Nehemiah 13

¹ On that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and in it was found written that the Ammonite and the Moabite should not come into the assembly of God forever, ² because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them; however our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³ It happened, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

⁴ Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the rooms of the house of our God, being allied to Tobiah, ⁵ had prepared for him a great room, where previously they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which was given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the wave offerings for the priests. ⁶ But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king, and after some days I asked leave of the king, ⁷ and 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.

⁸ It grieved me severely; therefore I threw all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the room. ⁹ Then I commanded, and they cleansed the rooms; and I brought again there the vessels of God’s house, with the meal offerings and the frankincense.

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 each fled to his field. 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. ¹² Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries. ¹³ I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, 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 counted faithful, and their business was to distribute to their brothers.

¹⁴ Remember me for this, my God, and don’t blot out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its observances.

¹⁵ In those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with 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. ¹⁶ There lived men of Tyre also therein, who brought fish, and all kinds of merchandise, and sold on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem. 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? ¹⁸ Didn’t your fathers do this, and didn’t our God bring all this evil on us, and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ 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 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. ²⁰ So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise camped outside Jerusalem once or twice. 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 forth 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 this also, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your loving kindness.

²³ In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab. ²⁴ Their children spoke half in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews’ language, but according to the language of each people. ²⁵ I contended with them, and cursed them, and struck some of them, and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves. ²⁶ Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was 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. ²⁷ Shall we then listen to you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?”

²⁸ 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 Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

³⁰ Thus I cleansed them from all foreigners, and appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, everyone in his work; ³¹ and for the wood offering, at times appointed, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.