Nehemiah 13

1 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;

當日，人念摩西的律法書給百姓聽，遇見書上寫着說，亞捫人和摩押人永不可入上帝的會；

2 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.

因為他們沒有拿食物和水來迎接以色列人，且雇了巴蘭咒詛他們，但我們的上帝使那咒詛變為祝福。

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

以色列民聽見這律法，就與一切閒雜人絕交。

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

先是蒙派管理我們上帝殿中庫房的祭司以利亞實與多比雅結親，

5 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.

便為他預備一間大屋子，就是從前收存素祭、乳香、器皿，和照命令供給利未人、歌唱的、守門的五穀、新酒，和油的十分之一，並歸祭司舉祭的屋子。

6 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;

那時我不在耶路撒冷；因為巴比倫王亞達薛西三十二年，我回到王那裏。過了多日，我向王告假。

7 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.

我來到耶路撒冷，就知道以利亞實為多比雅在上帝殿的院內預備屋子的那件惡事。

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

我甚惱怒，就把多比雅的一切家具從屋裏都拋出去，

9 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.

吩咐人潔淨這屋子，遂將上帝殿的器皿和素祭、乳香又搬進去。

10 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.

我見利未人所當得的分無人供給他們，甚至供職的利未人與歌唱的俱各奔回自己的田地去了。

11 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.

我就斥責官長說：「為何離棄上帝的殿呢？」我便招聚利未人，使他們照舊供職。

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

猶大眾人就把五穀、新酒，和油的十分之一送入庫房。

13 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.

我派祭司示利米雅、文士撒督，和利未人毗大雅作庫官管理庫房；副官是哈難。哈難是撒刻的兒子；撒刻是瑪他尼的兒子。這些人都是忠信的，他們的職分是將所供給的分給他們的弟兄。

14 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.

我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，不要塗抹我為上帝的殿與其中的禮節所行的善。

15 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:

那些日子，我在猶大見有人在安息日醡酒，搬運禾捆馱在驢上，又把酒、葡萄、無花果，和各樣的擔子在安息日擔入耶路撒冷，我就在他們賣食物的那日警戒他們。

16 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.

又有泰爾人住在耶路撒冷；他們把魚和各樣貨物運進來，在安息日賣給猶大人。

17 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?

我就斥責猶大的貴冑說：「你們怎麼行這惡事犯了安息日呢？

18 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?

從前你們列祖豈不是這樣行，以致我們上帝使一切災禍臨到我們和這城嗎？現在你們還犯安息日，使忿怒越發臨到以色列！」

19 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.

在安息日的前一日，耶路撒冷城門有黑影的時候，我就吩咐人將門關鎖，不過安息日不准開放。我又派我幾個僕人管理城門，免得有人在安息日擔甚麼擔子進城。

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

於是商人和販賣各樣貨物的，一兩次住宿在耶路撒冷城外。

21 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.

我就警戒他們說：「你們為何在城外住宿呢？若再這樣，我必下手拿辦你們。」從此以後，他們在安息日不再來了。

22 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.

我吩咐利未人潔淨自己，來守城門，使安息日為聖。我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，照你的大慈愛憐恤我。

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

那些日子，我也見猶大人娶了亞實突、亞捫、摩押的女子為妻。

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

他們的兒女說話，一半是亞實突的話，不會說猶大的話，所說的是照着各族的方言。

25 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.

我就斥責他們，咒詛他們，打了他們幾個人，拔下他們的頭髮，叫他們指着上帝起誓，必不將自己的女兒嫁給外邦人的兒子，也不為自己和兒子娶他們的女兒。

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

我又說：「以色列王所羅門不是在這樣的事上犯罪嗎？在多國中並沒有一王像他，且蒙他上帝所愛，上帝立他作以色列全國的王；然而連他也被外邦女子引誘犯罪。

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

如此，我豈聽你們行這大惡，娶外邦女子干犯我們的上帝呢？」

28 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.

大祭司以利亞實的孫子、耶何耶大的一個兒子是和倫人參巴拉的女婿，我就從我這裏把他趕出去。

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

我的上帝啊，求你記念他們的罪；因為他們玷污了祭司的職任，違背你與祭司利未人所立的約。

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

這樣，我潔淨他們，使他們離絕一切外邦人，派定祭司和利未人的班次，使他們各盡其職。

31 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.

我又派百姓按定期獻柴和初熟的土產。我的上帝啊，求你記念我，施恩與我。