1 O n that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever,

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

2 b ecause they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: however 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 I t came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

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

4 N ow before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,

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

5 h ad prepared for him a great room, where before they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the wave offerings 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, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king,

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 I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a room in the courts of God’s house.

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

8 I t grieved me severely: therefore I threw all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the room.

فَغَضِبْتُ كَثِيراً وَألقَيتُ بِمُمتَلَكاتِ طُوبِيّا خارِجَ الغُرْفَةِ.

9 T hen I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms: and there brought I again the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense.

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

10 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 fled everyone 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 rulers, and said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

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

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

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

13 I made treasurers over the treasuries, 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 counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their brothers.

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 R emember me, my God, concerning this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

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

15 I n those days saw I in Judah some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day in which they sold food.

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 lived men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the children 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 contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

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

18 D idn’t your fathers do thus, and didn’t our God bring all this evil on us, and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on 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 I t came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I set some of my servants over the gates, that no burden should be 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 camped outside of Jerusalem once or twice.

وَباتَ تُجّارُ البَضائِعِ المُختَلِفَةِ مَرَّةً أوْ مَرَّتَينِ لَيلَتَهُمْ خارِجَ القُدْسِ.

21 T hen I testified against them, and said to them, “Why do you stay around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they didn’t come 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 I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember to me, my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of your 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 saw I the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of 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 in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people.

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

25 I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, “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 idn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign women caused even 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, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?”

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

28 O ne of the sons of Joiada, the 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 R emember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

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

30 T hus I cleansed them from all foreigners, and appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;

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

31 a nd for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.

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