1 O n that day they read in the Book of Moses in the audience of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,

وَفِي ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ قَرَأُوا كِتابَ مُوسَى عَلَى الشَّعبِ. وَوَجَدُوا مَكتُوباً فِيهِ أنَّهُ مُحَرَّمٌ أنْ يَدخُلَ عَمُّونِيٌّ أوْ مُوآبِيٌّ اجتِماعَ العِبادَةِ للهِ.

2 F or they met not the Israelites with food and drink but hired Balaam to curse them; yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

لِأنَّ العَمُّونِيِّينَ وَالمُوآبِيِّينَ لَمْ يَسْتَقْبِلُوا بَنِي إسْرائِيلَ بِالخُبْزِ وَالماءِ، بَلْ دَفَعُوا مالاً لِبَلْعامَ لِيَلْعَنَهُمْ. لَكِنَّ اللهَ حَوَّلَ اللَّعْنَةَ إلَى بَرَكَةٍ.

3 W hen heard the law, they separated from Israel all who were of foreign descent.

وَعِندَما سَمِعَ الشَّعبُ كَلامَ الشَّرِيعَةِ، فَصَلُوا كُلَّ أجنَبِيٍّ عَنْ شَعبِ اللهِ.

4 N ow before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and was related to Tobiah,

وَقَبلَ ذَلِكَ جُعِلَ ألْياشِيبُ الكاهِنُ مُشِرِفاً عَلَى غُرَفِ المَخازِنِ فِي بَيتِ إلَهِنا. وَكانَ نَسِيباً وَصَدِيقاً حَمِيماً لِطُوبِيّا العَمُّونِيِّ،

5 P repared for Tobiah a large chamber where previously they had put the cereal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil which were given by commandment to the Levites, the singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

وَقَدَّمَ لَهُ غُرفَةً واسِعَةً سَبَقَ أنْ وُضِعَتْ فِيها تَقْدِمَةُ الدَّقِيقِ وَالبَخُورِ وَآنِيَةِ الهَيكَلِ وَعُشْرُ القَمْحِ وَالنَّبيذِ الجَدِيدِ وَالزَّيتِ الَّذِي أوْصَى اللهُ أنْ يُعطَى لِلّاوِيِّينَ وَالمُرَنِّمِينَ وَحُرّاسِ الأبوابِ، وَالتَّبَرُّعاتِ لِلكَهَنَةِ أيضاً.

6 B ut in all this time I was not at Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. Then later I asked leave of him

وَلَمّا حَدَثَ كُلُّ هَذا لَمْ أكُنْ فِي القُدْسِ. فَفِي السَّنَةِ الثّانِيَةِ وَالثَّلاثِينَ لِحُكْمِ المَلِكِ أرْتَحْشَسْتا، مَلِكِ بابِلَ، كُنتُ قَدْ عُدتُ إلَيهِ. وَأخِيراً استَأْذَنْتُ المَلِكَ،

7 A nd came to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God!

وَعُدْتُ إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ. عِندَ ذَلِكَ عَرَفْتُ ما فَعَلَهُ ألْياشِيبُ مِنْ شَرٍّ مِنْ أجلِ طُوبِيّا حِينَ أعطاهُ غُرفَةً فِي حَرَمِ بَيتِ اللهِ.

8 A nd it grieved me exceedingly, and I threw all the house furnishings of Tobiah out of the chamber.

فَغَضِبْتُ كَثِيراً وَألقَيتُ بِمُمتَلَكاتِ طُوبِيّا خارِجَ الغُرْفَةِ.

9 T hen I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the cereal offerings and the frankincense.

وَأمَرْتُ بِتطهِيرِ الغُرَفِ، وَأعَدْتُ إلَيها آنِيَةَ بَيتِ اللهِ مَعَ تَقدِماتِ الدَّقِيقِ وَالبَخُورِ.

10 A nd I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who did the work had each fled to his field.

ثُمَّ عَلِمْتُ أنَّ حِصَصَ الَّلاوِيِّينَ لَمْ تَصِلْهُمْ. فَعادَ اللّاوِيُّونَ وَالمُرَنِّمُونَ الَّذِينَ كانُوا يَقُومُونَ بِالخِدْمَةِ إلَى حُقُولِهِمْ لِيَعمَلُوا.

11 T hen I contended with the officials and said, Why is the house of God neglected and forsaken? I gathered the Levites and singers and set them in their stations.

فَوَبَّخْتُهُمْ وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: «لِماذا بَيتُ اللهِ مُهمَلٌ؟» ثُمَّ جَمَعْتُ الَّلاوِيِّينَ وَالمُرَنِّمِينَ وَأرجَعْتُهُمْ إلَى أماكِنِ عَمَلِهِمْ.

