Nehemiah 13

1 On that day, a portion, was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, —and it was found written therein, that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not enter into the convocation of God, unto times age-abiding;

On that day, when someone read to the people parts of the laws [that God gave] to Moses, they read where it was written that no one from the Ammon people-group or the Moab people-group was ever to be allowed to be with God’s people while they were gathered together [to worship].

2 because they met not the sons of Israel, with bread and with water, —but hired against them Balaam, to curse them, although our God turned the curse into a blessing.

The reason for that was that the people of Ammon and the people of Moab did not give/sell any food or water to the Israelis [while the Israelis were going through their areas after they left Egypt]. Instead, the people of Ammon and Moab paid money to Balaam in order that he would curse the Israelis. But God commanded Balaam to bless the people, not to curse them.

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

So when the people heard these laws [being read to them], they sent away all the people whose ancestors had come from other countries.

4 Now, before this, Eliashib the priest, who was set over a chamber of the house of God, was allied unto Tobiah;

Previously, Eliashib the priest had been appointed to be in charge of the storerooms in the temple. He was a relative of [our enemy] Tobiah.

5 so he prepared him a large chamber, where aforetime they used to lay the meal-offering, the frankincense, and the utensils, and the tithe of the corn, the new wine and the oil, in charge of the Levites, and the singers, and the doorkeepers, —and the heave-offerings for the priests.

He allowed Tobiah to use a large room in which they had previously stored the grain offerings and the incense, the equipment that is used in the temple, the offerings [that the people had brought] for the priests, and the tithes of grain and wine and [olive] oil that [God] had commanded the people to bring to the [other] descendants of Levi, and to the temple musicians, and to the temple guards.

6 But, throughout all this [time], was I not in Jerusalem, —for, in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I came unto the king, and, at the end of certain days, obtained I leave of the king;

While [Tobias was using that room], I was not in Jerusalem, because in the 32nd year that Artaxerxes was the king of Babylonia, I went back there to report to him. After a while I requested the king to allow me to return to Jerusalem, [and he allowed me to go].

7 and came to Jerusalem, —and had intelligence of the wickedness which Eliashib had committed for Tobiah, in preparing for him a chamber, in the courts of the house of God;

When I arrived in Jerusalem, I found out that Eliashib had done an evil thing by allowing Tobiah to use a room in God’s temple.

8 and it grieved me exceedingly, —and I cast forth all the household utensils of Tobiah, outside of the chamber.

I became very angry, and I threw out of that room everything that belonged to Tobiah.

9 Then commanded I, and they purified the chambers, —and I put back there, the utensils of the house of God, the meal-offering and the frankincense.

Then I commanded [that they perform a ritual] to make the rooms (pure/acceptable to God) again. And I also ordered that all the equipment used in the temple and all the grain offerings and incense should be put in that room again.

10 Then came I to know, that, the portions of the Levites, had not been given [them], —so that the Levites and the singers, who had been doing the work, had fled every one to his field.

I also found out that the temple musicians and [other] descendants of Levi had left Jerusalem and returned to their fields/farms, because the Israeli people had not been bringing to them the food [that they needed].

11 Therefore contended I with the deputies, and said, Wherefore is the house of God, forsaken? So I gathered them together, and set them in their place.

So I rebuked the officials, saying to them, “(Why have you not taken care of the work in the temple?/It is disgraceful that you have not taken care of the work in the temple.)” [RHQ] So I brought the descendants of Levi and the musicians back to the temple, and told them to do their work there again.

12 Then, all Judah, brought in the tithe of corn, and new wine, and oil, unto the treasuries;

Then all the people of Judah again started to bring to the temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and [olive] oil.

13 and I made treasurers over the treasuries—Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from among the Levites, and, next unto them, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, —for faithful were they accounted, and it was [laid] upon them to distribute unto their brethren.

I appointed these men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah, who was a priest; Zadok, who knew the Jewish laws very well; and Pedaiah, a descendant of Levi. I appointed Hanan, who is the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah, to assist them. I knew that I could trust these men while they distributed those offerings to their fellow workers.

14 Remember me, O my God, concerning this, —and do not wipe out my lovingkindnesses, which I have done for the house of my God, and for those keeping charge thereof.

My God, do not forget all these good things that I have faithfully done for your temple and for the work that is done there!

15 In those days, saw I in Judah—some treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and lading asses, moreover also wine, grapes, and figs, and every kind of burden, which they were bringing into Jerusalem on the sabbath day, —so I protested against it, as a day for them to sell provisions.

During that time, I saw some people in Judea [who were working] on the Sabbath day. [Some were] pressing grapes [to make wine]. Others were putting grain, [bags of] wine, [baskets of] grapes, figs, and many [HYP] other things, on their donkeys and taking them into Jerusalem. I warned them that they should not sell things to the people of Judea on Sabbath days.

