Nehemiah 13

Foreigners Excluded

1 On that day the Book of Moses was aread aloud
Lit in the ears of the people
as the people listened; and there was found written in it that cno Ammonite or Moabite was ever to enter the assembly of God,
2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but dhired Balaam against them to curse them. However, eour God turned the curse into a blessing. 3So when they heard the Law, fthey excluded gall foreigners from Israel.

Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed

4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, hwho was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being
Lit close to
related to jTobiah,
5had prepared a large
Or chamber
room for him, where previously they used to put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil lprescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the
Or uplifted offerings
contributions for the priests.
6But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in nthe thirty-second year of oArtaxerxes king of Babylon I had come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and
Or understood
learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for
An Ammonite, banned from the temple
Tobiah, rby preparing a
Or chamber, and so in vv 8, 9
room for him in the courtyards of the house of God.
8It was very displeasing to me, so I tthrew all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. 9Then I gave an order, and uthey cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored

10 I also
Or knew
discovered that wthe portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers who performed the service had
Lit fled
gone away, yeach to his own field.
11So I
Or contended with
,
aareprimanded the officials and said, “ abWhy has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts.
12All Judah then brought acthe tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13To be in charge of the storehouses, I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for adthey were considered reliable, and it was
Lit on them to
their task to distribute to their kinsmen.
14 afRemember me for this, my God, and do not wipe out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

Sabbath Restored

15 In those days I saw in Judah people who were treading wine presses agon the Sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load, ahand they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So aiI admonished them on the day they sold food. 16Also people of Tyre were living
Lit in it
there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem.
17Then akI
Or contended with
reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing,
Lit and
by profaning the Sabbath day?
18 anDid your fathers not do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 And aoit came about that just as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut,
Lit and commanded
and that they were not to open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the Sabbath day.
20Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21Then aqI warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will
Lit send a hand against
use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.
22And I ordered the Levites that asthey were to purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this also atremember me, my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

Mixed Marriages Forbidden

23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had
Lit given dwelling to
,
avmarried women from awAshdod, axAmmon, and Moab.
24As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them knew how to speak the language of Judah, but
Lit according to the tongue of people and people
only the language of his own people.
25So azI quarreled with them and cursed them, and bastruck some of them and pulled out their hair, and bbmade them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 bcDid Solomon the king of Israel not sin regarding these things? bdYet among the many nations there was no king like him, and behe was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27Has it not then been reported about you that you have committed all this great evil bfby acting unfaithfully against our God, by
Lit giving dwelling to
marrying foreign women?”
28Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, became a son-in-law of bhSanballat the Horonite, so I chased him away from me. 29 biRemember them, my God,
Lit for the defilements of
because they have defiled the priesthood and the bkcovenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 blSo I purified them from everything foreign, and assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31and I arranged bmfor the delivery of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. bnRemember me, my God, for good.

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