Nehemiah 13

1 Ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ἀνεγνώσθη ἐν βιβλίῳ Μωυσῆ ἐν ὠσὶ τοῦ λαοῦ· καὶ εὑρέθη γεγραμμένον ἐν αὐτῷ, ὅπως μὴ εἰσέλθωσιν Ἀμμανῖται καὶ Μωαβῖται ἐν ἐκκλησίᾳ Θεοῦ ἕως αἰῶνος,

2 ὅτι οὐ συνήντησαν τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰσραὴλ ἐν ἄρτῳ καὶ ὕδατι, καὶ ἐμισθώσαντο ἐπʼ αὐτὸν τὸν Βαλαὰμ καταράσασθαι· καὶ ἐπέστρεψεν ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν τὴν κατάραν εἰς εὐλογίαν.

3 Καὶ ἐγένετο ὡς ἤκουσαν τὸν νόμον, καὶ ἐχωρίσθησαν πᾶς ἐπίμικτος ἐν Ἰσραήλ.

4 Καὶ πρὸ τούτου Ἐλιασὶβ ὁ ἱερεὺς οἰκῶν ἐν γαζοφυλακίῳ οἴκου Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἐγγιῶν Τωβίᾳ.

5 Καὶ ἐποίησεν ἑαυτῷ γαζοφυλάκιον μέγα καὶ ἐκεῖ ἦσαν πρότερον διδόντες τὴν μαναὰ καὶ τὸν λίβανον καὶ τὰ σκεύη, καὶ τὴν δεκάτην τοῦ σίτου καὶ τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου, ἐντολὴν τῶν Λευιτῶν καὶ τῶν ᾀδόντων καὶ τῶν πυλωρῶν, καὶ ἀπαρχὰς τῶν ἱερέων.

6 Καὶ ἐν παντὶ τούτῳ οὐκ ἤμην ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ· ὅτι ἐν ἔτει τριακοστῷ καὶ δευτέρῳ τοῦ Ἀρθασασθὰ βασιλέως Βαβυλῶνος ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν βασιλέα, καὶ μετὰ τὸ τέλος τῶν ἡμερῶν ᾐτησάμην παρὰ τοῦ βασιλέως,

7 καὶ ἦλθον εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ· καὶ συνῆκα ἐν τῇ πονηρίᾳ ᾗ ἐποίησεν Ἐλιασὶβ τῷ Τωβίᾳ, ποιῆσαι αὐτῷ γαζοφυλάκιον ἐν αὐλῇ οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ.

8 Καὶ πονηρόν μοι ἐφάνη σφόδρα· καὶ ἔῤῥιψα πάντα τὰ σκεύη οἴκου Τωβία ἔξω ἀπὸ τοῦ γαζοφυλακίου.

9 Καὶ εἶπα, καὶ ἐκαθάρισαν τὰ γαζοφυλάκια· καὶ ἐπέστρεψα ἐκεῖ σκεύη οἴκου τοῦ Θεοῦ, τὴν μαναὰ καὶ τὸν λίβανον.

10 Καὶ ἔγνων ὅτι μερίδες τῶν Λευιτῶν οὐκ ἐδόθησαν· καὶ ἐφύγοσαν ἀνὴρ εἰς ἀγρὸν αὐτοῦ, οἱ Λευῖται καὶ οἱ ᾄδοντες ποιοῦντες τὸ ἔργον.

11 Καὶ ἐμαχεσάμην τοῖς στρατηγοῖς, καὶ εἶπα, διὰ τί ἐγκατελείφθη ὁ οἶκος τοῦ Θεοῦ; καὶ συνήγαγον αὐτοὺς, καὶ ἔστησα αὐτοὺς ἐπὶ τῇ στάσει αὐτῶν.

12 Καὶ πᾶς Ἰούδα ἤνεγκαν δεκάτην τοῦ πυροῦ καὶ τοῦ οἴνου καὶ τοῦ ἐλαίου εἰς τοὺς θησαυροὺς

13 ἐπὶ χεῖρα Σελεμία τοῦ ἱερέως, καὶ Σαδὼκ τοῦ γραμματέως, καὶ Φαδαΐα ἀπὸ τῶν Λευιτῶν· καὶ ἐπὶ χεῖρα αὐτῶν Ἀνὰν υἱὸς Ζακχοὺρ, υἱὸς Ματθανίου, ὅτι πιστοὶ ἐλογίσθησαν, ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς μερίζειν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς αὐτῶν.

14 Μνήσθητί μου ὁ Θεὸς ἐν ταὐτῇ, καὶ μὴ ἐξαλειφθήτω ἔλεός μου ὃ ἐποίησα ἐν οἴκῳ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ.

