13

Principles of Separation

¹On that day ⚓they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written ⚓that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, ²because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but ⚓hired Balaam against them to curse them. ⚓However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³So it was, when they had heard the Law, ⚓that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Reforms of Nehemiah

⁴Now before this, ⚓Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with ⚓Tobiah. ⁵And he had prepared for him a large room, ⚓where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, ⚓which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. ⁶But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, ⚓for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, ⁷and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in ⚓preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God. ⁸And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. ⁹Then I commanded them to ⚓cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
¹⁰I also realized that the portions for the Levites had ⚓not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to ⚓his field. ¹¹So ⚓I contended with the rulers, and said, ⚓“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. ¹²⚓Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. ¹³⚓And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse 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 considered ⚓faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
¹⁴⚓Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
¹⁵In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses ⚓on the Sabbath, and 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 warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. ¹⁶Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
¹⁷Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? ¹⁸⚓Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
¹⁹So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it ⚓began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. ⚓Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
²¹Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. ²²And I commanded the Levites that ⚓they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
²³In those days I also saw Jews who⚓had married women of ⚓Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. ²⁴And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.
²⁵So I ⚓contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them ⚓swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. ²⁶⚓Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, ⚓who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. ⚓Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. ²⁷Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, ⚓transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”
²⁸And one of the sons ⚓of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ⚓Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.
²⁹⚓Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and ⚓the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
³⁰⚓Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also ⚓assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, ³¹and to bringing⚓the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.
⚓Remember me, O my God, for good!

13

Cais Cov Neeg Txawv Tebchaws Tawm

¹Thaum muab Mauxes txoj Kevcai nyeem rau cov pejxeem mloog, lawv nyeem txog qhov uas hais tias tsis tso cai rau cov Amoos thiab cov Mau-am tuaj koom nrog Vajtswv haivneeg ua ke. ²Lawv ua li no, rau qhov cov Amoos thiab cov Mau-am tsis pub zaub mov thiab dej rau cov Yixalayees thaum uas lawv tsiv nram tebchaws Iziv los thiab lawv tseem muab nyiaj mus ntiav Npala-as kom foom tsis zoo rau cov Yixalayees. Tiamsis peb tus Vajtswv muab tej lus foom tsis zoo ntawd hloov ua lus koob hmoov. ³Thaum cov Yixalayees hnov li ntawd, ces lawv txawm muab cov neeg txawv tebchaws cais tagnrho tawm ntawm cov Yixalayees lawm.

