Nehemiæ 13

1 In die autem illo lectum est in volumine Moysi audiente populo: et inventum est scriptum in eo, quod non debeant introire Ammonites et Moabites in ecclesiam Dei usque in æternum:

On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God, forever.

2 eo quod non occurrerint filiis Israel cum pane et aqua: et conduxerint adversum eos Balaam, ad maledicendum eis: et convertit Deus noster maledictionem in benedictionem.

This was because they had not come to the people of Israel with bread and with water, but they had hired Balaam to curse Israel. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 Factum est autem, cum audissent legem, separaverunt omnem alienigenam ab Israel.

As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.

4 Et super hoc erat Eliasib sacerdos, qui fuerat præpositus in gazophylacio domus Dei nostri, et proximus Tobiæ.

Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to Tobiah.

5 Fecit ergo sibi gazophylacium grande, et ibi erant ante eum reponentes munera, et thus, et vasa, et decimam frumenti, vini, et olei, partes Levitarum, et cantorum, et ianitorum, et primitias sacerdotales.

Eliashib prepared for Tobiah a large storeroom, where previously they kept the grain offering, the incense, the articles, and the tithes of the grain, new wine, and the oil, which were designated for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

6 In omnibus autem his non fui in Ierusalem, quia anno trigesimo secundo Artaxerxis regis Babylonis veni ad regem, et in fine dierum rogavi regem.

But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,

7 Et veni in Ierusalem, et intellexi malum, quod fecerat Eliasib Tobiæ ut faceret ei thesaurum in vestibulis domus Dei.

and I returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom in the courts of the house of God.

8 Et malum mihi visum est valde. Et proieci vasa domus Tobiæ foras de gazophylacio:

I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.

9 præcepique et emundaverunt gazophylacia: et retuli ibi vasa domus Dei, sacrificium, et thus.

I ordered that they purify the storerooms, and I put back in them the articles of the house of God, the grain offerings, and the incense.

10 Et cognovi quod partes Levitarum non fuissent datæ: et fugisset unusquisque in regionem suam de Levitis, et cantoribus, et de his, qui ministrabant:

I learned that the Levites' portions had not been given to them, and they had run away, each to his own field, the Levites and the singers who did the work.

11 et egi causam adversus magistratus, et dixi: Quare dereliquimus domum Dei? Et congregavi eos, et feci stare in stationibus suis.

So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.

12 Et omnis Iuda apportabat decimam frumenti, vini, et olei in horrea.

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

13 Et constituimus super horrea Selemiam Sacerdotem, et Sadoc scribam, et Phadaiam de Levitis, et iuxta eos Hanan filium Zachur, filium Mathaniæ: quoniam fideles comprobati sunt, et ipsis creditæ sunt partes fratrum suorum.

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and from the Levites, Pedaiah. Next to them was Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were counted as trustworthy. Their duties were to distribute the supplies to their associates.

14 Memento mei Deus meus pro hoc, et ne deleas miserationes meas, quas feci in domo Dei mei, et in ceremoniis eius.

Call me to mind, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and its services.

15 In diebus illis vidi in Iuda calcantes torcularia in Sabbato, portantes acervos, et onerantes super asinos vinum, et uvas, et ficus, et omne onus, et inferentes in Ierusalem die Sabbati. Et contestatus sum ut in die qua vendere liceret, venderent.

In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of heavy loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I protested that they were selling food on that day.

16 Et Tyrii habitaverunt in ea inferentes pisces, et omnia venalia: et vendebant in Sabbatis filiis Iuda in Ierusalem:

Men from Tyre living in Jerusalem brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in the city!

17 et obiurgavi optimates Iuda, et dixi eis: Quæ est hæc res mala, quam vos facitis et profanatis diem Sabbati?

Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

18 Numquid non hæc fecerunt patres nostri, et adduxit Deus noster super nos omne malum hoc, et super civitatem hanc? Et vos additis iracundiam super Israel violando Sabbatum.

Did not your fathers do this? Did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 Factum est autem, cum quievissent portæ Ierusalem in die Sabbati, dixi: et clauserunt ianuas, et præcepi ut non aperirent eas usque post Sabbatum: et de pueris meis constitui super portas, ut nullus inferret onus in die Sabbati.

As soon as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 Et manserunt negotiatores, et vendentes universa venalia foris Ierusalem semel et bis.

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

21 Et contestatus sum eos, et dixi eis: Quare manetis ex adverso muri? Si secundo hoc feceritis, manum mittam in vos. Itaque ex tempore illo non venerunt in Sabbato.

But I warned them, “Why do you camp outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

22 Dixi quoque Levitis ut mundarentur, et venirent ad custodiendas portas, et sanctificandam diem Sabbati: et pro hoc ergo memento mei Deus meus, et parce mihi secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum.

Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Call me to mind for this also, my God, and have mercy on me because of the covenant loyalty you have toward me.

23 Sed et in diebus illis vidi Iudæos ducentes uxores Azotidas, Ammonitidas, et Moabitidas.

In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 Et filii eorum ex media parte loquebantur Azotice, et nesciebant loqui Iudaice, et loquebantur iuxta linguam populi, et populi.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. None of them could speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one of the other peoples.

25 Et obiurgavi eos, et maledixi. Et cecidi ex eis viros, et decalvavi eos, et adiuravi in Deo, ut non darent filias suas filiis eorum, et non acciperent de filiabus eorum filiis suis, et sibimetipsis, dicens:

I confronted them, and I cursed them, and I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

26 Numquid non in huiuscemodi re peccavit Salomon rex Israel? Et certe in gentibus multis non erat rex similis ei, et dilectus Deo suo erat, et posuit eum Deus regem super omnem Israel: et ipsum ergo duxerunt ad peccatum mulieres alienigenæ.

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of these women? 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, his foreign wives caused him to sin.

27 Numquid et nos inobedientes faciemus omne malum grande hoc ut prævaricemur in Deo nostro, et ducamus uxores peregrinas?

Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 De filiis autem Ioiada filii Eliasib sacerdotis magni, gener erat Sanaballat Horonites, quem fugavi a me.

One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.

29 Recordare Domine Deus meus adversum eos, qui polluunt sacerdotium, iusque Sacerdotale et Leviticum.

Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 Igitur mundavi eos ab omnibus alienigenis, et constitui ordines Sacerdotum et Levitarum, unumquemque in ministerio suo:

Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.

31 et in oblatione lignorum in temporibus constitutis, et in primitivis: memento mei Deus meus in bonum. Amen.

I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.