerings, and the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, the ordered portion of the Levites, and singers, and porters; and the first fruits of the priests.

6 Kodwa kukho konke lokhu ngangingekho eJerusalema, ngoba ngomnyaka wamatshumi amathathu lambili kaAthakisekisi inkosi yeBhabhiloni ngeza enkosini; lekupheleni kwezinsuku ngacela imvumo enkosini,

But in all this [time] I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king;

7 ngeza eJerusalema, ngaqedisisa ngokubi uEliyashibi ayekwenzele uTobiya ngokumlungisela ikamelo emagumeni endlu kaNkulunkulu.

and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliasib had done in the case of Tobias, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God.

8 Kwasekusiba kubi kakhulu kimi; ngakho ngaphosela phandle zonke impahla zendlu kaTobiya phandle kwekamelo.

And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.

9 Ngasengilaya, bahlambulula amakamelo; ngabuyisela khona izitsha zendlu kaNkulunkulu lomnikelo wokudla lempepha.

And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored there the vessels of the house of God, [and] the offerings, and the frankincense.

10 Ngasengisazi ukuthi izabelo zamaLevi zazinganikwanga, lokuthi amaLevi labahlabeleli ababesenza umsebenzi babalekela ngulowo ensimini yakhe.

And I understood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites and the singers doing the work.

11 Ngasengiphikisana lababusi ngathi: Kungani indlu kaNkulunkulu itshiyiwe? Ngababuthanisa, ngabamisa endaweni yabo.

And I strove with the commanders, and said, Therefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.

12 Khona wonke uJuda waletha okwetshumi kwamabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha eziphaleni.

And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,

13 Ngasengibeka abagciniziphala phezu kweziphala, oShelemiya umpristi, loZadoki umbhali, loPhedaya kumaLevi, leceleni kwabo uHanani indodana kaZakuri indodana kaMathaniya, ngoba kwathiwa bathembekile; njalo kwakuphezu kwabo ukwabela abafowabo.

to the charge of Selemia the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and Phadaea of the Levites: and next to them [was] Anan the son of Zacchur, son of Matthanias; for they were accounted faithful: [it was] their office to distribute to their brethren.

14 Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, mayelana lalokho, ungayicitshi imisebenzi yami yomusa engiyenzele indlu kaNkulunkulu wami lezinkonzo zayo.

Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my kindness be forgotten which I have wrought in [regard to] the house of the Lord God.

15 Ngalezonsuku ngabona koJuda abanyathela izikhamelo zewayini ngesabatha, labangenisa izithungo, abathwalisa obabhemi, lewayini futhi, izithelo zesivini, lemikhiwa, lawo wonke umthwalo, abakungenisa eJerusalema ngosuku lwesabatha. Ngafakaza mhla bethengisa ukudla.

In those days I saw in Juda [men] treading wine presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and loading asses with both wine, and grapes, and figs, and every [kind of] burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day:

16 LabeTire bahlala kuyo, beletha inhlanzi lempahla yonke ethengiswayo, bakuthengisa ngesabatha kubantwana bakoJuda laseJerusalema.

and I testified in the day of their sale. Also their lived in it [men] bringing fish, and selling every [kind of] merchandise to the children of Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath.

17 Khona ngaphikisana lezikhulu zakoJuda, ngathi kuzo: Iyini le into embi eliyenzayo lingcolisa usuku lwesabatha?

And I strove with the free children of Juda, and said to them, What [is] this evil thing which you do, and profane the sabbath-day?

18 Kabenzanga njalo yini oyihlo, loNkulunkulu wethu wehlisela phezu kwethu bonke lobububi laphezu kwalumuzi? Kanti lina landisa ulaka phezu kukaIsrayeli ngokungcolisa isabatha.

Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do you bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath?

19 Kwasekusithi lapho amasango eJerusalema eseqala ukuba mnyama mandulo kwesabatha, ngalaya ukuthi iminyango kayivalwe, njalo ngalaya ukuthi bangayivuli kuze kube ngemva kwesabatha. Ngabeka ezinye zenceku zami emasangweni ukuze kungangeni mthwalo ngosuku lwesabatha.

And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Jerusalem, before the sabbath, that I spoke, and they shut the gates; and I gave orders that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set [some] of my servants at the gates, that none should bring [in] burdens on the sabbath-day.

20 Ngakho abathengi labathengisi bempahla yonke balala ngaphandle kweJerusalema kanye loba kabili.

So all [the merchants] lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Khona ngafakaza ngimelene labo ngathi kibo: Lilalelani maqondana lomduli? Uba likwenza futhi, ngizalidumela ngesandla. Kusukela kulesosikhathi kababuyanga ngesabatha.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do you lodge in front of the wall? if you do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the sabbath.

22 Ngasengitshela amaLevi ukuthi azihlambulule, eze alinde amasango, ukungcwelisa usuku lwesabatha. Langalokho ungikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobunengi bomusa wakho.

and I told the Levites who were purifying themselves, and came and kept the gates, that they should sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of your mercy.

23 Futhi, ngalezonsuku ngabona amaJuda ayethethe abafazi, abangamaAshidodikazi, amaAmoni, amaMowabi.

And in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, [and] of Moab:

24 Labantwana babo, ingxenye babekhuluma isiAshidodi njalo bengelakukhuluma isiJuda, kodwa ngokolimi lwezizwe ngezizwe.

and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.

25 Ngasengiphikisana lawo, ngawaqalekisa, ngatshaya amanye awo, ngawangcothula inwele; ngawafungisa ngoNkulunkulu: Kaliyikunika amadodakazi enu kumadodana abo, njalo kaliyikuthathela amadodana enu emadodakazini abo, kumbe lina ngokwenu.

And I strove with them and cursed them; and I struck some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying, ]You shall not give your daughters to their sons, and you shall not take of their daughters to your sons.

26 USolomoni inkosi yakoIsrayeli konanga yini ngalezozinto? Kube kanti phakathi kwezizwe ezinengi kwakungelankosi enjengaye, owayethandeka kuNkulunkulu wakhe, loNkulunkulu wamenza inkosi phezu kukaIsrayeli wonke; laye abafazi bezizweni bamenza ukuthi one.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.

27 Pho, sizalilalela yini ukwenza bonke lobobubi obukhulu, ngokona kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuthatha abafazi bezizweni?

So we will not listen to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God, —to marry strange wives.

28 Lenye yamadodana kaJehoyada indodana kaEliyashibi umpristi omkhulu, yayingumkhwenyana kaSanibhalathi umHoroni; ngakho ngayixotsha yasuka kimi.

and Elisub the high priest, [one] of the sons of Joada, [being] son-in-law of Sanaballat the Uranite, I chased him away from me.

29 Bakhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngoba bangcolisile ubupristi lesivumelwano sobupristi lesamaLevi.

Remember them, O God, for their [false] connection with the priesthood, and [the breaking] the covenant of the priesthood, and [for defiling] the Levites.

30 Ngokunjalo ngabahlambulula kubo bonke abezizweni, ngamisa imfanelo kubapristi lakumaLevi, ngulowo lalowo emsebenzini wakhe,

So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, [every] man according to his work.

31 leyomnikelo wenkuni ngezikhathi ezimisiweyo, leyezithelo zokuqala. Ngikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ngokuhle.

And the offering of the wood-bearers [was] at certain set times, and in the [times of the] first fruits. Remember me, O our God, for good.