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 they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not 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 met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Baalam against them, that he should curse them: but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

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

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

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, Eliashib the priest, having the oversight of the chamber of the house of our God, [was] allied to Tobiah:

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.

And he had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they laid the meat-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the corn, the new wine, and the oil, which was commanded [to be given] to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the offerings 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 in all this [time] I was not at Jerusalem: for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I came to the king, and after certain days I obtained 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 understood of the evil that Eliashib did for Tobiah, 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 grieved me greatly: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.

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

Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither I brought 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]: for the Levites and the singers, that did the work, had 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 I contended with the rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? and I assembled them, and set them in their place.

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

Then all Judah brought the tithe of the corn and the new wine and the oil to 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 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 accounted faithful; and their office [was] to distribute to 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 good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its offices.

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 asses; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all [manner of] burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified [against them] in the day in which they sold provisions.

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

There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the sabbath to 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 to them, What evil thing [is] this that ye do, and profane 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 thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon 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 gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and I set [some] of my servants at the gates, [that] there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.

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

So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without 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.

Then I testified against them, and said to them, Why lodge ye about 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 commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves, and [that] they should come [and] keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, [concerning] this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy mercy.

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

In those days also I saw Jews [that] had married 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 half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews language, but according to the language of each 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 off their hair, and made them swear by God, [saying], Ye shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons, or 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 king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, who was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did outlandish women cause 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 hearken to you to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God in marrying foreign 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 Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, [was] son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

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

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and 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 I cleansed them from all strangers, and appointed the wards of the priests and the Levites, every one in his business;

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