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

Y-Nêhêmi Ngă Klei Bi Mlih

¹ Ti hruê anăn diñu dlăng mơ̆ng hdruôm hră Y-Môis brei phung ƀuôn sang hmư̆; leh anăn hlăm anăn arăng ƀuh klei čih kơ sa čô Amôn amâodah sa čô Môap hlŏng lar amâo dưi mŭt hlăm phung bi kƀĭn kkuh mpŭ kơ Aê Diê; ² kyuadah diñu amâo drông ôh phung anak Israel hŏng kpŭng leh anăn êa, ƀiădah mưn leh Y-Balaam tăm pah kơ digơ̆ — ƀiădah Aê Diê hmei bi mbliư̆ klei tăm pah anăn jing sa klei hơêč hmưi. ³Tơdah phung ƀuôn sang hmư̆ leh klei bhiăn anăn, diñu bi ktlah mơ̆ng phung Israel jih jang phung anak čô tue.
⁴Êlâo kơ klei anăn Y-Êliasip khua ngă yang, pô arăng mdưm leh kiă kriê adŭ sang Aê Diê hmei, pô bi mguôp leh hŏng Y-Tôbia, ⁵mkra leh kơ Y-Tôbia sa boh adŭ prŏng, tinăn mphŭn dô diñu dưm mnơ̆ng myơr kpŭng ƀhĭ, mnơ̆ng ƀâo mngưi, čhiên mngan, leh anăn sa kdrêč hlăm pluh mdiê, kpiê mrâo, êa boh ôliwơ, mnơ̆ng arăng brei leh hŏng klei mtă kơ phung Lêwi, kơ phung mmuñ, kơ phung kiă kriê ƀăng jang leh anăn mnơ̆ng myơr kơ phung khua ngă yang. ⁶Êjai jih klei anăn truh, kâo amâo dôk hlăm ƀuôn Yêrusalem ôh, kyuadah hlăm thŭn tal tlâo pluh dua Y-Artasersês mtao Ƀaƀilôn kiă kriê, kâo wĭt leh kơ mtao. Êdei kơ anăn kâo akâo klei mdei mơ̆ng mtao, ⁷kâo lŏ hriê kơ ƀuôn Yêrusalem, hlăk anăn kâo ƀuh klei jhat Y-Êliasip ngă tơdah ñu mkra kơ Y-Tôbia sa boh adŭ hlăm wăl sang yang Aê Diê. ⁸Kâo ăl snăk leh anăn kâo hwiê hĕ mơ̆ng adŭ jih jang jhưng mdhô̆ Y-Tôbia. ⁹Kâo mtă arăng bi doh hĕ adŭ leh anăn kâo lŏ ba tinăn čhiên mngan sang yang Aê Diê, mbĭt hŏng mnơ̆ng myơr kpŭng ƀhĭ leh anăn mnơ̆ng ƀâo mngưi.
¹⁰ Msĕ mơh kâo ƀuh arăng amâo brei ôh mnơ̆ng bi kčah leh kơ phung Lêwi. Snăn phung Lêwi leh anăn phung mmuñ, phung mă bruă, grăp čô nao kơ hma gơ̆ pô.
¹¹Snăn kâo bi êdah klei anăn, ƀuah kơ phung khua leh anăn lač, “Si ngă arăng lui hĕ sang yang Aê Diê lĕ?” Kâo bi kƀĭn leh diñu mbĭt, leh anăn dưm diñu hlăm anôk diñu. ¹² Jih jang phung Yuđa djă ba sa kdrêč hlăm pluh mdiê, kpiê mrâo, leh anăn êa boh ôliwơ kơ hjiê. ¹³Kâo mdưm phung kiă kriê ngăn dŏ hlăm hjiê, Y-Sêlêmia khua ngă yang, Y-Sadôk khua čih hră, Y-Pêdaya sa čô hlăm phung Lêwi, leh anăn pô đru diñu Y-Hanan anak êkei Y-Sakur, čô Y-Matania, kyuadah arăng yap diñu sĭt suôr; leh anăn bruă diñu jing bi mbha kơ phung ayŏng adei diñu. ¹⁴Hdơr bĕ kơ kâo, Ơ Aê Diê kâo, kyua klei anăn leh anăn đăm lăm hĕ ôh bruă jăk kâo ngă leh hŏng klei sĭt suôr kơ sang yang Aê Diê kâo leh anăn kơ bruă ñu.
