Nehemiah 13

1 On that day they read in the scroll of Moses in the audience of the people; and in it was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever,

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,

2 because 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.

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!

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

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

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

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.

5 had 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 gatekeepers; and the wave offerings for the cohanim.

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.

6 But in all this, I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artachshasta king of Babylon I went to the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king,

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.

7 and 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.

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.

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

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

9 Then 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.

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

10 I 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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

13 And I commanded Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites be in charge of the storerooms. And next to them was Hanan the son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were considered trustworthy, and their responsibility was the distribution to their brothers.

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.

14 Remember 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.

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.

15 In 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.

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.

16 There lived men of Tyre also in it, who brought in fish, and all kinds of wares, and sold on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

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

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

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.

18 Did 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."

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!”

19 It 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.

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.

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

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

21 Then 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.

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.

22 I 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.

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.

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

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

24 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.

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.

25 I 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.

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.

26 Did 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.

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.

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

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

28 One of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the cohen hagadol, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.