Nehemiah 13

1 At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,

1 وَتُلِيَ فِي نَفْسِ ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ مِنْ سِفْرِ مُوسَى عَلَى مَسَامِعِ الشَّعْبِ، فَوَجَدُوا مَكْتُوباً فِيهِ أَنَّهُ يُحَظَّرُ عَلَى أَيِّ مُوآبِيٍّ أَوْ عَمُّونِيٍّ الانْضِمَامُ إِلَى جَمَاعَةِ اللهِ إِلَى الأَبَدِ،

2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

2 لأَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَسْتَقْبِلُوا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ بِالْخُبْزِ وَالْمَاءِ، بَلِ اسْتَأْجَرُوا بَلْعَامَ لِكَيْ يَلْعَنَهُمْ، فَحَوَّلَ إِلَهُنَا اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَى بَرَكَةٍ.

3 As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

3 وَعِنْدَمَا سَمِعُوا نَصَّ الشَّرِيعَةِ عَزَلُوا الْغُرَبَاءَ عَنْهُمْ.

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God

4 وَقَبْلَ هَذِهِ الأُمُورِ كَانَ أَلْيَاشِيبُ الْكَاهِنُ الأَمِينُ عَلَى مَخَازِنِ هَيْكَلِ إِلَهِنَا ذَا عَلاقَةٍ حَمِيمَةٍ بِطُوبِيَّا،

5 and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

5 فَهَيَّأَ لَهُ مُخْدَعاً عَظِيماً، حَيْثُ اعْتَادُوا سَابِقاً أَنْ يَخْزِنُوا التَّقْدِمَاتِ وَالْبَخُورَ وَالآنِيَةَ وَعُشْرَ الْقَمْحِ وَالْخَمْرِ وَالزَّيْتِ الْمُخَصَّصَةَ لِلّاوِيِّينَ وَالْمُرَتِّلِينَ وَحُرَّاسِ أَبْوَابِ الْهَيْكَلِ، وَحَيْثُ كَانَتْ تُخْزَنُ الْمُخَصَّصَاتُ الْمُقَدَّمَةُ إِلَى الْكَهَنَةِ.

6 While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

6 وَلَمْ أَكُنْ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ فِي أَثْنَاءِ ذَلِكَ، لأَنِّي فِي السَّنَةِ الثَّانِيَةِ وَالثَّلاثِينَ مِنْ حُكْمِ أَرْتَحْشَشْتَا مَلِكِ بَابِلَ مَثَلْتُ أَمَامَهُ ثُمَّ اسْتَأْذَنْتُ مِنْهُ بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ،

7 to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.

7 وَرَجَعْتُ إِلَى أُورُشَليِمَ وَاطَّلَعْتُ عَلَى مَا ارْتَكَبَهُ أَلْيَاشِيبُ مِنْ شَرٍّ عَظِيمٍ عِنْدَمَا أَعَدَّ لِطُوبِيَّا مُخْدَعاً فِي دِيَارِ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ.

8 And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

8 فَسَاءَنِي الأَمْرُ جِدّاً حَتَّى إِنِّي طَرَحْتُ جَمِيعَ أَمْتِعَةِ طُوبِيَّا خَارِجَ الْمُخْدَعِ،

9 Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

9 ثُمَّ أَصْدَرْتُ أَوَامِرِي بِتَطْهِيرِ الْمَخَادِعِ كُلِّهَا، وَرَدَدْتُ إِلَيْهَا آنِيَةَ هَيْكَلِ اللهِ مَعَ التَّقْدِمَةِ وَالْبَخُورِ.

10 I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.

10 وَعَلِمْتُ أَنَّ اللّاوِيِّينَ لَمْ يَتَسَلَّمُوا مُخَصَّصَاتِهِمْ، فَلَجَأُوا هُمْ وَالْمُغَنُّونَ الَّذِينَ قَامُوا بِالْعَمَلِ، إِلَى حُقُولِهِمْ.

11 So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,

11 فَأَنَّبْتُ الْمَسْؤولِينَ وَسَأَلْتُهُمْ: «لِمَاذَا تُرِكَ بَيْتُ اللهِ بِغَيْرِ رِعَايَةٍ؟» ثُمَّ جَمَعْتُ اللّاوِيِّينَ وَأَعَدْتُهُمْ إِلَى مَرَاكِزِهِمْ.