16 And, men of Tyre, dwelt therein, who were bringing in fish—and every kind of ware for sale, —and were selling, on the sabbath, to the sons of Judah, and in Jerusalem;

I also saw some people from Tyre [city] who were living there in Jerusalem who were bringing fish and other things [into Jerusalem] to sell to the people of Judea on the Sabbath day.

17 so I contended with the nobles of Judah, —and said unto them, What is this wicked thing which, ye, are doing, and profaning the sabbath day?

So I rebuked the Jewish leaders and told them, “This is [RHQ] a very evil thing that you are doing! You are causing the Sabbath days to be unholy.

18 Was it not, thus, your fathers did, and our God brought upon us all this calamity, and upon this city?—and, ye, would add indignation against Israel, by profaning the sabbath!

Your ancestors did [RHQ] things like that, so God punished them, and as a result, this city was destroyed! And now by causing the Sabbath day to be unholy, you are going to cause God to be angry with us Israeli people [and punish us] more!”

19 And it came to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem made a shadow before the sabbath, then gave I word, and they shut the doors, and I gave word, that they should not open them, until after the sabbath, —and, some of my young men, set I near the gates, so that no burden should be brought in, on the sabbath day.

So I ordered that at (the beginning of every Sabbath day/every Friday evening) they should shut the gates of the city before it became dark. I also ordered that they should not open the gates until (the Sabbath day was ended [the next day]/Saturday evening). Then [each Sabbath day] I put some of my men at the gates, so they would make sure that nothing to sell was brought into the city on that day.

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

One or two times merchants [DOU] stayed outside of the city on (Friday night/[the night before the Sabbath day]).

21 Therefore I testified against them, and said unto them, Wherefore are ye lodging against the wall? if ye do it again, a hand, will I thrust upon you, —From that time, they came not on the sabbath.

I warned them, “It is useless [RHQ] for you to stay here outside the walls [on Friday night]! If you do this again, I will tell my men to arrest you!” So after that, they did not come on Sabbath days.

22 And I gave word to the Levites, that they should be purifying themselves and coming in, as keepers of the gates, to hallow the sabbath day. This also, remember to me, O my God, and have pity upon me, according to the abundance of thy lovingkindness.

I also commanded the descendants of Levi to [perform the ritual to] purify themselves and to guard the city gates, to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy [by not allowing merchants to enter it on Sabbath days]. My God, do not forget this also that I [have done for you]! And because of your faithfully loving me, allow me to continue to live [many more years]!

23 Moreover, in these days, saw I the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, of Moab;

During that time, I also found out that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod [city], and from [the] Ammon and Moab [people-groups].

24 and, their children, were one-half speaking the language of Ashdod, and understood not how to speak the language of the Jews, —but after the tongue of both people.

The result was that half of their children spoke the language that people in Ashdod speak or some other language, and they didn’t know how to speak our language.

25 So I contended with them, and laid a curse upon them, and I smote, from among them, certain men, and pulled out their hair, —and I put them on oath by God, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take of their daughters, for your sons nor for yourselves.

So I rebuked those men, and I [asked God to] curse them, and I beat them and pulled out [some of] their hair. Then I forced them to solemnly promise, knowing that God [MTY] was [listening], that they would never again marry foreigners, and never allow their children to marry foreigners.

26 Was it not, over these things, that Solomon king of Israel sinned—though, among many nations, there was no king such as he, and he was, beloved by his God, and so God gave him to be king over all Israel, —even him, did foreign women, cause to sin.

[I said to them], “Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned [RHQ] as a result of [marrying] foreign women. He was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him, and caused him to become the king of all the Israeli people, but his foreign wives caused even him to sin.

27 Unto you, then, shall we hearken, to do all this great wickedness, to act unfaithfully with our God, —by marrying foreign wives?

[Do you think that] we should do what you have done, and disobey our God by marrying foreign women [who worship idols]? [RHQ]”

28 And, one of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, —therefore I chased him from me.

One of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the Supreme Priest, had married the daughter of [our enemy] Sanballat, from Beth-Horon [town]. So I forced Jehoiada’s son to leave Jerusalem.

29 Remember them, O my God, —on account of the Defilings of the Priesthood, and the Covenant of the Priesthood, and of the Levites.

My God, do not forget that those people [who have married foreign women] have caused it to be a shame/disgrace to be a priest, and have caused people to despise the agreement that you made with the priests and with the [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests])!

30 So I purified them from everything foreign, —and appointed charges unto the priests and unto the Levites, every one in his work;

I did all that to make sure that there were no more foreign people among the [Israeli] people [who would encourage them to worship idols]. I also established regulations for the priests and [other] descendants of Levi, in order that they would know what work they should do.

31 also for the offering of wood, at times appointed, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good!

I also arranged for people to bring the firewood [that was needed to burn on the altar, as Moses had declared] that we should [do]. I also arranged for the people to bring the first part of what they harvested [each year]. My God, do not forget [that] I [have done all these things], and bless me [for doing them]!