12 T hen all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.

ثُمَّ أحْضَرَ كُلُّ بَنِي يَهُوذا عُشْرَ القَمْحِ وَالنَّبيذِ الجَدِيدِ وَالزَّيتِ إلَى المخازِنِ.

13 I set treasurers over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; assisting them was Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were counted faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.

ثُمَّ عَيَّنْتُ شَلَمْيا الكاهِنَ وَصادُوقَ المُعَلِّمَ وَفَدايا الَّلاوِي أُمَناءَ صُنْدُوقٍ، وَعَيَّنْتُ حانانَ بْنَ زَكُّورَ بْنَ مَتَّنْيا مُساعِداً لَهُمْ، لِأنَّهُمْ كانُوا يُعتَبَرُونَ أُمَناءَ مُخلِصِينَ. فَكانَ وَاجِبُهُمْ أنْ يُوَزِّعُوا الحِصَصَ عَلَى جَماعاتِهِمْ.

14 O my God, remember me concerning this and wipe not out my good deeds and kindnesses done for the house of my God and for His service.

فَاذْكُرْنِي يا إلَهِي مِنْ أجلِ ما فَعَلْتُ. وَلا تَنسَ أعمالِيَ الصّالِحَةَ الَّتِي عَمِلْتُها بِأمانَةٍ مِنْ أجلِ بَيتِ إلَهِي وَخِدْمَتِهِ.

15 I n those days I saw in Judah men treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in sheaves or heaps of grain with which they loaded donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and all sorts of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I protested and warned them on the day they sold the produce.

وَفِي تِلكَ الأيّامِ رَأيتُ النّاسَ فِي يَهُوذا يَعمَلُونَ فِي مَعاصِرِ الخَمْرِ أيّامَ السَّبْتِ وَيُحضِرُونَ أكواماً مِنَ القَمْحِ وَالنَّبيذِ وَالعِنبِ وَالتِّينِ وَكُلِّ أنواعِ الثِّمارِ، وَيَحمِلُونَها عَلَى الحَمِيرِ. ثُمَّ يَجلِبُونَها إلَى مَدينَةِ القُدْسِ فِي يَوْمِ السَّبْتِ. فَحَذَّرْتُهُمْ مِنَ المُتاجَرَةِ فِي ذَلِكَ اليَوْمِ.

16 T here dwelt men of Tyre there also who brought fish and all kinds of wares and sold on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in Jerusalem.

وَكانَ هُناكَ رِجالٌ مِنْ صُورٍ ساكِنُونَ فِي القُدْسِ يُحضِرُونَ إلَيها السَّمَكَ وَكُلِّ أنواعِ البَضائِعِ، وَيَبِيعُونَها فِي السَّبْتِ لِلنّاسِ فِي يَهُوذا وَالقُدْسِ.

17 T hen I reproved the nobles of Judah and said, What evil thing is this that you do—profaning the Sabbath day?

وَوَبَّخْتُ أشْرافَ يَهُوذا وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: «ما هَذا الشَّرُّ الَّذِي تَعْمَلُونَهُ وَتُدَنِّسُونَ بِهِ السَّبْتَ؟

18 D id not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us and upon this city? Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.

ألَمْ يَفْعَلْ آباؤُكُمْ هَذا فَجَلَبَ إلَهُنا كُلَّ هَذِهِ المَصائِبِ عَلَينا وَعَلَى هَذِهِ المَدِينَة؟ لَكِنَّكُمْ تَجلِبُونَ مَزِيداً مِنَ الغَضَبِ عَلَى شَعبِ اللهِ بِعَدَمِ حِفْظِهِمِ السَّبْتَ.»

19 A nd when it began to get dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut and not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I set some of my servants at the gates to prevent any burden being brought in on the Sabbath day.

وَعِندَما بَدَأ الظَّلامُ يَحِلُّ عِنْدَ بَوّاباتِ القُدْسِ قُبَيلَ حُلُولِ السَّبْتِ. أمَرْتُ بِإغلاقِ البَوّاباتِ وَعَدَمِ فَتْحِها حَتَّى يَنتَهِيَ السَّبْتُ. وَأوقَفْتُ بَعْضَ رِجالِي عِندَ البَوّاباتِ حَتَّى لا تَدخُلَ أيَّةُ حُمُولَةٍ إلَى المَدِينَةِ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ.

20 S o the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

وَباتَ تُجّارُ البَضائِعِ المُختَلِفَةِ مَرَّةً أوْ مَرَّتَينِ لَيلَتَهُمْ خارِجَ القُدْسِ.

21 B ut I reproved and warned them, saying, Why do you lodge by the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you. Then they stopped coming on the Sabbath.

فَحَذَّرْتُهُمْ وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ: «لِماذا تَبِيتُونَ أمامَ السُّورِ؟ إنْ كَرَّرْتُمْ هَذا الأمرَ ثانِيَةً فَسَأسْتَخدِمُ القُوَّةَ ضِدَّكُمْ.» وَمُنْذُ ذَلِكَ الوَقْتِ لَمْ يَعُودُوا يَأْتُونَ يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ.

