Foreigners Are Sent Away
1 On that day when the Law of Moses was read aloud to everyone, it was discovered that Ammonites and Moabites were forbidden to belong to the people of God. 2 This was because they had refused to give food and water to Israel and had hired Balaam to call down a curse on them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 Following the reading of the Law of Moses, the people of Israel started sending away anyone who had any foreign ancestors.
Nehemiah Makes Other Changes
4 The priest Eliashib was a relative of Tobiah and had earlier been put in charge of the temple storerooms. 5 So he let Tobiah live in one of these rooms, where all kinds of things had been stored—the grain offerings, incense, utensils for the temple, as well as the tenth of the grain, wine, and olive oil that had been given for the use of the Levites, singers, and temple guards, and the gifts for the priests.
6 This happened in the thirty-second year that Artaxerxes ruled Babylonia. I was away from Jerusalem at the time, because I was visiting him. Later I received permission from the king 7 to return to Jerusalem. Only then did I find out that Eliashib had done this terrible thing of letting Tobiah have a room in the temple. 8 It upset me so much that I threw out every bit of Tobiah's furniture. 9 Then I ordered the room to be cleaned and the temple utensils, the grain offerings, and the incense to be brought back into the room.
10 I also found out that the temple singers and several other Levites had returned to work on their farms, because they had not been given their share of the harvest. 11 I called the leaders together and angrily asked them, “Why is the temple neglected?” Then I told them to start doing their jobs. 12 After this, everyone in Judah brought a tenth of their grain, wine, and olive oil to the temple storeroom. 13 Finally, I appointed three men with good reputations to be in charge of what was brought there and to distribute it to the others. They were Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the teacher of the Law, and Pedaiah the Levite. Their assistant was Hanan, the son of Zaccur and the grandson of Mattaniah.
14 I pray that my God will remember these good things that I have done for his temple and for those who worship there.
The Sabbath
15 I also noticed what the people of Judah were doing on the Sabbath. Not only were they trampling grapes to make wine, but they were harvesting their grain, grapes, figs, and other crops, and then loading these on donkeys to sell in Jerusalem. So I warned them not to sell food on the Sabbath. 16 People who had moved to Jerusalem from the city of Tyre were bringing in fish and other things to sell there on the Sabbath. 17 I got angry and said to the leaders of Judah, “This evil you are doing is an insult to the Sabbath! 18 Didn't God punish us and this city because our ancestors did these very same things? And here you are, about to make God furious again by disgracing the Sabbath!”
19 I ordered the gates of Jerusalem to be closed on the eve of the Sabbath and not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. Then I put some of my own men in charge of the gates to make certain that nothing was brought in on the Sabbath. 20 Once or twice some merchants spent the night outside Jerusalem with their goods. 21 But I warned them, “If you do this again, I'll have you arrested.” From then on, they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 I ordered the Levites to make themselves holy and to guard the gates on the Sabbath, so that it would be kept holy.
God is truly merciful, and I pray that he will treat me with kindness and bless me for doing this.
Mixed Marriages
23 I discovered that some Jewish men had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 About half of their children could not speak Hebrew—they spoke only the language of Ashdod or some other foreign language. 25 So in my anger, I called down curses on those men. I had them beaten and even pulled out the hair of some of them. Then I made them promise:
In the name of God we solemnly promise not to let our sons and daughters marry foreigners. 26 God dearly loved King Solomon of Israel and made him the greatest king on earth, but Solomon's foreign wives led him into sin. 27 So we will obey you and not rebel against our God by marrying foreign women.
28 Jehoiada, the son of the high priest Eliashib, had a son who had married a daughter of Sanballat from Horon, and I forced his son to leave.
29 I pray that God will punish them for breaking their priestly vows and disgracing the Levi tribe.
30 Then I made sure that the people were free from every foreign influence, and I assigned duties for the priests and Levites. 31 I also arranged for the people to bring firewood to the altar each day and for them to bring the first part of their harvest to the temple.
I pray that God will bless me for the good I have done.
Bantalankoolu niŋ Banisirayilankoolu bondoo ñoo to
1 Wo luŋo la ì ye Musa la Luwaa* Kitaaboo karaŋ ne, moolu tarata i lamoyi kaŋ. Aduŋ ñiŋ ne naata tara safeeriŋ jee ko, hani Ammoninkoolu waraŋ Mowabinkoolu kiliŋ maŋ ñaŋ na duŋ na Alla la jamaa moolu kono. 2 Kaatu ì balanta le nuŋ ka domoroo niŋ jiyo dii Banisirayilankoolu la, kabiriŋ ì be bo la naŋ Misira. Bari ì ye Balaamu le joo ka Banisirayilankoolu danka. Wo ñaa-wo-ñaa, ntolu la Alla ye dankaroo ñiŋ yelemandi ǹ ye neemoo le ti. 3 Kabiriŋ Banisirayilankoolu ye i lamoyi luwaa ñiŋ karaŋo la, ì ye moolu bee bondi Banisirayila moolu kono le, mennu mu bantalankoolu ti.
