OET interlinear NEH 13:1

uW Translation Notes:

בַּ⁠יּ֣וֹם הַ⁠ה֗וּא

in_the=day (the)=that

As noted for 12:43 and 12:44, this is a flexible expression that can mean either “on that same day” or “around that time.” Either meaning might fit the context here, so you could choose to say either one in your translation.

Note 1 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

נִקְרָ֛א בְּ⁠סֵ֥פֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה

read in/on/at/with,book Mosheh

If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this with an active form, and you could say who did the action. Alternate translation: “we read from the scroll that contained the Law of Moses”

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / metonymy

בְּ⁠אָזְנֵ֣י הָ⁠עָ֑ם

in/on/at/with,hearing the,people

Here, ears stand for hearing. Alternate translation: “out loud so that all the people could hear”

Note 3 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

וְ⁠נִמְצָא֙ כָּת֣וּב בּ֔⁠וֹ

and,found written in/on/over=him/it

Found is an idiom that means “could be found there” or “was there.” The expression means that this was something that was in the law. And since Nehemiah and the other leaders were reading this out loud to the people, their purpose was to show them that this was in the law. Alternate translation: “and we showed them that it said”

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / activepassive

וְ⁠נִמְצָא֙ כָּת֣וּב בּ֔⁠וֹ

and,found written in/on/over=him/it

If it would be helpful in your language, you could say this with an active form, and you could say who did the action. Alternate translation: “we showed them that it said”

Note 5 topic: translate-names

עַמֹּנִ֧י וּ⁠מֹאָבִ֛י

ˊAmmōnī and,Moabite

These are the names of the members of two people groups.

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

יָב֨וֹא & בִּ⁠קְהַ֥ל הָ⁠אֱלֹהִ֖ים

enter & in/on/at/with,assembly the=ʼElohīm

The expression assembly of God can refer either to the entire Israelite community, as in 7:66 and 8:17, or to the community gathered for a legal proceeding, as in 5:7 and 5:13, or gathered for a religious ceremony, as in 8:2 and 8:18. The last meaning is probably in view here. This statement likely means that Ammonites and Moabites were not allowed to join the Israelites in their worship of Yahweh in the temple or on public occasions. For example, 9:2 describes how the Israelites did not allow any foreigners to take part in their ceremony of national repentance. (Later in this chapter, in 13:23–27, Nehemiah will describe how he took the further measure of expelling foreigners from the Israelite community itself.) Alternate translation: “could join with the Israelites when they worshiped Yahweh”

Note 7 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

עַד־עוֹלָֽם

until ever

This expression means that this was a permanent regulation in the Law of Moses. It was not a regulation that applied just to a specific period and that might change afterwards. Alternate translation: “This was a permanent rule.”