Our Papa Set Im People Apart
Nehemiah come back from the Persian king court, come see say dem don give Tobiah room inside our Papa storeroom, the Levites don go back to their farm because nobody pay dem, Sabbath market dey go on full-full, and some children no fit speak Judah language. E throw the furniture comot and start everything again.
13 1Dat day dem read Moses book loud give di people, and dem find am write down say no Ammonite or Moabite fit ever enta our Papa gathering, 2because dem no come meet di people of Israel wit bread and water, but dem hire Balaam to fight against dem to curse dem—but our Papa turn di curse to blessing. 3As di people hear di Law, dem separate everybody wey be foreigner comot from Israel.
4Before dis time, Eliashib di priest, wey dem put over di store-rooms of our Papa house, been dey close well-well wit Tobiah. 5E don prepare one big room give am, di place wey dem dey keep di grain offerings, frankincense, temple things, and di one-tenth of grain, new wine, and oil wey dem give di Levites, singers, and gate-keepers, plus di offering for di priests. 6For all dis time I no dey Jerusalem, because for di thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I don go meet di king. After some time I ask am permission make I comot, 7I come back to Jerusalem and I learn about di evil wey Eliashib don do for Tobiah, as e make one room for am inside di courts of our Papa house. 8E pain me well-well, and I throway all Tobiah household things comot from di room. 9So I order make dem clean di rooms, den I return give dem di things of our Papa house, di grain offerings and frankincense.
10I also find out say dem no give di Levites dia own share, so di Levites and singers wey dey do di work don each run go im own farm. 11So I confront di officials: “Why dem take dey neglect our Papa house?” Den I gather di Levites and put dem back for dia positions. 12So all Judah bring di one-tenth of grain, new wine, and oil come di store-houses. 13I put Shelemiah di priest, Zadok di scribe, and Pedaiah di Levite in charge of di store-houses, wit Hanan pikin of Zaccur pikin of Mattaniah dey help dem, because dem be people wey dem fit trust; dia work na to share supplies give dia fellow Levites.
14Remember me for dis one, my Papa; no wipe comot di faithful things wey I don do for di house of my Papa and im service.
15For dose days I see people for Judah dey press wine for winepress on di Sabbath, dey carry heap of grain enta and load am for donkey, along wit wine, grapes, figs, and all kind load, dey bring dem enta Jerusalem on di Sabbath. So dat day I warn dem about selling food. 16Tyrian people wey dey live dia bring fish and all kind goods enta, dey sell dem on di Sabbath give Judah people, for Jerusalem itself. 17So I confront di nobles of Judah and I tell dem, “Wetin be dis evil thing wey una dey do, dey spoil di holiness of di Sabbath day? 18No be dis kind thing una ancestors do, and no be am make our Papa bring all dis disaster come on us and dis city? Now una dey add even more anger against Israel as una dey spoil di Sabbath.”
19So wen darkness begin cover Jerusalem gates before di Sabbath, I order make dem lock di doors, and make dem no open am until di Sabbath end. I put some of my servants for di gates so no load fit enta on di Sabbath. 20Once or twice di traders and di people wey dey sell all kind goods sleep for outside Jerusalem. 21So I warn dem and I tell dem, “Why una dey sleep near di wall? If una do am again, I go lay hand on una.” From dat time, dem no come again on di Sabbath. 22Den I command di Levites make dem purify dem-self, come guard di gates, and keep di Sabbath day holy. Remember dis one too for me, my Papa, and spare me by your great love wey no dey change.
23For dose days I also see Jews wey don marry Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite women. 24Half of dia children dey speak Ashdod language, or anoda people own, and dem no sabi how to speak Judah language. 25So I confront dem, curse dem, beat some of di men, and pull dia hair comot. I make dem swear by our Papa: “No give una daughters give dia sons, or take dia daughters for una sons or for una-self. 26No be marriage like dis one make Solomon king of Israel sin? No king among di plenty nations reach am; our Papa love am, and our Papa make am king over all Israel. But foreign women lead even am enta sin. 27Make we listen to una and do all dis big evil, dey betray our Papa as una dey marry foreign women?”
28One son of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib di high priest, na son-in-law to Sanballat di Horonite, so I drive am comot from me. 29Remember dem, my Papa, because dem make di priesthood dirty, and di Covenant of di priesthood and Levites.
30So I purify dem from everything foreign, and I assign priests and Levites dia duties, each one to im own work. 31I arrange di wood offering for di set times, and di firstfruits. Remember me, my Papa, wit favour.
