Nehemiah 13

Foreigners Excluded

1On that dayH3117 1they readH7121 aloud from the bookH5612 of MosesH4872 in the hearingH241 of the peopleH5971; and there was foundH4672 writtenH3789 in it that 2noH3808 AmmoniteH5984 or MoabiteH4125 should everH5769 enterH935 the assemblyH6951 of GodH430, 2becauseH3588 they did not meetH6923 the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 with breadH3899 and waterH4325, but 3hiredH7936 BalaamH1109 againstH5921 them to curseH7043 them. However, 4our GodH430 turnedH2015 the curseH7045 into a blessingH1293. 3So when they heardH8085 the lawH8451, 5they excludedH914 6allH3605 foreignersH6154 from IsraelH3478.

Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed

4Now priorH6440 to thisH2088, EliashibH475 the priestH3548, 7who was appointedH5414 over the chambersH3957 of the houseH1004 of our GodH430, being 8relatedH7138 to 9TobiahH2900, 5had preparedH6213 a largeH1419 10roomH3957 for him, whereH8033 formerlyH6440 they putH5414 the grain offeringsH4503, the frankincenseH3828, the utensilsH3627 and the tithesH4643 of grainH1715, wineH8492 and oilH3323 11prescribedH4687 for the LevitesH3881, the singersH7891 and the gatekeepersH7778, and the 12contributionsH8641 for the priestsH3548. 6But during allH3605 thisH2088 time I was not in JerusalemH3389, for in 13the thirty-secondH7970H8147 yearH8141 of 14ArtaxerxesH783 kingH4428 of BabylonH894 I had goneH935 to the kingH4428. AfterH7093 some timeH3117, however, I askedH7592 leave from the kingH4428, 7and I cameH935 to JerusalemH3389 and 15learnedH995 about the evilH7463 that EliashibH475 had doneH6213 for TobiahH2900, 16by preparingH6213 a 17roomH5393 for him in the courtsH2691 of the houseH1004 of GodH430. 8It was veryH3966 displeasingH7489 to me, so I 18threwH7993 allH3605 of Tobiah’sH2900 householdH1004 goodsH3627 out of the roomH3957. 9Then I gaveH559 an orderH559 and 19they cleansedH2891 the roomsH3957; and I returnedH7725 thereH8033 the utensilsH3627 of the houseH1004 of GodH430 with the grain offeringsH4503 and the frankincenseH3828.

Tithes Restored

10I also 20discoveredH3045 that 21the portionsH4521 of the LevitesH3881 had not been givenH5414 them, so that the LevitesH3881 and the singersH7891 who performedH6213 the serviceH4399 had 22goneH1272 awayH1272, 23eachH376 to his own fieldH7704. 11So I 2425reprimandedH7378 the officialsH5461 and saidH559, “26WhyH4069 is the houseH1004 of GodH430 forsakenH5800?” Then I gatheredH6908 them together and restoredH5975 them to their postsH5977. 12AllH3605 JudahH3063 then broughtH935 27the titheH4643 of the grainH1715, wineH8492 and oilH3323 into the storehousesH214. 13In chargeH5921 of the storehousesH214 I appointedH686 ShelemiahH8018 the priestH3548, ZadokH6659 the scribeH5613, and PedaiahH6305 of the LevitesH3881, and in additionH5921H3027 to them was HananH2605 the sonH1121 of ZaccurH2139, the sonH1121 of MattaniahH4983; for 28they were consideredH2803 reliableH539, and it was 29their taskH5921 to distributeH2505 to their 30kinsmenH251. 1431RememberH2142 me for thisH2088, O my GodH430, and do not blotH4229 out my loyalH2617 deedsH2617 whichH834 I have performedH6213 for the houseH1004 of my GodH430 and its servicesH4929.

Sabbath Restored

15In thoseH1992 daysH3117 I sawH7200 in JudahH3063 some who were treadingH1869 wineH1660 pressesH1660 32on the sabbathH7676, and bringingH935 in sacksH6194 of grainH6194 and loadingH6006 them on donkeysH2543, as wellH637 as wineH3196, grapesH6025, figsH8384 and allH3605 kinds of loadsH4853, 33and they broughtH935 them into JerusalemH3389 on the sabbathH7676 dayH3117. So 34I admonishedH5749 them on the dayH3117 they soldH4376 foodH6718. 16Also menH6876 of TyreH6876 were livingH3427 35there who importedH935 fishH1710 and allH3605 kinds of merchandiseH4377, and soldH4376 them to the sonsH1121 of JudahH3063 on the sabbathH7676, even in JerusalemH3389. 17Then 36I 37reprimandedH7378 the noblesH2715 of JudahH3063 and saidH559 to them, “WhatH4100 is thisH2088 evilH7451 thingH1697 you are doingH6213, 38by profaningH2490 the sabbathH7676 dayH3117? 1839Did not your fathersH1 doH6213 the sameH3541, so that our GodH430 broughtH935 on us and on thisH2088 cityH5892 allH3605 thisH2088 troubleH7463? Yet you are addingH3254 to the wrathH2740 on IsraelH3478 by profaningH2490 the sabbathH7676.”

