1 Op die dag is daar voor die ore van die volk voorgelees uit die boek van Moses, en daarin het geskrywe gestaan dat geen Ammoniet of Moabiet tot in ewigheid in die vergadering van God mag kom nie,

2 omdat hulle die kinders van Israel nie teëgekom het met brood en water nie, en B¡leam teen hulle gehuur het om hulle te vervloek; maar onse God het die vloek in 'n seën verander.

3 En toe hulle die wet hoor, het hulle al die mense van gemengde bloed uit Israel afgesonder.

4 Maar tevore het ljasib, die priester wat oor die kamers van die huis van onse God aangestel was, 'n verwant van Tob¡a,

5 vir hom 'n groot kamer ingerig waar hulle vroeër die spysoffer, die wierook en die gereedskappe en die tiendes van koring, mos en olie, die wettige aandeel van die Leviete en die sangers en die poortwagters, en die offergawe aan die priesters neergesit het.

6 Maar gedurende dit alles was ek nie in Jerusalem nie; want in die twee en dertigste jaar van Artas sta, die koning van Babel, het ek by die koning gekom; en n verloop van tyd het ek verlof gevra van die koning

7 en na Jerusalem gekom. Toe het ek die kwaad opgemerk wat ljasib gedoen het deur vir Tob¡a 'n kamer in die voorhowe van die huis van God in te rig.

8 En ek was erg ontstemd, sodat ek al die huisraad van Tob¡a uit die kamer buitentoe gegooi het,

9 met die bevel dat hulle die kamers moes reinig; en ek het die gereedskappe van die huis van God, die spysoffer en die wierook daarin teruggebring.

10 Ook het ek verneem dat die aandele van die Leviete nie gegee is nie, sodat die Leviete en die sangers wat die dienswerk moes verrig, elkeen na sy grond gevlug het.

11 En ek het met die leiers getwis en gesê: Waarom is die huis van God in verwaarlosing? En ek het hulle bymekaar laat kom en hulle weer op hulle pos aangestel.

12 En die hele Juda het die tiendes van koring en mos en olie na die voorraadkamers gebring.

13 En oor die voorraadkamers het ek Sel,mja, die priester, en Sadok, die skrywer, en Ped ja, uit die Leviete, as skatmeesters aangestel; en as hulp vir hulle: Hanan, die seun van Sakkur, die seun van Matt nja, omdat hulle vertroubaar geag is; en hulle moes aan hulle broers uitdeel.

14 Dink hierom aan my, my God, en delg tog my liefdediens nie uit wat ek aan die huis van my God en aan die instellinge daarvan bewys het nie.

15 In die dae het ek in Juda mense gesien wat op die sabbat die parskuipe trap en vragte koring, op esels gelaai, inbring, en ook wyn, druiwe en vye en allerhande vragte met goed, en dit op die sabbatdag in Jerusalem inbring; en ek het hulle gewaarsku op die dag toe hulle lewensmiddele verkoop het.

16 Ook die Tiriërs wat daar gewoon het, het vis en allerhande koopware ingebring en op die sabbat aan die kinders van Juda selfs in Jerusalem verkoop.

17 En ek het met die edeles van Juda getwis en vir hulle gesê: Watter verkeerde ding is dit wat julle doen, dat julle die sabbatdag ontheilig?

18 Het julle vaders nie so gehandel, sodat onse God oor ons en oor hierdie stad al hierdie onheil gebring het nie? Ja, julle vermeerder die toorngloed oor Israel deur die sabbat te ontheilig!

19 En sodra dit in die poorte van Jerusalem voor die sabbat donker was, het ek gesê dat die deure gesluit moes word; en ek het gesê dat hulle dit nie mag oopmaak tot n die sabbat nie, en van my mense het ek by die poorte aangestel: geen vrag het op die sabbatdag mag inkom nie.

