厄斯德拉下:Chapter 13

厄斯德拉下:Chapter 13

厄斯德拉下	Nehemiah
¹那日，當着民眾宣讀《梅瑟書》時，人們聽到書中寫着說：「永遠不准阿孟人和摩阿布人，加入天主的會眾，	¹ At that time, when there was reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, it was found written there that "no Ammonite or Moabite may ever be admitted into the assembly of God;
²因為他們沒有攜帶飲食歡迎以色列子民，反賄賂巴郎詛咒他們，我們的天主卻將詛咒轉為祝福。」	²for they would not succor the Israelites with food and water, but they hired Balaam to curse them, though our God turned the curse into a blessing."
³民眾一聽了這法律，便將各外族由以色列人中隔絕。	³When they had heard the law, they separated from Israel every foreign element.
⁴這事以前，厄肋雅史布司祭，曾被派管理我們天主聖殿的倉庫，他是托彼雅的親信，	⁴ Before this, the priest Eliashib, who had been placed in charge of the chambers of the house of our God and who was an associate of Tobiah,
⁵遂為托彼雅準備了一所大倉房，以前其中是存放供物、乳香、器具，以及肋未人、歌詠者和守門者按法律所應得的什一之穀、酒和油，並司祭所應得的供物。	⁵had set aside for the latter's use a large chamber in which had previously been stored the cereal offerings, incense and utensils, the tithes in grain, wine, and oil allotted to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the offerings due the priests.
⁶發生這一切事時，我不曾在耶路撒冷、因為在巴比倫王阿塔薛西斯三十二年，我已回到君王那裏；滿了一個時期以後，我又求得君王准許，	⁶ During all this time I had not been in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After due time, however, I asked leave of the king
⁷回了耶路撒冷；此時我纔發覺出，厄肋雅史布為托彼雅所行的壞事，為他在天主聖殿的庭院中，準備了一所大倉房。	⁷and returned to Jerusalem, where I discovered the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in setting aside for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
⁸我感覺十分難受，立即將托彼雅的一切器物，拋出倉房之外，	⁸This displeased me very much, and I had all of Tobiah's household goods thrown outside the chamber.
⁹下命清潔那倉房，將天主聖殿的器具、供物和乳香仍放在裏面。	⁹Then I gave orders to purify the chambers, and I had them replace there the utensils of the house of God, the cereal offerings, and the incense.
¹⁰我還發覺肋未人應得之分，人們已不繳納，為此供職的肋未人和歌詠者，各回了本鄉。	¹⁰I learned, too, that the portions due the Levites were no longer being given, so that the Levites and the singers who should have been carrying out the services had deserted, each man to his own field.
¹¹我便責斥首長們說：「為什麼又將天主的聖殿忽略了呢？」以後我將肋未人召集起來，又恢復了他們的職務。	¹¹I took the magistrates to task, demanding, "Why is the house of God abandoned?" Then I brought the Levites together and had them resume their stations.
¹²那時，全猶大又將什一之穀、酒和油送入倉房。	¹²All Judah once more brought in the tithes of grain, wine, and oil to the storerooms;
¹³我派定了舍肋米雅司祭、匝多克經師和肋未人培達雅，作管理倉庫的人；委任瑪塔尼雅的孫子，匝雇爾的兒子哈南，作他們的助手，都是忠實可靠的人；他們的職務是將什一之物，分給他們的兄弟。	¹³and in charge of the storerooms I appointed the priest Shelemiah, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, together with Hanan, son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, as their assistant; for these men were held to be trustworthy. It was their duty to make the distribution to their brethren.
¹⁴我的天主，為了這事，請記憶我！不要抹去我對我天主的聖殿，和其中的禮儀所做的一切善事。	¹⁴Remember this to my credit, O my God! Let not the devotion which I showed for the house of my God and its services be forgotten!
¹⁵那時我在猶大，看見有人在安息日踏榨酒池，搬運禾綑，馱在驢上，並把酒、葡萄、無花果和其他各種重載，在安息日運到耶路撒冷；為了他們在此日買賣應用品，我曾警戒了他們。	¹⁵In those days I perceived that men in Judah were treading the winepresses on the sabbath; that they were bringing in sheaves of grain, loading them on their asses, together with wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of burden, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the sabbath day. I warned them to sell none of these victuals.
