1
Forsooth in that day it was read in the book of Moses, in (the) hearing of the people; and it was found written therein, that Ammonites and Moabites ought not to enter into the church of God till into without end; (And on that day they read from The Book of Moses, in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it, that Ammonites and Moabites should never enter into the congregation of God, that is, should never become part of their community;)
2
for they met not the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired against the sons of Israel Balaam, for to curse them; and our God turned the cursing into blessing. (for they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but instead they hired Balaam against the Israelites, to curse them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.)
3
And it was done, when the people had heard the law, they separated each alien from Israel (they set apart, or excluded, all foreigners from the Israelite community).
4
And upon these things was Eliashib, the priest, that was sovereign in the chamber of the house of our God, and was the neighbour of Tobiah . (And upon these things was the High Priest Eliashib, who was the ruler, or the overseer, of the storerooms of the House of our God, and was the neighbour, or the friend, of Tobiah.)
5
Therefore he made to him a great chamber in the house of God; and there before him were men that kept the gifts that were offered, and incense, and diverse vessels, and the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, and the parts of deacons, and of singers, and of porters, and the first fruits of priests. (And so Eliashib gave Tobiah a large room at the House of God, that was used to store the grain offerings, and the incense, and the Temple vessels, and the tithes of corn, and of wine, and of oil, that is, the portions, or the contributions, for the Levites, and the singers, and the guards, or the doorkeepers, and the first fruits for the priests.)
6
And in all these things I was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I came to the king, and in the end of days I prayed the king. (And at this time I was not in Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went and reported to the king, but after some number of days, I was granted leave to return to Jerusalem.)
7
And I came into Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done to Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the porches of God's house; (And so I came back to Jerusalem, and I learned of the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah's sake, by giving him a room in one of the courtyards of the House of God;)
8
and to me it seemed full evil. And I casted forth the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber; (and I was greatly angered by that. And I threw all of Tobiah's things out of the room;)
9
and I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought again there the vessels of God's house, and the sacrifice thereof, and the incense. (and I commanded, that they purify the room, and that all the vessels of the House of God, and the offerings, and the incense, should be put back into it.)
10
And I knew that the parts of the deacons were not given to them, and that each man of the deacons and of the singers, and of them that ministered in the temple, had gone away into his country(side); (And I also learned that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, and so all of the Levites and the singers, those who ministered in the Temple, had gone back to their fields;)
11
and I did the cause against (the) magistrates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, (the) deacons and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings. (and I brought this case against the magistrates, and I said, Why is the House of God deserted? And so I brought back the Levites, and the singers who had gone away, and I put them in their places again.)