12 and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.

12 وَأَدَّى جَمِيعُ يَهُوذَا عُشْرَ الْحِنْطَةِ وَالْخَمْرِ وَالزَّيْتِ إِلَى الْمَخَازِنِ.

13 I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

13 وَعَيَّنْتُ عَلَى أَمَانَةِ شُؤُونِ الْمَخَازِنِ شَلَمْيَا الْكَاهِنَ، وَصَادُوقَ الْكَاتِبَ، وَفَدَايَا مِنَ اللّاوِيِّينَ. كَمَا عَيَّنْتُ حَانَانَ بْنَ زَكُّورَ بْنِ مَتَّنْيَا لِمَا عُرِفَ عَنْهُمْ مِنْ أَمَانَةٍ، وَكَانَتْ مُهِمَّتُهُمْ تَوْزِيعَ الأَنْصِبَةِ عَلَى إِخْوَتِهِمْ.

14 Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.

14 فَاذْكُرْنِي يَا إِلَهِي مِنْ أَجْلِ هَذَا وَلا تَنْسَ حَسَنَاتِي الَّتِي بَذَلْتُهَا فِي خِدْمَةِ بَيْتِ إِلَهِي.

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.

15 وَفِي تِلْكَ الأَيَّامِ شَاهَدْتُ فِي أَرْضِ يَهُوذَا قَوْماً يَدُوسُونَ الْمَعَاصِرَ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ، وَيَأْتُونَ بِأَكْيَاسِ الْحِنْطَةِ وَيُحَمِّلُونَهَا عَلَى الْحَمِيرِ، وَكَذَلِكَ بِأَحْمَالِ الْعِنَبِ وَالتِّينِ وَسِوَاهَا مِنَ الْمَحَاصِيلِ الَّتِي يَجْلِبُونَهَا إِلَى أُورُشَلِيمَ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ، فَحَذَّرْتُهُمْ مِنْ بَيْعِ الطَّعَامِ فِي ذَلِكَ الْيَوْمِ.

16 Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

16 كَمَا رَأَيْتُ بَعْضَ أَهْلِ صُورَ مِمَّنْ يُقِيمُونَ فِي أُورُشَلِيمَ يَأْتُونَ بِالسَّمَكِ وَغَيْرِهِ مِنْ صُنُوفِ الْبَضَائِعِ لِبَيْعِهَا لِسُكَّانِ يَهُوذَا وَأَهْلِ أُورُشَلِيمَ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ.

17 Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

17 عِنْدَئِذٍ خَاصَمْتُ أَشْرَافَ يَهُوذَا وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: «أَيُّ شَرٍّ تَرْتَكِبُونَهُ إِذْ تُدَنِّسُونَ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ؟

18 Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

18 أَلَمْ يَتَصَرَّفْ آبَاؤُكُمْ هَكَذَا؟ أَلَمْ يَصُبَّ إِلَهُنَا كُلَّ غَضَبِهِ عَلَيْنَا وَعَلَى هَذِهِ الْمَدِينَةِ؟ وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ فَإِنَّكُمْ تَجْلِبُونَ مَزِيداً مِنَ السُّخْطِ عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ إِذْ تُدَنِّسُونَ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ».

19 When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.

19 وَعِنْدَمَا زَحَفَ الظَّلامُ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ أُورُشَلِيمَ عِنْدَ حُلُولِ السَّبْتِ، أَمَرْتُ بِإِغْلاقِ الْبَوَّابَاتِ وَالامْتِنَاعِ عَنْ فَتْحِهَا حَتَّى انْقِضَاءِ يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ وَكَلَّفْتُ بَعْضَ رِجَالِي بِحِرَاسَةِ الْبَوَّابَاتِ لِئَلّا يَتِمَّ إِدْخَالُ بَعْضِ الأَحْمَالِ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ،

20 Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,

20 فَبَاتَ التُّجَّارُ وَبَاعَةُ مُخْتَلَفِ الْبَضَائِعِ خَارِجَ أُورُشَلِيمَ مَرَّةً وَمَرَّتَيْنِ،

21 but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.

21 فَأَنْذَرْتُهُمْ قَائِلاً: «لِمَاذَا تَبِيتُونَ أَمَامَ السُّورِ؟ إِنْ عُدْتُمْ إِلَى ذَلِكَ فَإِنِّي أُلْقِي الْقَبْضَ عَلَيْكُمْ». وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الْحِينِ كَفُّوا عَنِ الْمَجِيءِ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ.