Nehemis Txhim Kho Kev Tswjhwm Tshiab

⁴Tus povthawj Eli-asis uas yog tus saib cov chav rau khoom hauv lub Tuamtsev nws yeej ua phoojywg zoo nrog Taunpias los tau ntev lawm. ⁵Nws tso cai rau Taunpias siv ib chav loj uas yog cia rau tej khoom fij uas yog qoobloo, tej tshuaj tsw qab, tej khoom siv rau lub Tuamtsev, tej khoom fij rau cov povthawj thiab tej khoom fij uas yog ib feem kaum ntawm tej qoobloo, cawv txiv hmab thiab roj txiv ntoo uas muab rau cov Levis, cov hu nkauj thiab cov zov lub Tuamtsev. ⁶Thaum uas muaj tej xwm no tshwmsim, kuv tsis nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees lawm, rau qhov txog xyoo peb caug ob uas Ataxawxes ua vajntxwv nyob hauv nroog Npanpiloos, mas kuv yuav tsum tau rov qab mus qhia kuv tej haujlwm rau nws. Tom qab ntawd, kuv thiaj mus thov lus tso cai ncaim vajntxwv ⁷rov los rau hauv nroog Yeluxalees. Kuv thiaj hnov tej kev txhaum uas Eli-asis ua, nws tau tso cai rau Taunpias siv ib chav tsev rau khoom hauv Vajtswv lub Tuamtsev. ⁸Ua rau kuv chim heev, kuv thiaj muab txhua yam uas yog Taunpias li coj mus povtseg huv tibsi. ⁹Kuv thiaj samhwm kom cia li muab chav ntawd ua kevcai ntxuav kom huv thiab rov mus muab tej khoom siv hauv lub Tuamtsev, tej qoobloo uas coj tuaj fij, thiab tej tshuaj tsw qab rov los tso rau hauv chav ntawd.
¹⁰Thiab kuv tseem hnov xov hais tias cov hu nkauj hauv lub Tuamtsev thiab cov Levis ibtxhia tau tawm hauv nroog Yeluxalees thiab rov qab mus nyob rau hauv lawv tej teb lawm, rau qhov cov pejxeem coj khoom noj haus tuaj pub tsis txaus rau lawv. ¹¹Yog li ntawd, kuv thiaj cem cov nomtswv hais tias, “Vim li cas yuav muab Vajtswv lub Tuamtsev tso tseg?” Thiab kuv thiaj hais kom cov hu nkauj thiab cov Levis rov los nyob hauv lub Tuamtsev ua lawv tes haujlwm dua. ¹²Ces cov Yixalayees thiaj rov pib coj lawv tej qoobloo, cawv txiv hmab thiab txiv ntoo roj ib feem kaum tuaj tso rau hauv lub Tuamtsev. ¹³Kuv thiaj tsa cov neeg uas muaj npe li nram no ua cov saib tej chav rau khoom ntawd: Selemiyas uas yog ib tug povthawj; Xadaus uas yog ib tug paub txoj Kevcai zoo; thiab Pedayas uas yog ib tug Levis. Hanas uas yog Xakus tus tub thiab yog Mataniyas tus xeebntxwv ua tus pab lawv. Kuv paub thiab ntseeg cov txivneej no siab hais tias lawv yuav ua haujlwm ncaj ncees faib tej khoom ntawd rau sawvdaws.
¹⁴Kuv tus Vajtswv, thov koj nco ntsoov tej uas kuv tau ua rau koj lub Tuamtsev ua yog qhov chaw pehawm koj.
¹⁵Lub sijhawm ntawd, kuv tseem pom cov pejxeem hauv lub xeev Yudas mus tso kua txiv hmab hnub Xanpataus. Dua li lwm cov tseem cab lawv tej neesluav mus thauj nplej, thauj cawv txiv hmab, thauj txiv ncuavpias thiab lwm yam khoom los rau hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees; kuv thiaj ntuas lawv kom tsis txhob muag ib yam khoom dabtsi rau hnub Xanpataus hlo li. ¹⁶Muaj ib cov neeg uas nyob pem lub nroog Tiles tuaj nyob hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees, lawv coj ntses thiab txhua yam khoom zoo tuaj rau hauv lub nroog, ces hnub Xanpataus lawv muab tej ntawd muag rau peb cov neeg. ¹⁷Kuv thiaj cem cov Yudas tej thawjcoj thiab hais rau lawv tias, “Nej sim saib tej kev phem vuabtsuab uas nej ua ntawd saib! Nej ua rau hnub Xanpataus tsis dawbhuv lawm ntag. ¹⁸Nej cov yawgkoob tsis tau ua dua li no, thiab Vajtswv tsis tau tso tej kev puastsuaj los raug peb thiab lub nroog no dua li los? Qhov no yog nej coj kev puastsuaj los rau cov Yixalayees, vim nej tau ua tsis huv rau hnub Xanpataus.”