22 A nd I commanded the Levites to cleanse themselves and come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. O my God, remember me concerning this also and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy and loving-kindness.

ثُمَّ قُلْتُ لِلّاوِيِّينَ إنَّ عَلَيهِمْ أنْ يَتَطَهَّرُوا وَيَذْهَبُوا لِيَحرُسُوا البَوّاباتِ لِكَي يَحفَظُوا يَوْمَ السَّبْتِ مُقَدَّساً مُخَصَّصاً للهِ. فَاذْكُرْنِي يا إلَهِي مِنْ أجلِ هَذا أيضاً، وَتَرَأَّفْ عَلَيَّ بِرَحْمَتِكَ الكَثِيرَةِ.

23 I n those days also I saw Jews who had married wives from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

كَما رَأيتُ فِي تِلْكَ الأيّامِ رِجالاً مِنْ يَهُوذا تَزَوَّجُوا نِساءً مِنْ أشْدُودَ وَعَمُّونَ وَمُوآبَ.

24 A nd their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak the Hebrew, but in the language of each people.

وَكانَ نِصْفُ أبْنائِهِمْ يَتَكَلَّمُ لُغَةَ أشْدُودَ أوْ إحدَى لُغاتِ الأُمَمِ الأُخرَى، وَكانُوا يَجهَلُونَ لُغَةَ يَهُوذا العِبْرِيَّةِ.

25 A nd I contended with them and reviled them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair and made them swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

فَوَبَّخْتُ هَؤُلاءِ الرِّجالَ، وَقُلْتُ لَهُمْ إنَّهُمْ مُخطِئُونَ، وَلَعَنْتُهُمْ وَضَرَبْتُ بَعضاً مِنْ رِجالِهِمْ، وَشَدَدْتُ شَعْرَهُمْ، وَحَلَّفْتُهُمْ بِاسْمِ اللهِ. وَقُلْتُ: «لا تُزَوِّجُوا بَناتَكُمْ مِنْ أبْنائِهِمْ، وَلا تَتَّخِذُوا لأبْنائِكُمْ أوْ لِأنفُسِكُمْ أيَّةَ بِنتٍ مِنْ بَناتِهِمْ زَوْجَةً.

26 D id not Solomon king of Israel act treacherously against God and miss the mark on account of such women? Among many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet strange women even caused him to sin.

ألَمْ يُخطِئْ سُلَيْمانُ مَلِكُ إسْرائِيلَ بِسَبَبِ نِساءٍ كَهَؤُلاءِ؟ لَمْ يَكُنْ مِثلُهُ بَينَ المُلُوكِ، وَأحَبَّهُ إلَهُهُ، وَجَعَلَهُ اللهُ مَلِكاً عَلَى كُلِّ شَعبِ اللهِ. لَكِنَّ زَوْجاتِهِ الأجنَبِيّاتِ جَعَلْنَهُ يُخطِئُ إلَى اللهِ.

27 S hall we then listen to you to do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying strange (heathen) women?

فَهَلْ نَسْمَعُ لَكُمْ وَنَرتَكِبُ هَذا الشَّرَّ العَظِيمَ، وَنَخُونُ إلَهَنا فَنَتَزَوَّجُ نِساءً غَرِيباتٍ؟»

28 O ne of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased him from me.

وَكانَ أحَدُ أبْناءِ يُوياداعَ بْنِ ألْياشِيبَ رَئِيسِ الكَهَنَةِ صِهْراً لِسَنْبَلَّطَ الحُورُونِيِّ. فَطَرَدْتُهُ بَعِيداً.

29 O my God, remember them, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and Levites.

فَاذْكُرْنِي يا إلَهِي وَعاقِبْهُمْ، لِأنَّهُمْ دَنَّسُوا الكَهَنُوتَ وَعَهْدَ الكَهَنُوتِ الَّلاوِيِّ بِعَدَمِ طاعَتِهِمْ.

30 T hus I cleansed them from everything foreign (heathen), and I defined the duties of the priests and Levites, everyone in his work;

فَطَهَّرْتُهُمْ مِنْ كُلِّ شَيءٍ أجنَبِيٍّ، وَحَدَّدْتُ وَاجِباتٍ وَمَسْؤُولِيّاتٍ لِكُلِّ واحِدٍ مِنَ الكَهَنَةِ.

31 A nd I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. O my God, remember me for good and imprint me!

كَما وَضَعْتُ تَرْتِيباتٍ لِتَقْدِمَةِ الخَشَبِ وَأوَّلِ الثِّمارِ فِي مَواعِيدِها. فَاذْكُرْنِي بِعَطْفِكَ وَإحْسانِكَ يا إلَهِي.