Nehemiah 13

1 One day when the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the section was found where it was written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed into the assembly of God,

On that day there was read in the book of Moses before the ears of the people; and there was found written therein, that no 'Ammonite or Moabite should come into the congregation of God for ever;

2 because they hadn't brought food and water when they met the Israelites, but instead they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them—though our God turned that curse into a blessing!

Because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and with water, but had hired Bil'am against them, that he should curse them; although our God had changed the curse into a blessing.

3 When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.

And it tame to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated all the alien mixture from Israel.

4 Before all this, Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the Temple of our God.

And before this, Elyashib the priest, appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and a near [of kin] unto Tobiyah,

5 He had provided Tobiah with a large room which had previously been used to store the grain offerings, incense, and Temple items, as well as the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil allocated to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, in addition to the offerings for the priests.

Had prepared for him a large chamber, where they had laid in former times the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was ordained for the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the heave-offering of the priests.

6 When all this happened I was not in Jerusalem because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I requested permission from the king to go back.

But during all this I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes the king of Babylon I went back unto the king, and after the lapse of some time I obtained by request [leave] of the king;

7 When I arrived back in Jerusalem I discovered the dreadful thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courtyard of God's Temple.

And I came to Jerusalem, and perceived the evil that Elyashib had done for Tobiyah, in preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.

8 I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.

And it displeased me greatly: wherefore I cast forth all the household vessels of Tobiyah away out of the chamber.

9 I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.

And I gave the order, whereupon they cleansed the chambers; and I had brought thither again the vessels of the house of God, with the meat-offering and the frankincense.

10 I also found out that the food allowances for the Levites were not being provided, so the Levites had gone back to take care of their fields, along with the singers who led the worship services.

And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given [them]: so that the Levites and the singers, that used to do the work, were fled every one to his field.

11 I went and confronted the leaders, asking, “Why is God's Temple being neglected?” I called the Levites back and made sure they were carrying out their responsibilities.

Then contended I with the rulers, and said, Why hath the house of God become forsaken? And I gathered them together, and placed them on their posts.

12 Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.

And all Judah brought the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.

13 I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms with Hanan, son of Zakkur, son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered honest people. Their responsibility was to distribute the allowances to their fellow Levites.

And I appointed receivers over the treasuries, Shelemyah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and Pedayah of the Levites; and with them acted Chanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Matthanyah; for they were accounted as faithful, and it was their duty to make a distribution among their brethren.

14 My God, please remember me over this. Please don't forget my good deeds I have done for the Temple of my God and its services.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my pious deeds which I have done for the house of my God, and for those that had charge of it.

15 Around that time I noticed people treading the winepress on Sabbath. I saw others collecting grain and loading it up on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing it all into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

In those days I saw in Judah some treading wine-presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and lading burdens on asses, as also wine, grapes and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them on the day whereon they sold provisions.

16 I told them off for selling their produce on that day.

Also the men of Tyre [that] dwelt therein brought fish and all kinds of wares, and sold [them] on the sabbath unto the children of Judah and in Jerusalem.

17 Some people from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of things and they were selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this which ye are doing, and profaning [thereby] the sabbath day?

18 I confronted the Jewish leaders, asking them, “Why are you are doing such an evil thing? You are violating the Sabbath day! Wasn't this what your forefathers did, bringing our God down on us, causing us and this city such disasters? Now you're bringing even more trouble on us by violating the Sabbath!”

Did not your fathers act thus, wherefore our God brought over us all this evil, and over this city? and ye bring yet more wrath over Israel by profaning the sabbath.

19 So I ordered Jerusalem's gates to be shut at sunset on the day before the Sabbath, and that were not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. I assigned some of my men to guard the gates to make sure no goods would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

And it came to pass, that, when the shadows were lengthened in the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I gave the order, whereupon the gates were locked, and I ordered that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my young men did I place at the gates, that there should be brought in no burden on the sabbath-day.

20 A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.

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

21 I warned them, saying, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again I'll have you arrested!” After that they didn't come on the Sabbath.

Thereupon did I warn them, and said unto them, Why do ye lodge along the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath.

22 Then I told the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. My God, please also remember me for doing this, and be merciful to me because of your trustworthy love.

And I ordered the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should come and keep watch at the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also this remember unto me, O my God, and shield me according to the abundance of thy kindness.

23 Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.

In those days also I saw certain Jews that had brought home wives of Ashdod, of 'Ammon, and of Moab:

24 Half their children could only speak the language of Ashdod or that of another people, and didn't know how to speak the language of Judah.

And their children spoke partly in the speech of Ashdod, and did not understand to speak in the Jewish language, but according to the language of one or the other people.

25 So I confronted them and told them they were cursed. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God, saying, “You must not allow your daughters to marry their sons, or allow your sons—or yourselves— to marry their daughters.

And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, nor for yourselves.

26 Wasn't it marriages like these that made King Solomon of Israel sin? There wasn't a king in any nation like him. God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was made to sin by foreign women.

Did not Solomon the king of Israel sin by these things? and although among the many nations there was never a king like him, and beloved as he was by his God, and God had placed him as king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did the alien women mislead to sin.

27 So do we have to hear about you committing this dreadful sin, how you are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

Shall we then hear it said of you, that ye do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in bringing home alien wives?

28 Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I expelled him.

And one of the sons of Joyada', the son of Elyashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Choronite; wherefore I chased him away from me.

29 My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and Levites.

Remember [this] unto them, O my God, because of the defilements of the priesthood, and of the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

30 I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

Thus cleansed I them from all aliens, and I appointed the watches of the priests and the Levites, every one in his work;

31 I also arranged for wood to be supplied for the altar at the specified times, and for the first part of the produce to be donated. My God, remember me favorably.

And for the procuring of the wood, at fixed time, and for the first-fruits. Remember this unto me, O my God, for good.