¹⁹Kuv thiaj samhwm kom muab tej roojvag nroog Yeluxalees kaw ua ntej thaum yuav tsaus ntuj, hmo uas ua ntej hnub Xanpataus, kuv samhwm kom yuav tsum kaw tej roojvag tagnrho thiab tsis txhob qhib mus txog thaum uas dhau hnub Xanpataus lawm. Thiab kuv tseem tso kuv cov neeg mus soj tej roojvag saib puas pom muaj neeg coj khoom los rau hauv lub nroog hnub Xanpataus. ²⁰Tiamsis tseem muaj cov neeg uas muag txhua yam khoom tuaj nyob sab nraum ntug nroog Yeluxalees zov tos ib ob zaug ua ntej hmo uas yuav txog hnub Xanpataus thiab. ²¹Kuv ceebtoom rau lawv hais tias, “Tsis muaj qabhau dabtsi rau nej tuaj nyob sab nraum ko zov tos txog tagkis kaj ntug. Yog hais tias nej tseem pheej ua li no ntxiv, kuv yuav rho nplawm rau nej ntag.” Txij kiag thaum ntawd los hnub Xanpataus lawv txawm tsis tuaj li lawm. ²²Kuv tau samhwm kom cov Levis mus ua kevcai ntxuav kom lawv huv, mus zov tej roojvag kom zoo thiaj ua rau Hnub Xanpataus dawbhuv.
Vajtswv, thov koj nco ntsoov kuv, thiab thov koj tseg kuv txojsia, rau qhov koj yog tus uas muaj txojkev hlub loj kawg nkaus.
²³Lub sijhawm ntawd kuv tseem hnov hais tias muaj cov Yudas coob leej tau mus yuav cov Asedaus, cov Amoos thiab cov Mau-am tej ntxhais los ua pojniam thiab. ²⁴Lawv cov menyuam ib nrab yeej hais lus Asedaus thiab hais lwm yam lus lawm xwb, yeej tsis txawj hais peb tej lus li lawm. ²⁵Kuv thiaj cem lawv thiab foom tsis zoo rau lawv; kuv muab qee leej ntaus thiab tsawv lawv tej plaubhau cab; kuv hais kom lawv coglus ntawm Vajtswv lub npe thiab hais tias. Nej tseg tsis txhob qua nej tej ntxhais rau lawv tej tub, thiab tsis txhob mus yuav lawv tej ntxhais los rau nej tej tub lossis rau nej yuav ua pojniam ntxiv lawm. ²⁶Kuv hais rau lawv tias, “Tsis yog cov pojniam uas yog neeg txawv tebchaws no ua rau Vajntxwv Xalumoos poob rau txojkev txhaum los? Ntau haivneeg yeej tsis muaj ib tug vajntxwv zoo li nws, nws yog tus uas Vajtswv hlub, Vajtswv tsa nws ua vajntxwv kav cov Yixalayees; txawm li ntawd los, cov pojniam uas yog neeg txawv tebchaws tseem ntxias tau nws mus ua kev txhaum thiab. ²⁷Puas tsimnyog cia peb mloog nej lus thiab xyaum ua txhaum loj npaum li nej tau tawmtsam peb tus Vajtswv uas yog mus yuav cov neeg txawv tebchaws tej ntxhais los ua pojniam?”
²⁸Yauyadas twb yog Eli-asis uas yog tus Povthawj Hlob tus tub ntag, tiamsis Yauyadas ib tug tub tseem mus yuav kiag Xanpalas uas nyob hauv lub nroog Npethes Hauloos tus ntxhais los ua pojniam thiab. Yog li ntawd, kuv thiaj li muab Yauyadas ntiab tawm hauv lub nroog Yeluxalees mus lawm.
²⁹Kuv tus Vajtswv, thov koj nco ntsoov lawv cov ntawd, rau qhov lawv tau ua tsis huv rau txoj kevcai ua povthawj thiab tej uas cov povthawj thiab cov Levis tau coglus tseg lawm.
³⁰Kuv tau ua kevcai ntxuav lawv ntawm txhua yam uas yog cov neeg txawv tebchaws li; kuv npaj tau ib txoj kevcai rau cov povthawj thiab cov Levis coj kom lawv txhua tus nyias thiaj paub nyias lub luag haujlwm zoo. ³¹Kuv samhwm kom npaj tej taws cia tau hlawv tej khoom fij rau tej lub sijhawm uas tsimnyog thiab lub sijhawm uas cov neeg sawvdaws coj lawv tej qoobloo thiab tej txiv ntoo thawj phaum uas sau tau tuaj ua khoom fij.
Vajtswv, thov koj ncov ntsoov kuv thiab foom koob hmoov rau kuv!