¹⁶有住在這裏的提洛人，運來魚和各種貨物，安息日還在耶路撒冷賣給猶太人，	¹⁶In Jerusalem itself the Tyrians who were resident there were importing fish and every other kind of merchandise and selling it to the Judahites on the sabbath.
¹⁷我遂責斥有權勢的猶太人說：「你們怎麼行這樣的壞事，褻瀆安息日呢，	¹⁷I took the nobles of Judah to task, demanding of them: "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?
¹⁸你們的祖先不是曾這樣行事，而使我們的天主，加給了我們和這城這一切災禍嗎？現今你們褻瀆安息日，還要義怒再多加在以色列人身上嗎？」	¹⁸Did not your fathers act in this same way, with the result that our God has brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? Would you add to the wrath against Israel by once more profaning the sabbath?"
¹⁹所以在安息日前一天，陰影一來到耶路撒冷城門，我就下令關閉城門，不准開門，直到安息日過去；並派我的僕役守門，安息日不准任何重載運進。	¹⁹When the shadows were falling on the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I ordered the doors to be closed and forbade them to be reopened till after the sabbath. I posted some of my own men at the gates so that no burden might enter on the sabbath day.
²⁰有一兩次，販夫和賣各種貨物的商人，在耶路撒冷外過夜；	²⁰The merchants and sellers of various kinds of merchandise spent the night once or twice outside Jerusalem,
²¹我警告他們說：「你們為什麼在城垣前過夜？若是你們再這樣做，我就要向你們下手」，從此以後，安息日他們不敢再來。	²¹but then I warned them, saying to them: "Why do you spend the night alongside the wall? If you keep this up, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on, they did not return on the sabbath.
²²我也命令肋未人先聖潔自己，然後去看守城門，為聖化聖日。我的天主，為了這事也請你記憶我！照你的大仁慈憐恤我！	²²Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to go and watch the gates, so that the sabbath day might be kept holy. This, too, remember in my favor, O my God, and have mercy on me in accordance with your great mercy!
²³那時，我還發見好些猶太人，娶了阿市多得、阿孟和摩阿布人的女子為妻。	²³Also in those days I saw Jews who had married Ashdodite, Ammonite, or Moabite wives.
²⁴他們的兒子，有一半只會說阿市多得話，或這些民族的一種語言，而不會講猶太話。	²⁴ Of their children, half spoke Ashdodite, and none of them knew how to speak Jewish; and so it was in regard to the languages of the various other peoples.
²⁵我遂責斥咒罵這樣的男人，其中一些我還打了他們，扯了他們的頭髮，叫他們指着天主起誓，向他們說：「你們不可再把你們的女兒，嫁給他們的兒子，也不可再為你們的兒子並為你們自己，娶他們的女兒。	²⁵I took them to task and cursed them; I had some of them beaten and their hair pulled out; and I adjured them by God: "You shall not marry your daughters to their sons nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves!
²⁶以色列的君王撒羅滿，豈不是在這事上犯了罪嗎？在這樣多民族中，沒有一個相似他的君王，他又是天主所愛的，天主使他成為全以色列的君王，但是外方女子竟引他犯了罪。	²⁶Did not Solomon, the king of Israel, sin because of them? Though among the many nations there was no king like him, and though he was beloved of his God and God had made him king over all Israel, yet even he was made to sin by foreign women.
²⁷我們豈能任憑你們行這一切大壞事，娶外方婦女，背棄天主嗎？」	²⁷Must it also be heard of you that you have done this same very great evil, betraying our God by marrying foreign women?"
²⁸大司祭厄肋雅史布的兒子約雅達，有個兒子是曷龍人桑巴拉特的女婿，我便驅逐他離開我。	²⁸One of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite! I drove him from my presence.
²⁹我的天主，請記住他們！因為他們褻瀆了司祭的品位，破壞了司祭和肋未的誓約。	²⁹Remember against them, O my God, how they defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites!
³⁰如此我清除了一切異類，整頓了司祭和肋未人的職守，規定了各人應盡的任務，	³⁰Thus I cleansed them of all foreign contamination. I established the various functions for the priests and Levites, so that each had his appointed task.
³¹劃定了奉獻木柴和什一之物的時期。我的天主！求你記憶我使我蒙福！	³¹I also provided for the procurement of wood at stated times and for the first fruits. Remember this in my favor, O my God!