15 Ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις εἶδον ἐν Ἰούδα πατοῦντας ληνοὺς ἐν τῷ σαββάτῳ, καὶ φέροντας δράγματα, καὶ ἐπιγεμίζοντας ἐπὶ τοὺς ὄνους καὶ οἶνον καὶ σταφυλὴν καὶ σῦκα καὶ πᾶν βάσταγμα, καὶ φέροντας εἰς Ἱερουσαλὴμ ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου· καὶ ἐπεμαρτυράμην ἐν ἡμέρᾳ πράσεως αὐτῶν.

16 Καὶ ἐκάθισαν ἐν αὐτῇ φέροντες ἰχθὺν, καὶ πᾶσαν πρᾶσιν πωλοῦντες τῷ σαββάτῳ τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰούδα καὶ ἐν Ἱερουσαλήμ.

17 Καὶ ἐμαχεσάμην τοῖς υἱοῖς Ἰούδα τοῖς ἐλευθέροις, καὶ εἶπα αὐτοῖς, τίς ὁ λόγος οὗτος ὁ πονηρὸς, ὃν ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε, καὶ βεβηλοῦτε τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββάτου;

18 Οὐχὶ οὕτως ἐποίησαν οἱ πατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ ἤνεγκεν ἐπʼ αὐτοὺς ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς πάντα τὰ κακὰ ταῦτα καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν πόλιν ταύτην; καὶ ὑμεῖς προστίθετε ὀργὴν ἐπὶ Ἰσραὴλ βεβηλῶσαι τὸ σάββατον;

19 Καὶ ἐγένετο ἡνίκα κατέστησαν πύλαι ἐν Ἱερουσαλὴμ πρὸ τοῦ σαββάτου, καὶ εἶπα, καὶ ἔκλεισαν τὰς πύλας· καὶ εἶπα, ὥστε μὴ ἀνοιγῆναι αὐτὰς ἕως ὀπίσω τοῦ σαββάτου· καὶ ἐκ τῶν παιδαρίων μου ἔστησα ἐπὶ τὰς πύλας, ὥστε μὴ αἴρειν βαστάγματα ἐν ἡμέρᾳ τοῦ σαββάτου.

20 Καὶ ηὐλίσθησαν πάντες, καὶ ἐποίησαν πρᾶσιν ἔξω Ἰερουσαλὴμ ἅπαξ καὶ δίς.

21 Καὶ ἐπεμαρτυράμην ἐν αὐτοῖς, καὶ εἶπα πρὸς αὐτοὺς, διὰ τί ὑμεῖς αὐλίζεσθε ἀπέναντι τοῦ τείχους; ἐὰν δευτερώσητε, ἐκτενῶ χεῖρά μου ἐν ὑμῖν· ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ ἐκείνου οὐκ ἤλθοσαν ἐν σαββάτῳ.

22 Καὶ εἶπα τοῖς Λευίταις, οἳ ἦσαν καθαριζόμενοι, καὶ ἐρχόμενοι φυλάσσοντες τὰς πύλας, ἁγιάζειν τὴν ἡμέραν τοῦ σαββάτου. Πρὸς ταῦτα μνήσθητί μου ὁ Θεὸς, καὶ φεῖσαί μου κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους σου.

23 Καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις εἶδον τοὺς Ἰουδαίους οἳ ἐκάθισαν γυναῖκας Ἀζωτίας, Ἀμμανίτιδας, Μωαβίτιδας·

24 καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτῶν ἥμισυ λαλοῦντες Ἀζωτιστὶ, καὶ οὐκ εἰσὶν ἐπιγινώσκοντες λαλεῖν Ἰουδαϊστί.

25 Καὶ ἐμαχεσάμην μετʼ αὐτῶν, καὶ καταρασάμην αὐτούς· καὶ ἐπάταξα ἐν αὐτοῖς ἄνδρας, καὶ ἐμαδάρωσα αὐτοὺς, καὶ ὤρκισα αὐτοὺς ἐν τῷ Θεῷ, ἐὰν δῶτε τὰς θυγατέρας ὑμῶν τοῖς υἱοῖς αὐτῶν, καὶ ἐὰν λάβητε ἀπὸ τῶν θυγατέρων αὐτῶν τοῖς υἱοῖς ὑμῶν.

26 Οὐχ οὕτως ἥμαρτε Σαλωμὼν βασιλεὺς Ἰσραήλ; καὶ ἐν ἔθνεσι πολλοῖς οὐκ ἦν βασιλεὺς ὅμοιος αὐτῷ, καὶ ἀγαπώμενος τῷ Θεῷ ἦν, καὶ ἔδωκεν αὐτὸν ὁ Θεὸς εἰς βασιλέα ἐπὶ πάντα Ἰσραὴλ, καὶ τοῦτον ἐξέκλιναν αἱ γυναῖκες αἱ ἀλλότριαι.

