Nehemiah 13
1 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.
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 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.
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 As soon as they heard the law, they separated out from Israel every foreign person.
When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.
4 Now before this Eliashib the priest was appointed over the storerooms of the house of our God. He was related 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 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.
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 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,
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 returned to Jerusalem. I understood the evil that Eliashib had done by giving Tobiah a storeroom in the courts of the house of God.
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 I was very angry and I threw all Tobiah's household articles out of the storeroom.
I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.
9 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.
I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.
10 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.
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 So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.
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 all Judah brought in the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the storerooms.
Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.
13 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 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!
I told them off for selling their produce on that day.
17 Then I confronted the leaders of Judah, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning 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 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.”
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 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.
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 The merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares camped outside Jerusalem once or twice.
A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.
21 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.
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 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.
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 I also saw Jews that had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.
24 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.
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 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.
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 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.
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 Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and act treacherously against our God by 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 son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I caused him to flee from my presence.
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 Call them to mind, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood and 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 everything foreign, and established the duties of the priests and the Levites, each to his own task.
I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
31 I provided for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Call me to mind, 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.