20 Toe het die koopmans en handelaars in allerhande koopware 'n paar keer buitekant Jerusalem vernag.

21 Maar ek het hulle gewaarsku en vir hulle gesê: Waarom vernag julle voor die muur? As julle dit weer doen, sal ek die hand aan julle slaan. Van die tyd af het hulle nie meer op die sabbat gekom nie.

22 Verder het ek aan die Leviete gesê dat hulle hul moes reinig en kom as poortwagters om die sabbatdag te heilig. Dink ook hierom aan my, my God, en ontferm U oor my na die grootheid van u goedertierenheid.

23 In die dae het ek ook Jode gesien wat Asdodiese, Ammonitiese, Moabitiese vroue getrou het.

24 En van hulle kinders het die helfte Asdodies gepraat, of die taal van watter volk ook al; maar hulle kon geen Joods praat nie.

25 Daarom het ek met hulle getwis en hulle gevloek, en sommige van hulle geslaan en die hare uitgepluk en hulle by God besweer: Julle mag julle dogters nie aan hulle seuns gee, en julle mag nie van hulle dogters vir julle seuns of vir julleself neem nie!

26 Het Salomo, die koning van Israel, nie deur hulle gesondig nie? Alhoewel daar onder baie nasies nie 'n koning gewees het soos hy nie en hy 'n liefling van sy God was, sodat God hom as koning aangestel het oor die hele Israel, het die vreemde vroue hom tog sonde laat doen.

27 Moet ons nou van julle hoor dat julle al hierdie groot kwaad doen, om ontrou te handel teen God deur vreemde vroue te trou?

28 En een van die seuns van Jojada, die seun van die hoëpriester ljasib, was 'n skoonseun van Sanb llat, die Horoniet; daarom het ek hom van my af weggeja.

29 Dink aan hulle, my God, oor die bevlekking van die priesterskap en van die verbond met die priesterskap en met die Leviete.

30 So het ek hulle dan gereinig van al wat vreemd was, en die diensordeninge vir die priesters en die Leviete vasgestel, vir elkeen in sy werk,

31 ook vir die lewering van hout op vasgestelde tye en vir die eerstelinge. Dink aan my, my God, ten goede!

1 On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God;

2 Because they did not give the children of Israel bread and water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.

3 So after hearing the law, they took out of Israel all the mixed people.

4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of Tobiah,

5 Had made ready for him a great room, where at one time they kept the meal offerings, the perfume, and the vessels and the tenths of the grain and wine and oil which were given by order to the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers, and the lifted offerings for the priests.

6 But all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go,

7 And I came to Jerusalem; and it was clear to me what evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in making ready for him a room in the buildings of the house of God.

8 And it was evil in my eyes: so I had all Tobiah's things put out of the room.

9 Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean: and I put back in them the vessels of the house of God, with the meal offerings and the perfume.

10 And I saw that the Levites had not been given what was needed for their support; so that the Levites and the music-makers, who did the work, had gone away, everyone to his field.

11 Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the house of God been given up? And I got them together and put them in their places.

12 Then all Judah came with the tenth part of the grain and wine and oil and put it into the store-houses.

13 And I made controllers over the store-houses, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and with them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur the son of Mattaniah: they were taken to be true men and their business was the distribution of these things to their brothers.

14 Keep me in mind, O my God, in connection with this, and do not let the good which I have done for the house of my God and its worship go from your memory completely.

15 In those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and getting in grain and putting it on asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods which they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food.

16 And there were men of Tyre there, who came with fish and all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

17 Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them, What is this evil which you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy?

18 Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

19 And so, when the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut and not to be open again till after the Sabbath: and I put some of my servants by the door so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.

20 So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's rest outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Then I gave witness against them and said, Why are you waiting all night by the wall? if you do so again I will have you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again on the Sabbath.

22 And I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy.

23 And in those days I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab:

24 And their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples.

25 And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

26 Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

27 Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?

28 And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: so I sent him away from me.

29 Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.

30 So I made them clean from all strange people, and had regular watches fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;

31 And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.