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

Tơlơi Pơčơlah Mơ̆ng Ƀing Mơnuih Tuai

¹Tơdang arăng đŏk kraih Hră Môseh ƀơi anăp abih bang ƀing ană plei Yudah, ƀing gơñu hơmư̆ truh ƀơi anih čih pioh amăng hră anŭn tui anai: Ƀu hơmâo hlơi pô ôh mơ̆ng ƀing Ammôn ƀôdah ƀing Môab dưi pơgop pơlir hrŏm hơbĭt hăng ƀing ană plei Ơi Adai.⚓ ²Ơi Adai brơi Môseh čih pioh tui anŭn yuakơ đưm hlâo adih, ƀing mơnuih tuai anŭn ƀu djru kơ ƀing Israel gơnam ƀơ̆ng laih anŭn ia mơñum ôh ƀơi jơlan ƀing gơ̆ tơbiă mơ̆ng lŏn čar Êjip. Pơala kơ tơlơi djru anŭn, ƀing mơnuih tuai anŭn apăh prăk kơ Balaam kiăng kơ hơtŏm păh ƀing Israel, samơ̆ Ơi Adai ta pơplih hĭ tơlơi hơtŏm păh anŭn jing hĭ tơlơi bơni hiam.⚓ ³Tui anŭn, tơdang ƀing ană plei Yudah hơmư̆ tơlơi phiăn anŭn, ƀing gơñu pơčơlah hĭ gơñu pô mơ̆ng abih bang ƀing mơnuih tuai dŏ hơdip tŏng krah ƀing gơñu yơh.

Tơlơi Nehemyah Pơkô̆ Glaĭ

⁴Hlâo kơ anŭn ƀiă, khua ngă yang Eliasib yơh, jing pô wai lăng hơdôm anih pioh gơnam Sang Yang Ơi Adai, pơgop pơlir hăng Tôbiah mơ̆ng sui laih mơ̆n. ⁵Tui anŭn, Ñu pha brơi laih kơ Tôbiah yua sa boh anih rơhaih, jing anih hlâo adih arăng kơnơ̆ng yua kiăng kơ răk pioh khul gơnam pơyơr pơdai, gơnam ƀâo mơngưi, hơdôm gơnam yua amăng sang yang, hơdôm gơnam pơyơr kơ ƀing khua ngă yang, wơ̆t hăng hơdôm gơnam pơyơr sa črăn amăng pluh mơ̆ng pơdai, ia boh kơƀâo laih anŭn ia rơmuă ôliwơ arăng pơkă brơi laih kơ ƀing Lêwi mă bruă kơ Sang Yang, ƀing thâo ayŭ laih anŭn kơ ƀing gak wai Sang Yang.
⁶Samơ̆, tơdang abih bang tơlơi anŭn hơmâo truh laih, hlak anŭn kâo ƀu dŏ amăng plei prŏng Yerusalaim ôh, yuakơ amăng thŭn tal klâopluh-dua rơnŭk pơtao Artaksekses jing pơtao prŏng čar Babilon, kâo hơmâo wơ̆t glaĭ kiăng kơ ruai glaĭ hăng ñu yơh. Tơdơi kơ anŭn ƀiă, kâo rơkâo mơ̆ng pơtao laih anŭn ñu tŭ ư brơi kơ kâo ⁷dưi wơ̆t glaĭ pơ plei prŏng Yerusalaim yơh. Tơdang kâo truh pơ plei Yerusalaim anŭn, kâo kơtuă biă mă tơdang kâo thâo khua ngă yang Eliasib hơmâo brơi laih kơ Tôbiah mă yua sa boh anih amăng Sang Yang Ơi Adai. ⁸Kâo hil biă mă laih anŭn glŏm tơbiă hĭ abih bang dram gơnam lŏm kơ Tôbiah mơ̆ng anih anŭn. ⁹Kâo ăt brơi kơ arăng pơrơgoh hĭ anih anŭn tui hăng tơlơi phiăn mơ̆n. Giŏng anŭn, kâo brơi arăng pioh glaĭ amăng anih anŭn hơdôm gơnam yua Sang Yang Ơi Adai, wơ̆t hăng hơdôm gơnam pơyơr pơdai laih anŭn gơnam ƀâo mơngưi mơ̆n.
¹⁰Laih anŭn kâo ăt thâo mơ̆n ƀing thâo ayŭ grơ̆ng glăm bruă kơkuh pơpŭ amăng Sang Yang, laih anŭn ƀing Lêwi pơkŏn hơmâo đuaĭ hĭ laih mơ̆ng plei Yerusalaim kiăng wơ̆t glaĭ ngă đang hơma gơñu pô kiăng kơ hơdip, yuakơ ƀing ană plei ƀu pơyơr djru djŏp ôh kơ ƀing gơ̆ dưi hơdip.⚓ ¹¹Kâo ƀuăh kơ ƀing khua moa yuakơ ƀing gơñu ƀu pơñen răk wai brơi ôh kơ Sang Yang Ơi Adai. Giŏng anŭn, kâo ăt iâu glaĭ pơ Sang Yang ƀing thâo ayŭ laih anŭn ƀing Lêwi anŭn kiăng kơ ƀing gơ̆ mă bruă dơ̆ng.