Nehemiya la falindiroolu
4 Janniŋ ñiŋ be ke la, Piriisi* Eliyasibu le marata Alla Batudulaa Buŋo* maabori buŋolu ma. Kafuñooyaa baa le tarata a niŋ Tobiya teema. 5 Aduŋ a ye maabori buŋ baa kiliŋ dii Tobiya la le. Jee mu nuŋ siimaŋ sadaalu* le kedulaa ti, cuuraayoo, Alla Batudulaa Buŋo jooraŋolu, ka taa siimaŋ jakoolu, wayini* kutoo, aniŋ olifu* tuloo, mennu diita Lewi lasiloo la, suukuulaalaalu, aniŋ Alla Batudulaa Buŋo to dundaŋ daa kantalaalu. Feŋolu mennu ka dii piriisoolu la fanaa bee ka ke jee le.
6 Bari kabiriŋ ñiŋ bee be ke la, nte te nuŋ Yerusalaamu. M muruta nuŋ Babiloni mansakewo Atasasita yaa le, a la mansayaa sanji taŋ saba niŋ fulanjaŋo kono. Kabiriŋ a meeta domandiŋ, n naata sara mansa la ka taa. 7 Kabiriŋ n seyita naŋ Yerusalaamu le, n naata a loŋ Eliyasibu ye kuu jawoo meŋ ke, ka buŋo dii Tobiya la, Alla Batudulaa Buŋo luwo to. 8 N kamfaabaata ñiŋ kuwo la le, aduŋ ŋa Tobiya la bunkono feŋolu bee fintindi buŋo ñiŋ kono le, ka ì fayi banta. 9 Ŋa kaŋo dii ko, ì si buŋo konoolu seneyandi, aduŋ ŋa Alla Batudulaa Buŋo jooraŋolu murundi jee le, ka taa siimaŋ sadaalu, aniŋ cuuraayoo.
10 N naata a loŋ fanaa ko, Lewi lasiloo niyo maŋ dii ì la. Wo ye a tinna le Lewi lasiloo niŋ suukuulaalaalu, mennu tarata Alla Batudulaa Buŋo to baturoo daa to, muruta ì la kunkoolu to. 11 Bituŋ ŋa ñaatonkoolu sonkandi, n ko ì ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna ali ye ali ñaa kaasi Alla Batudulaa Buŋo la?” Bituŋ ŋa Lewi lasiloo niŋ suukuulaalaalu bendi ñoo kaŋ, aduŋ ŋa ì londi ì la palaasoolu to. 12 Wo le to Yahuudoolu bee ye ì la siimaŋ jakoolu samba naŋ maabori buŋolu kono, ka taa wayini kutoo, aniŋ olifu tuloo. 13 Bituŋ ŋa ñiŋ kewolu marandi maabori buŋolu ma: Piriisi Selemiya, karammoo Sadoki, aniŋ Lewi lasili moo Pedaya. Sakuri dinkewo Hanani, Mataniya mamariŋo, ŋa wo le ke ì la maakoyirilaa ti, kaatu ñiŋ kewolu keta moo tilindiŋolu le ti. Ì la dookuwo mu ñiŋ ne ti ka ì baadiŋolu niyo talaa ì teema feŋolu to.
14 N na Alla, i hakiloo si bula n na, aduŋ i kana n na baaroolu tuutuu, n saayiriŋo ye mennu ke Alla Batudulaa Buŋo ye, aniŋ a dookuwolu to.
Loobula luŋo la kuwo
15 Wo waatoo kono ŋa kewolu je Yahuuda le, ì be doriroo la wayini yiridiŋ bitidulaalu to Loobula Luŋo la. Ì ka siimaŋolu samba naŋ ne, aduŋ ì ka dunoo laa faloolu le kaŋ. Aduŋ ì ka wayinoo fanaa samba naŋ ne, ka taa wayini diŋ ñatoolu, sooto diŋolu aniŋ duni feŋ siifaalu bee. Ì ka ñiŋ bee samba naŋ Yerusalaamu Loobula Luŋo le la. Wo kamma la, ŋa ì dandalaa wo luŋo domori waafoo la. 16 Tire moolu mennu be siiriŋ Yerusalaamu, ka ñewo samba naŋ ne, aniŋ waafiri feŋ siifaalu bee. Ì ka ì waafi Yahuudoolu ma Loobula Luŋo le la, Yerusalaamu saatewo faŋo kono. 17 Bituŋ ŋa Yahuuda ñaatonkoolu sonkandi, n ko ì ye ko, “Ali ka muŋ kuu jawu le ke teŋ, ka Loobula Luŋo la kuwo feeyaa? 18 Fo m̀ mumuñolu maŋ baara ñiŋ kuu siifaa le la, aduŋ fo wo le maŋ a tinna ǹ na Alla ye kasaaroo samba naŋ ǹ kaŋ, aniŋ ñiŋ saatewo kaŋ? Wo ñaa-wo-ñaa ali ka yankankatoo lafaa Banisirayila kaŋ ka bo niŋ Loobula Luŋo tiñaa la.”
