UNehemiya 13

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

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

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 Kwasekusithi sebewuzwile umlayo behlukanisa koIsrayeli yonke ingxube yezizwe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 Khona wonke uJuda waletha okwetshumi kwamabele lewayini elitsha lamafutha eziphaleni.

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

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

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

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

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

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 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.

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

So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside of 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 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 Ngasengitshela amaLevi ukuthi azihlambulule, eze alinde amasango, ukungcwelisa usuku lwesabatha. Langalokho ungikhumbule, Nkulunkulu wami, ungihawukele ngokobunengi bomusa wakho.

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

In those days I also 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 speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

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.

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 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.

Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet amongst 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 Pho, sizalilalela yini ukwenza bonke lobobubi obukhulu, ngokona kuNkulunkulu wethu ngokuthatha abafazi bezizweni?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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