¹²Giŏng anŭn, abih bang ƀing Yudah čơdơ̆ng ba rai pơ anih pioh gơnam Sang Yang hơdôm gơnam pơyơr sa črăn amăng pluh gơñu mơ̆ng pơdai, ia boh kơƀâo laih anŭn ia rơmuă ôliwơ.⚓ ¹³Kâo jao kơ ƀing hơmâo anăn gah yŭ anai wai lăng hơdôm anih pioh gơnam anŭn: Khua ngă yang anăn Selemyah, nai thâo hluh Tơlơi Juăt anăn Zadôk laih anŭn sa čô Lêwi mă bruă djru anăn Pedayah. Hanan, ană đah rơkơi Zakkur tơčô Matanyah, jing pô djru ƀing gơñu. Kâo thâo arăng dưi yap kơnăl ƀing anŭn jing ƀing mơnuih tơpă yơh kiăng kơ pha brơi hơdôm gơnam djru kơ abih bang ƀing mă bruă amăng Sang Yang.
¹⁴Ơ Ơi Adai kâo hơi, rơkâo kơ Ih hơdơr kơ kâo đa
kâo hơmâo ngă laih tơlơi anŭn
anăm wơr bĭt hĭ ôh kâo hơmâo ngă pơgiŏng hĭ laih kơ Sang Yang Ih
wơ̆t hăng khul hơdră kơkuh pơpŭ amăng anŭn mơ̆n.
¹⁵Hơmâo sa hrơi amăng hrơi Saƀat tơdang kâo dŏ pơ anih anŭn, kâo ƀuh đơđa ƀing ană plei Yudah mă bruă juă dje̱t boh kơƀâo. Đơđa ƀing pơkŏn pơdŭ pơdai, ia boh kơƀâo, boh kơƀâo, boh hra laih anŭn hơdôm gơnam pơkŏn dơ̆ng kiăng pioh ƀơi khul aseh glai gơñu kiăng kơ ba glaĭ pơ plei Yerusalaim. Tui anŭn, kâo ăt pơkơđiăng kơ ƀing gơñu ƀu dưi sĭ dram gơnam ôh amăng hrơi Saƀat.⚓ ¹⁶Hơmâo ƀing mơnuih mơ̆ng plei prŏng Tir, jing ƀing dŏ amăng plei Yerusalaim, ba rai akan laih anŭn djŏp mơta gơnam sĭ mơnia kiăng kơ sĭ kơ ƀing ană plei ta amăng plei Yerusalaim ƀơi hrơi Saƀat. ¹⁷Kâo ƀuăh kơ ƀing khua djă̱ akŏ ƀing Yudah tui anai, “Lăng bĕ kơ tơlơi sat ƀai ƀing gih ngă! Ƀing gih hlak pơgrĭ hĭ hrơi Saƀat pioh kơ rơgoh hiam. ¹⁸Anŭn yơh jing tơhơnal tơlơi yua hơget Ơi Adai brơi rai tơlơi răm rai ƀơi plei prŏng anai kiăng kơ pơkơhma̱l hĭ ƀing ơi adon ta hlâo adih. Samơ̆ ră anai ƀing gih rơkâo kiăng ba rai tơlơi Ơi Adai hil ƀrŭk⚓ hloh dơ̆ng yơh ƀơi ƀing ană plei Yudah tơdang ƀing gih pơgrĭ hĭ hrơi Saƀat anŭn.”
¹⁹Tui anŭn yơh, kâo pơđar kơ ƀing arăng krư̆ hĭ hơdôm amăng ja̱ng plei ƀơi čơdơ̆ng mơ̆ng rĭm hrơi Saƀat yơh, jing tơdang hrơi klăm truh laih, laih anŭn ƀu dưi pŏk hơdôm amăng ja̱ng anŭn ôh tơl rĭm hrơi Saƀat rơgao hĭ yơh. Kâo pioh ƀing ding kơna kâo dŏ gak ƀơi hơdôm amăng ja̱ng plei, tui anŭn, kiăng kơ kơ̆ng khă hĭ ƀing hlơi pô kiăng ba mŭt gơnam sĭ amăng hrơi Saƀat. ²⁰Đơđa hơmâo sa ƀôdah dua wơ̆t ƀing sĭ mơnia, jing ƀing sĭ djŏp mơta dram gơnam, đŏm mlam gah rơngiao kơ plei Yerusalaim kiăng kơ mŭt tơdang truh mơguah hrơi Saƀat. ²¹Samơ̆ kâo pơkơđiăng kơ ƀing gơñu tui anai, “Ƀu hơmâo tơlơi tŭ yua hơget ôh ƀing gih dŏ tơguan gah rơngiao kơ plei anŭn truh mơguah. Tơdah ƀing gih ngă dơ̆ng, kâo či ngă sat kơ ƀing gih yơh.” Čơdơ̆ng mơ̆ng hrơi anŭn, ƀing gơñu ƀu rai ƀơi hrơi Saƀat dơ̆ng tah. ²²Giŏng anŭn, kâo ăt pơđar kơ ƀing Lêwi mă bruă djru kơ Sang Yang pơrơgoh hĭ gơñu pô mơ̆n laih anŭn gak wai ƀơi hơdôm amăng ja̱ng, kiăng kơ ƀing ană plei Yudah ƀu pơgrĭ hĭ ôh hrơi Saƀat rơgoh hiam.