19 Kabiriŋ wulaara dubeŋo jiita Yerusalaamu dundaŋ daalu kaŋ, janniŋ Loobula Luŋo be dati la, ŋa kaŋo dii ka daa tawundaŋolu soroŋ, aduŋ ì kana yele fo niŋ Loobula Luŋo tambita. Ŋa m faŋo la dookuulaa kewo doolu le londi dundaŋ daalu to, ñiŋ kamma la duni kana samba naŋ konoto Loobula Luŋo la. 20 Siiñaa kiliŋ fo fula, safaarilaalu niŋ juloolu mennu ka feŋ siifaalu bee waafi, ye suutoo laa Yerusalaamu banta la le. 21 Bari ŋa ì dandalaa le, n ko ì ye ko, “Muŋ ne ye a tinna ali ka suutoo laa tata sansaŋo bala? Niŋ ali ye a ke kotenke, m buloo be laa la ali kaŋ ne.” Ka bo wo waatoo la, ì maŋ naa Loobula Luŋo la. 22 Bituŋ ŋa kaŋo dii Lewi lasiloo la ka ì faŋolu seneyandi, ka taa saatee dundaŋ daalu kanta, ñiŋ kamma la Loobula Luŋo si kuliyaa.
N na Alla, ì hakiloo si bula n ye ñiŋ fanaa la, aduŋ i si balafaa soto n ye ka bo niŋ i la kanu bambaloo la.
Bantala musoolu futuwo jalayiroo
23 Wo waatoolu kono fanaa ŋa Yahuudoolu je le mennu ye musoolu futuu, mennu bota Asidodi, Ammoni, aniŋ Mowabi. 24 Ì diŋolu talantewo ka Asidodi kaŋo le fo waraŋ banku koteŋolu moolu la kaŋo, aduŋ ì buka Yahuudi kaŋo fo noo. 25 Ŋa ì sonkandi, aduŋ ŋa ì danka beteke le. Ŋa kewo doolu lipa le ka ì kuntiñoolu wafu. Ŋa ì kalindi Alla too la teŋ ne ko, “Ali te ali dimmusoolu dii la futuwo la bantalankoolu dinkewolu ye, sako ali si ì dimmusoolu taa futuwo la ali dinkewolu ye, waraŋ ali faŋolu ye. 26 Fo ñiŋ musu siifaalu la kuwo le maŋ Banisirayila la nunto mansakewo Sulemani duŋ junube kewo to baŋ? A ñoŋ mansakee maŋ soto nuŋ banku koteŋolu bee kaŋ. Alla ye a kanu le, aduŋ Alla le ye a ke Banisirayila bee la mansa ti. Bari hani ate, bantala musoolu ye a duŋ junube kewo to le. 27 Fo ǹ ñanta le ka ñiŋ moyi tukuŋ ko, alitolu fanaa be ñiŋ kuu jawu baa le ke kaŋ, ka badaloo tiliŋ Alla la, ka bo niŋ bantala musu futuwo la?”
28 Yoyada mu Piriisi kuntiyo Eliyasibu dinkewo le ti. Yoyada dinkewo doo be jee ŋa wo bayi m bala le, kaatu a ye Samballati Horoninkoo dimmusoo le futuu.
29 N na Alla, i hakiloo si bula ì la, kaatu ì ye piriisiyaa dookuwo tiñaa le, aduŋ ì ye piriisoolu niŋ Lewi lasiloo la kambeŋo tiñaa le.
30 Bituŋ ŋa seneyandiroo ke, ka bantala feŋolu bee bondi, aduŋ ŋa dookuu siŋo dii piriisoolu niŋ Lewi lasiloo la, ka a je ko meŋ-wo-meŋ ye a la dookuwo loŋ. 31 Ŋa a kata le fanaa ka a je ko, loo si kari naa sadaajanidulaa* to a waatoo la, aniŋ fanaa katiri kuŋ foloolu si naati.
N na Alla, i hakiloo si bula n na, i ye neema m ma.
