Nehemiah 13:15-30

15In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses 1on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, 2and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So 3I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16Also men of Tyre were living 4there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17Then 5I 6reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, 7by profaning the sabbath day? 188Did 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.”

199It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut 10and 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 11I 12warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will 13use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that 14they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also 15remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

23In those days I also saw that the Jews had 1617married women from 18Ashdod, 19Ammon 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 20the language of his own people. 25So 21I contended with them and cursed them and 22struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and 23made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 2624Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? 25Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and 26he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 2727Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil 28by acting unfaithfully against our God by 29marrying foreign women?” 28Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of 30Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. 2931Remember them, O my God, 32because they have defiled the priesthood and the 33covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

3034Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task,