27 Καὶ ὑμῶν μὴ ἀκουσώμεθα ποιῆσαι πᾶσαν πονηρίαν ταύτην, ἀσυνθετῆσαι ἐν τῷ Θεῷ ἡμῶν, καθίσαι γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας.

28 Καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰωαδὰ τοῦ Ἐλισοὺβ τοῦ ἱερέως τοῦ μεγάλου νυμφίου τοῦ Σαναβαλλὰτ τοῦ Οὐρανίτου, καὶ ἐξέβρασα αὐτὸν ἀπʼ ἐμοῦ.

29 Μνήσθητι αὐτοῖς ὁ Θεὸς ἐπὶ ἀλχιστείᾳ τῆς ἱερατείας, καὶ διαθήκῃ τῆς ἱερατείας, καὶ τοὺς Λευίτας.

30 Καὶ ἐκαθάρισα αὐτοὺς ἀπὸ πάσης ἀλλοτριώσεως, καὶ ἔστησα ἐφημερίας τοῖς ἱερεῦσι καὶ τοῖς Λευίταις, ἀνὴρ ὡς τὸ ἔργον αὐτοῦ.

31 Καὶ τὸ δῶρον τῶν ξυλοφόρων ἐν καιροῖς ἀπὸ χρόνων, καὶ ἐν τοῖς βακχουρίοις. Μνήσθητί μου ὁ Θεὸς ἡμῶν εἰς ἀγαθωσύνην.

1 In that day they read in the book of Moses in the ears of the people; and it was found written in it, that the Ammonites and Moabites should not enter into the congregation of God for ever;

2 because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 And it came to pass, when they heard the law, that they were separated, even every alien in Israel.

4 And before this time Eliasib the priest dwelt in the treasury of the house of our God, connected with Tobias;

5 and he made himself a great treasury, and there they were formerly in the habit of bestowing the offerings, and the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil, the ordered portion of the Levites, and singers, and porters; and the first-fruits of the priests.

6 But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I came to the king, and after a certain time I made my request of the king;

7 and I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the mischief which Eliasib had done in the case of Tobias, in making for him a treasury in the court of the house of God.

8 And it appeared very evil to me: so I cast forth all the furniture of the house of Tobias from the treasury.

9 And I gave orders, and they purified the treasuries: and I restored thither the vessels of the house of God, and the offerings, and the frankincense.

10 And I understood that the portion of the Levites had not been given: and they had fled every one to his field, the Levites and the singers doing the work.

11 And I strove with the commanders, and said, Wherefore has the house of God been abandoned? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.

12 And all Juda brought a tithe of the wheat and the wine and the oil into the treasuries,

13 to the charge of Selemia the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and Phadæa of the Levites: and next to them was Anan the son of Zacchur, son of Matthanias; for they were accounted faithful: it was their office to distribute to their brethren.

14 Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my kindness be forgotten which I have wrought in regard to the house of the Lord God.

15 In those days I saw in Juda men treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and loading asses with both wine, and grapes, and figs, and every kind of burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath-day:

16 and I testified in the day of their sale. Also there dwelt in it men bringing fish, and selling every kind of merchandise to the children of Juda and in Jerusalem on the sabbath.

17 And I strove with the free children of Juda, and said to them, What is this evil thing which ye do, and profane the sabbath-day?

18 Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us and upon this city all these evils? and do ye bring additional wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath?

19 And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Jerusalem, before the sabbath, that I spoke, and they shut the gates; and I gave orders that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burdens on the sabbath-day.

20 So all the merchants lodged, and carried on traffic without Jerusalem once or twice.

21 Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why do ye lodge in front of the wall? if ye do so again, I will stretch out my hand upon you. From that time they came not on the sabbath.

22 And I told the Levites who were purifying themselves, and came and kept the gates, that they should sanctify the sabbath-day. Remember me, O God, for these things, and spare me according to the abundance of thy mercy.

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

24 and their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and did not know how to speak in the Jewish language.

25 And I strove with them and cursed them; and I smote some of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying , Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, and ye shall not take of their daughters to your sons.

26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin thus? though there was no king like him among many nations, and he was beloved of God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women turned him aside.

27 So we will not hearken to you to do all this evil, to break covenant with our God,—to marry strange wives.

28 And Elisub the high priest, one of the sons of Joada, being son-in-law of Sanaballat the Uranite, I chased him away from me.

29 Remember them, O God, for their false connection with the priesthood, and the breaking the covenant of the priesthood, and for defiling the Levites.

30 So I purged them from all foreign connection, and established courses for the priests and the Levites, every man according to his work.

31 And the offering of the wood-bearers was at certain set times, and in the times of the first-fruits. Remember me, O our God, for good.