Nehemiah 13

Foreigners Excluded

1On that day 1they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that 2no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but 3hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, 4our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3So when they heard the law, 5they excluded 6all foreigners from Israel.

Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed

4Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, 7who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being 8related to 9Tobiah, 5had prepared a large 10room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil 11prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the 12contributions for the priests. 6But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in 13the thirty-second year of 14Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and 15learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, 16by preparing a 17room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8It was very displeasing to me, so I 18threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9Then I gave an order and 19they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored

10I also 20discovered that 21the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had 22gone away, 23each to his own field. 11So I 2425reprimanded the officials and said, “26Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. 12All Judah then brought 27the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. 13In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for 28they were considered reliable, and it was 29their task to distribute to their 30kinsmen. 1431Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

Sabbath Restored

15In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses 32on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, 33and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So 34I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16Also men of Tyre were living 35there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17Then 36I 37reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, 38by profaning the sabbath day? 1839Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”

1940It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut 41and that they should not 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 42I 43warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will 44use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that 45they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also 46remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

Mixed Marriages Forbidden

23In those days I also saw that the Jews had 4748married women from 49Ashdod, 50Ammon and Moab. 24As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but 51the language of his own people. 25So 52I contended with them and cursed them and 53struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and 54made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 2655Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? 56Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and 57he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 2758Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil 59by acting unfaithfully against our God by 60marrying foreign women?” 28Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of 61Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. 2962Remember them, O my God, 63because they have defiled the priesthood and the 64covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

3065Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, 31and I arranged 66for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. 67Remember me, O my God, for good.