22 Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.

22 وَأَمَرْتُ اللّاوِيِّينَ أَنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوَا لِيَأْتُوا وَيَقُومُوا بِحِرَاسَةِ الْبَوَّابَاتِ لِيُقَدِّسُوا يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ. فَاذْكُرْنِي يَا إِلَهِي مِنْ أَجْلِ هَذَا أَيْضاً، وَأَحْسِنْ إِلَيَّ بِحَسَبِ مَرَاحِمِكَ الْكَثِيرَةِ.

23 In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

23 وَفِي ذَلِكَ الزَّمَنِ شَاهَدْتُ يَهُوداً مِمَّنْ تَزَوَّجُوا مِنْ نِسَاءٍ أَشْدُودِيَّاتٍ وَعَمُّونِيَّاتٍ وَمُوآبِيَّاتٍ،

24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

24 وَلاحَظْتُ أَنَّ نِصْفَ كَلامِ أَوْلادِهِمْ بِلُغَةِ أَشْدُودَ، أَوْ لُغَةِ بَعْضِ الشُّعُوبِ الأُخْرَى، وَيَجْهَلُونَ اللُّغَةَ الْيَهُودِيَّةَ،

25 I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

25 فَأَنَّبْتُهُمْ وَلَعَنْتُهُمْ وَضَرَبْتُ مِنْهُمْ قَوْماً وَنَتَفْتُ شُعُورَهُمْ، وَاسْتَحْلَفْتُهُمْ بِاسْمِ اللهِ قَائِلاً: «إِيَّاكُمْ أَنْ تُزَوِّجُوا بَنَاتِكُمْ مِنْ بَنِيهِمْ، وَلا تَأْخُذُوا بَنَاتِهِمْ لأَبْنَائِكُمْ وَلا لَكُمْ.

26 Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

26 أَلَيْسَ بِمِثْلِ هَذَا أَخْطَأَ سُلَيْمَانُ مَلِكُ إِسْرَائِيلَ، مَعَ أَنَّهُ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُ نَظِيرٌ بَيْنَ مُلُوكِ شُعُوبٍ كَثِيرَةٍ؟ لَقَدْ كَانَ مَحْبُوباً عِنْدَ إِلَهِهِ، وَجَعَلَهُ اللهُ مَلِكاً عَلَى إِسْرَائِيلَ، وَمَعَ ذَلِكَ أَغْوَتْهُ النِّسَاءُ الأَجْنَبِيَّاتُ عَلَى ارْتِكَابِ الإِثْمِ

27 Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

27 فَهَلْ نَتَغَاضَى عَمَّا اقْتَرَفْتُمُوهُ مِنْ شَرٍّ عَظِيمٍ فِي حَقِّ إِلَهِنَا بِاتِّخَاذِكُمْ زَوْجَاتٍ غَرِيبَاتٍ؟

28 Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.

28 وَكَانَ أَحَدُ أَبْنَاءِ يُويَادَاعَ بْنِ أَلْيَاشِيبَ رَئِيسِ الْكَهَنَةِ صِهْراً لِسَنْبَلَّطَ الْحُورُونِيِّ، فَطَرَدْتُهُ عَنِّي.

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

29 فَاذْكُرْهُمْ يَا إِلَهِي لأَنَّهُمْ دَنَّسُوا الْكَهَنُوتَ وَعَهْدَ الْكَهَنُوتِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ،

30 Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

30 وَهَكَذَا طَهَّرْتُهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ مَا هُوَ غَرِيبٌ، وَعَيَّنْتُ لِلْكَهَنَةِ وَاللّاوِيِّينَ وَاجِبَاتِهِمْ، لِكُلٍّ بِمُقْتَضَى خِدْمَتِهِ،

31 I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.

31 كَمَا رَتَّبْتُ أَمْرَ جَلْبِ حَطَبِ التَّقْدِمَاتِ فِي مَوَاعِيدِهَا الْمُقَرَّرَةِ، وَكَذَلِكَ رَفْعِ أَوَائِلِ الْمَحَاصِيلِ. فَاذْكُرْنِي يَا إِلَهِي بِالْخَيْرِ».