Nehemiah 13:4-31

4Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, 1who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being 2related to 3Tobiah, 5had prepared a large 4room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil 5prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the 6contributions for the priests. 6But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in 7the thirty-second year of 8Artaxerxes 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 9learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, 10by preparing a 11room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8It was very displeasing to me, so I 12threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9Then I gave an order and 13they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

10I also 14discovered that 15the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had 16gone away, 17each to his own field. 11So I 1819reprimanded the officials and said, “20Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. 12All Judah then brought 21the 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 22they were considered reliable, and it was 23their task to distribute to their 24kinsmen. 1425Remember 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.

15In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses 26on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, 27and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So 28I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16Also men of Tyre were living 29there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17Then 30I 31reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, 32by profaning the sabbath day? 1833Did 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.”

1934It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut 35and 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 36I 37warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will 38use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22And I commanded the Levites that 39they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also 40remember 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 4142married women from 43Ashdod, 44Ammon 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 45the language of his own people. 25So 46I contended with them and cursed them and 47struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and 48made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 2649Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? 50Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and 51he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 2752Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil 53by acting unfaithfully against our God by 54marrying foreign women?” 28Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of 55Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. 2956Remember them, O my God, 57because they have defiled the priesthood and the 58covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

3059Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, 31and I arranged 60for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. 61Remember me, O my God, for good.