Nehemiah 13

1 Now on that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it, there was found written that the Ammonites and the Moabites must not enter the church of God, even for all time,

On that day they read in the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. It was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should come into the assembly of God, forever.

2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired Balaam against them, to curse them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.

This was because they had not come to the people of Israel with bread and with water, but they had hired Balaam to curse Israel. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 Now it happened that, when they had heard the law, they separated every foreigner from Israel.

As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.

4 And Eliashib, the priest, was over this task; he had been given charge of the treasury of the house of our God, and he was a close relative of Tobiah.

Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related to Tobiah.

5 Then he made for himself a large storeroom, and in that place, there was laid before him gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the gatekeepers, and the first-fruits of the priests.

Eliashib prepared for Tobiah a large storeroom, where previously they kept the grain offering, the incense, the articles, and the tithes of the grain, new wine, and the oil, which were designated for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

6 But during all this, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went to the king, and at the end of some days, I petitioned the king.

But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem. For in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,

7 And I went to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, such that he would make him a storeroom in the vestibules of the house of God.

and I returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom in the courts of the house of God.

8 And it seemed to me very evil. And I cast the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside of the storeroom.

I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.

9 And I gave instructions, and they cleansed again the storeroom. And I brought back, into that place, the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.

I ordered that they purify the storerooms, and I put back in them the articles of the house of God, the grain offerings, and the incense.

10 And I realized that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, and that each one had fled into his own region, from the Levites, and from the singing men, and from those who were ministering.

I learned that the Levites' portions had not been given to them, and they had run away, each to his own field, the Levites and the singers who did the work.

11 And I brought the case before the magistrates, and I said, “Why have we forsaken the house of God?” And I gathered them together, and I caused them to stand at their stations.

So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.

12 And all of Judah brought the tithes of the grain, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

Then all Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.

13 And we appointed over the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and next to them Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they had proven to be faithful. And so the portions of their brothers were entrusted to them.

I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and from the Levites, Pedaiah. Next to them was Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were counted as trustworthy. Their duties were to distribute the supplies to their associates.

14 Remember me, O my God, because of this, and may you not wipe away my acts of compassion, which I have done for the house of my God and for his ceremonies.

Call me to mind, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out the good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and its services.

15 In those days, I saw, in Judah, some who were treading the presses on the Sabbath, and who were carrying sheaves, and placing on donkeys burdens of wine, and of grapes, and of figs, and all manner of burdens, and who were bringing these into Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I contended with them, so that they would sell on a day when it was permitted to sell.

In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of heavy loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I protested that they were selling food on that day.

16 And some Tyrians dwelt within, who were bringing fish and all kinds of items for sale. And they were selling on the Sabbaths to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem.

Men from Tyre living in Jerusalem brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and they sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah and in the city!

17 And I put the nobles of Judah under oath, and I said to them: “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?

18 Did not our fathers do these things, and so our God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? And you are adding more wrath upon Israel by violating the Sabbath!”

Did not your fathers do this? Did not our God bring all this evil on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 And it happened that, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested on the day of the Sabbath, I spoke, and they closed the gates. And I instructed that they should not open them until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my servants over the gates, so that no one would carry in a burden on the day of the Sabbath.

As soon as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 And so the merchants and those who sold all kinds of items remained just outside of Jerusalem, once and again.

The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21 And I contended with them, and I said to them: “Why are you remaining just beyond the wall? If you do this again, I will send hands upon you.” And so, from that time, they no longer came on the Sabbath.

But I warned them, “Why do you camp outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

22 I also spoke to the Levites, so that they would be cleansed, and would arrive to guard the gates and to sanctify the day of the Sabbath. Because of this also, O my God, remember me and spare me, in accord with the multitude of your mercies.

Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves, and come and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Call me to mind for this also, my God, and have mercy on me because of the covenant loyalty you have toward me.

23 But also in those days, I saw some Jews taking wives from the Ashdodites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites.

In those days I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 And their sons spoke partly in the speech of Ashdod, and they did not know how to speak the Jewish language, and they were speaking according to the language of one people or another.

Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. None of them could speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one of the other peoples.

25 And I put them under oath, and I cursed them. And I struck some of their men, and I shaved off their hair, and I made them swear to God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:

I confronted them, and I cursed them, and I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.

26 “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin in this kind of thing? And certainly, among many nations, there was no king similar to him, and he was beloved of his God, and God set him as king over all of Israel. And yet foreign women led even him into sin!

Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of these women? Among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, his foreign wives caused him to sin.

27 So how could we disobey and do all this great evil, so that we would transgress against our God, and take foreign wives?”

Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 Now one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was a son-in-law to Sanballat, a Horonite, and I made him flee from me.

One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.

29 O Lord, my God, remember against those who defile the priesthood and the law of the priests and the Levites!

Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 And so I cleansed them from all foreigners, and I established the orders of the priests and the Levites, each one in his ministry.

Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.

31 O my God, remember me also, for good, because of the offering of wood, at the appointed times, and because of the first-fruits. Amen.

I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, my God, for good.