¹⁵ Hlăm ênuk anăn kâo ƀuh hlăm čar Yuđa phung mnuih juă boh kriăk ƀâo ti hruê sabat, leh anăn mdiăng čăp mdiê hŏng aseh, wăt kpiê mrâo, kmrŭ boh kriăk ƀâo, boh hra, leh anăn djăp mta mnơ̆ng ktrŏ, diñu mdiăng ba hlăm ƀuôn Yêrusalem hruê sabat. Kâo ghă diñu amâo dưi čhĭ sa mta mnơ̆ng hlăm hruê sabat. ¹⁶Mâo msĕ mơh phung mnuih ƀuôn Tir dôk hlăm ƀuôn djă ba kan, djăp mta mnơ̆ng mnia leh anăn čhĭ dŏ anăn hruê sabat kơ phung ƀuôn sang Yuđa, hlăm ƀuôn Yêrusalem. ¹⁷Kâo ƀuah phung mdrŏng hlăm phung Yuđa leh anăn lač kơ diñu, “Ya klei jhat diih ngă anei, bi čhŏ hruê sabat? ¹⁸Amâo djŏ hĕ msĕ snei phung aê diih ngă leh, leh anăn amâo djŏ hĕ Aê Diê drei bi truh leh jih klei jhat anei kơ drei leh anăn kơ ƀuôn anei? Ƀiădah ăt diih lŏ bi truh klei ngêñ kơ phung Israel êjai bi čhŏ hruê sabat.”
¹⁹Tơdah adiê dơ̆ng mmăt leh ti ƀăng jang ƀuôn Yêrusalem êlâo kơ hruê sabat, kâo mtă brei kđăl ƀăng bhă, leh anăn mtă amâo brei arăng pŏk ôh tơl leh jih hruê sabat. Kâo dưm đa đa hlăm phung dĭng buăl kâo kiă kriê ƀăng jang, čiăng arăng đăm ba bi mŭt mnơ̆ng ktrŏ ôh ti hruê sabat. ²⁰Phung mnia leh anăn phung čhĭ djăp mta mnơ̆ng đăm ti êngao ƀuôn Yêrusalem sa dua bliư̆. ²¹Ƀiădah kâo ghă diñu leh anăn lač, “Si ngă diih đăm ti anăp mnư̆? Tơdah diih lŏ ngă snăn, kâo srăng mă diih.” Mơ̆ng hruê anăn diñu amâo lŏ hriê ôh hlăm hruê sabat. ²²Kâo mtă kơ phung Lêwi brei diñu bi doh hĕ diñu pô, leh anăn hriê kiă ƀăng jang, čiăng pioh hruê sabat jing hruê doh jăk. Hdơr bĕ kơ kâo kyua klei anei msĕ mơh, Ơ Aê Diê kâo, leh anăn mgang pioh kâo tui si klei jăk leh anăn klei khăp prŏng ih.
²³ Msĕ mơh hlăm ênuk anăn kâo ƀuh phung Yuđa dôk mô̆ mniê Asdôt, Amôn, leh anăn Môap. ²⁴Sa mkrah phung anak diñu blŭ klei phung Asdôt, leh anăn diñu amâo dưi blŭ klei phung Yuđa ôh, ƀiădah blŭ klei grăp găp djuê mkăn. ²⁵Kâo ƀuah diñu leh anăn tăm pah diñu, čăm đa đa hlăm phung diñu, buč hĕ ƀŭk diñu; leh anăn kâo brei diñu kat asei hŏng anăn Aê Diê, lač, “Đăm diih brei ôh phung anak mniê diih kơ phung anak êkei diñu, amâodah đăm mă phung anak mniê diñu kơ phung anak êkei diih, amâodah kơ diih pô ôh. ²⁶ Amâo djŏ hĕ Y-Salômôn mtao Israel ngă soh leh kyua phung mniê msĕ snei? Ti krah phung găp djuê mnuih amâo mâo mtao msĕ si ñu ôh, leh anăn ñu jing pô Aê Diê khăp, leh anăn Aê Diê brei ñu jing mtao kơ jih jang phung Israel. Ƀiădah phung mniê tue mtrŭt wăt ñu ngă soh. ²⁷Hmei srăng dôk hmư̆ mơ̆ jih klei jhat diih ngă prŏng anei leh anăn lhiăr kơ Aê Diê drei êjai dôk mô̆ mniê tue?”
²⁸ Sa čô hlăm phung anak êkei Y-Jêhôada, čô Y-Êliasip khua ngă yang prŏng jing mtâo êkei Y-Sanbalat êkei Hôrôn. Kyua anăn kâo suôt hĕ ñu mơ̆ng kâo. ²⁹Hdơr bĕ kơ diñu, Ơ Aê Diê kâo, kyuadah diñu bi čhŏ leh klei jing khua ngă yang, leh anăn klei bi mguôp phung khua ngă yang leh anăn phung Lêwi.
³⁰Snăn kâo bi doh hĕ diñu mơ̆ng djăp mta mnơ̆ng tue, leh anăn kâo mdưm bruă kơ phung khua ngă yang leh anăn kơ phung Lêwi, grăp čô hlăm bruă ñu pô. ³¹Leh anăn ti mông bi kčah kâo mkra dưi mâo djuh myơr leh anăn boh hlâo hlang. Hdơr bĕ brei klei jăk kơ kâo, Ơ Aê Diê kâo.