1940It cameH1961 about that justH3512 as it grewH6751 darkH6751 at the gatesH8179 of JerusalemH3389 beforeH6440 the sabbathH7676, I commandedH559 that the doorsH1817 should be shutH5462 41and that they should not openH6605 them untilH5704 afterH310 the sabbathH7676. Then I stationedH5975 some of my servantsH5288 at the gatesH8179 so that noH3808 loadH4853 would enterH935 on the sabbathH7676 dayH3117. 20OnceH6471 or twiceH8147 the tradersH7402 and merchantsH4376 of everyH3605 kind of merchandiseH4465 spentH3885 the nightH3885 outsideH4480H2351 JerusalemH3389. 21Then 42I 43warnedH5749 them and saidH559 to them, “WhyH4069 do you spendH3885 the nightH3885 in frontH5048 of the wallH2346? IfH518 you doH8138 so againH8138, I will 44useH7971 forceH3027 against you.” From that timeH6256 on they did not comeH935 on the sabbathH7676. 22And I commandedH559 the LevitesH3881 that 45they should purifyH2891 themselves and comeH935 as gatekeepersH8104H8179 to sanctifyH6942 the sabbathH7676 dayH3117. For thisH2088 alsoH1571 46rememberH2142 me, O my GodH430, and haveH2347 compassionH2347 on me according to the greatnessH7230 of Your lovingkindnessH2617.

Mixed Marriages Forbidden

23In thoseH1992 daysH3117 I alsoH1571 sawH7200 that the JewsH3064 had 4748marriedH3427 womenH802 from 49AshdodH796, 50AmmonH5985 and MoabH4125. 24As for their childrenH1121, halfH2677 spokeH1696 in the languageH797 of AshdodH797, and noneH369 of them was ableH5234 to speakH1696 the languageH3066 of JudahH3066, but 51the languageH3956 of his ownH5971 peopleH5971. 25So 52I contendedH7378 with them and cursedH7043 them and 53struckH5221 someH376 of them and pulledH4803 out their hairH4803, and 54made them swearH7650 by GodH430, “You shall not giveH5414 your daughtersH1323 to their sonsH1121, norH518 takeH5375 of their daughtersH1323 for your sonsH1121 or for yourselves. 2655Did not SolomonH8010 kingH4428 of IsraelH3478 sinH2398 regardingH5921 theseH428 thingsH428? 56Yet among the manyH7227 nationsH1471 there was noH3808 kingH4428 likeH3644 him, and 57he was lovedH157 by his GodH430, and GodH430 madeH5414 him kingH4428 overH5921 allH3605 IsraelH3478; neverthelessH1571 the foreignH5237 womenH802 caused evenH1571 him to sinH2403. 2758Do we then hearH8085 about you that you have committedH6213 allH3605 thisH2088 greatH1419 evilH7463 59by actingH4603 unfaithfullyH4603 against our GodH430 by 60marryingH3427 foreignH5237 womenH802?” 28Even one of the sonsH1121 of JoiadaH3077, the sonH1121 of EliashibH475 the highH1419 priestH3548, was a son-in-lawH2860 of 61SanballatH5571 the HoroniteH2772, so I droveH1272 him awayH1272 from me. 2962RememberH2142 them, O my GodH430, 63becauseH5921 they have defiledH1352 the priesthoodH3550 and the 64covenantH1285 of the priesthoodH3550 and the LevitesH3881.

3065Thus I purifiedH2891 them from everythingH3605 foreignH5236 and appointedH5975 dutiesH4931 for the priestsH3548 and the LevitesH3881, eachH376 in his taskH4399, 31and I arranged 66for the supplyH7133 of woodH6086 at appointedH2163 timesH6256 and for the firstH1061 fruitsH1061. 67RememberH2142 me, O my GodH430, for goodH2899.