Nehemiah 13

¹On that day there was a reading from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and they saw that it said in the book that no Ammonite or Moabite might ever come into the meeting of God;

²Because they did not give the children of Israel bread and water when they came to them, but got Balaam to put a curse on them: though the curse was turned into a blessing by our God.

³So after hearing the law, they took out of Israel all the mixed people.

⁴Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been placed over the rooms of the house of our God, being a friend of Tobiah,

⁵Had made ready for him a great room, where at one time they kept the meal offerings, the perfume, and the vessels and the tenths of the grain and wine and oil which were given by order to the Levites and the music-makers and the door-keepers, and the lifted offerings for the priests.

⁶But all this time I was not at Jerusalem: for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I went to the king; and after some days, I got the king to let me go,

⁷And I came to Jerusalem; and it was clear to me what evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in making ready for him a room in the buildings of the house of God.

⁸And it was evil in my eyes: so I had all Tobiah's things put out of the room.

⁹Then I gave orders, and they made the rooms clean: and I put back in them the vessels of the house of God, with the meal offerings and the perfume.

¹⁰And I saw that the Levites had not been given what was needed for their support; so that the Levites and the music-makers, who did the work, had gone away, everyone to his field.

¹¹Then I made protests to the chiefs, and said, Why has the house of God been given up? And I got them together and put them in their places.

¹²Then all Judah came with the tenth part of the grain and wine and oil and put it into the store-houses.

¹³And I made controllers over the store-houses, Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and with them was Hanan, the son of Zaccur the son of Mattaniah: they were taken to be true men and their business was the distribution of these things to their brothers.

¹⁴Keep me in mind, O my God, in connection with this, and do not let the good which I have done for the house of my God and its worship go from your memory completely.

¹⁵In those days, I saw in Judah some who were crushing grapes on the Sabbath, and getting in grain and putting it on asses; as well as wine and grapes and figs and all sorts of goods which they took into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day: and I gave witness against them on the day when they were marketing food.

¹⁶And there were men of Tyre there, who came with fish and all sorts of goods, trading with the children of Judah and in Jerusalem on the Sabbath.

¹⁷Then I made protests to the chiefs of Judah, and said to them, What is this evil which you are doing, not keeping the Sabbath day holy?

¹⁸Did not your fathers do the same, and did not our God send all this evil on us and on this town? but you are causing more wrath to come on Israel by not keeping the Sabbath holy.

¹⁹And so, when the streets of Jerusalem were getting dark before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut and not to be open again till after the Sabbath: and I put some of my servants by the door so that nothing might be taken in on the Sabbath day.

²⁰So the traders in all sorts of goods took their night's rest outside Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹Then I gave witness against them and said, Why are you waiting all night by the wall? if you do so again I will have you taken prisoners. From that time they did not come again on the Sabbath.

²²And I gave the Levites orders to make themselves clean and come and keep the doors and make the Sabbath holy. Keep this in mind to my credit, O my God, and have mercy on me, for great is your mercy.

²³And in those days I saw the Jews who were married to women of Ashdod and Ammon and Moab:

²⁴And their children were talking half in the language of Ashdod; they had no knowledge of the Jews' language, but made use of the language of the two peoples.

²⁵And I took up the cause against them, cursing them and giving blows to some of them and pulling out their hair; and I made them take an oath by God, saying, You are not to give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

²⁶Was it not in these things that Solomon, king of Israel, did wrong? among a number of nations there was no king like him, and he was dear to his God, and God made him king over all Israel: but even he was made to do evil by strange women.

²⁷Are we then without protest to let you do all this great evil, sinning against our God by taking strange women for your wives?

²⁸And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the chief priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: so I sent him away from me.

²⁹Keep them in mind, O my God, because they have put shame on the priests' name and on the agreement of the priests and the Levites.

³⁰So I made them clean from all strange people, and had regular watches fixed for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work;

³¹And for the wood offering, at fixed times, and for the first fruits. Keep me in mind, O my God, for good.

Nehemiah 13

¹On 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,

²because they did not 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.

³It came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

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

⁵had 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.

⁶But 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,

⁷and 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.

⁸It grieved me severely: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the room.

⁹Then 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.

¹⁰I 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.

¹¹Then I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is God's house forsaken?" I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

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

¹³I 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.

¹⁴Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

¹⁵In those days I saw in Judah some men treading winepresses 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.

¹⁶There 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.

¹⁷Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?

¹⁸Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us, and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."

¹⁹It 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.

²⁰So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside of Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹Then 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 did not come on the Sabbath.

²²I 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.

²³In those days also saw I the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:

²⁴and 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.

²⁵I 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.

²⁶Did not 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.

²⁷Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?"

²⁸One 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.

²⁹Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

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

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