Ơ Ơi Adai kâo hơi, rơkâo kơ Ih hơdơr kơ kâo đa,
kâo ăt ngă laih tơlơi anŭn,
rơkâo kơ Ih pap brơi kơ kâo đa
yuakơ tơlơi khăp prŏng prin Ih yơh.
²³Hlak anŭn mơ̆n, kâo thâo krăn hơmâo lu ƀing đah rơkơi Yudah pơdŏ hăng ƀing đah kơmơi mơ̆ng anih lŏn Asdôd, Ammôn laih anŭn Môab.⚓ ²⁴Sămkrah ƀing ană bă gơñu pơhiăp tơlơi Asdôd ƀôdah tơlơi pơhiăp pơkŏn laih anŭn ƀu thâo pơhiăp ôh tơlơi pơhiăp ta. ²⁵Tui anŭn, kâo ƀuăh kơ ƀing đah rơkơi anŭn, hơtŏm păh ƀơi ƀing gơñu. Kâo ăt taih ama̱ng đơđa amăng ƀing gơñu laih anŭn buč hĭ ƀŭk gơñu mơ̆n. Giŏng anŭn, Kâo pơgŏ̱ ƀing gơñu ƀuăn rơ̆ng amăng anăn Ơi Adai kiăng kơ ƀing gơñu ƀu či dưi pơdŏ hăng ƀing mơnuih tuai dơ̆ng tah laih anŭn kŏn brơi ană bă gơñu pơdŏ hăng ƀing tuai anŭn lơi. ²⁶Kâo laĭ kơ ƀing gơñu tui anai, “Ƀing ta thâo laih pơtao Solomôn pơdŏ hăng ƀing đah kơmơi tuai laih anŭn ƀing bơnai ñu anŭn yơh ngă kơ ñu ngă soh. Ñu yơh jing sa čô pơtao yom pơphan hloh kơ ƀing pơtao lŏn čar pơkŏn. Ơi Adai ta khăp kơ ñu laih anŭn brơi ñu jing pơtao kơ abih bang ƀing Israel ta, samơ̆ tơdơi kơ anŭn, ñu lê̆ hĭ amăng tơlơi soh yuakơ ƀing đah kơmơi tuai anŭn pơsoh hĭ gơ̆.⚓ ²⁷Bơ kơ ră anai, ƀing ta ăt či khŏm ngă tui ƀing gih laih anŭn hơngah ƀu tui gưt kơ Ơi Adai ta yua mơ̆ng tơlơi pơdŏ hăng ƀing đah kơmơi tuai anŭn hă?”
²⁸Yôyada jing ană đah rơkơi khua ngă yang prŏng hloh Eliasib, samơ̆ sa čô amăng ană đah rơkơi Yôyada pơdŏ hăng ană đah kơmơi Sanballat, jing mơnuih mơ̆ng plei Bêt-Hôrôn. Tui anŭn, kâo puh pơđuaĭ hĭ ñu anŭn mơ̆ng plei Yerusalaim.⚓
²⁹Ơ Ơi Adai hơi, rơkâo kơ Ih anăm wơr bĭt hĭ ôh ƀing ngă soh anŭn
jing ƀing khua ngă yang hơmâo pơgrĭ hĭ laih bruă khua ngă yang
laih anŭn ƀing khua ngă yang hăng ƀing Lêwi mă bruă djru,
jing ƀing hơmâo pơjŏh hĭ laih tơlơi ƀuăn gơñu.
³⁰Tui anŭn, kâo pơrơgoh hĭ ƀing ană plei mơ̆ng abih bang tơlơi ƀing tuai phara hăng tơlơi phiăn laih anŭn kâo prap rơmet laih hơdôm tơlơi phiăn kơ ƀing khua ngă yang, kơ ƀing Lêwi mă bruă djru kiăng kơ abih bang ƀing gơñu dưi thâo krăn yơh bruă jao gơñu pô. ³¹Kâo ăt brơi ƀing ană plei ba rai nanao djŭh kiăng kơ yua čuh gơnam pơyơr ƀơi rĭm mông pơkơčah laih. Laih anŭn kâo ăt brơi ƀing gơñu ba rai nanao hơdôm gơnam pơyơr pơdai hlâo hla̱ng gơñu laih anŭn gơnam pơyơr boh čroh tơsă blung hlâo mơ̆n.
Ơ Ơi Adai hơi, rơkâo kơ Ih hơdơr bĕ abih bang tơlơi anai
laih anŭn yap kơnăl kơ kâo kơ tơlơi anŭn đa.