Nehemiah 13

1On that day the Book of Moses was read in the hearing of the people, and it was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God.

2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, and hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3And when they heard the law, they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.

4Before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed over the chamber of the house of our God, was related to Tobiah—

5He made for him a large chamber, where formerly they had put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithe of grain, new wine, and oil—the portion commanded for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers—and the contribution for the priests.

6But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king, and after some time I asked leave from the king.

7When I came to Jerusalem, I understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God.

8And it displeased me greatly, and I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the chamber.

9Then I gave the order, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10And I learned that the portions of the Levites had not been given, so the Levites and the singers who did the work had each fled to his field.

11So I contended with the officials and said, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them and stationed them at their posts.

12And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

13And I appointed over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, at their side, because they were considered faithful; and it was upon them to distribute to their brothers.

14Remember me for this, my God, and do not wipe out my deeds of covenant faithfulness that I have done for the house of my God and for its services.

15In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys—and also wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load—and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I testified against them on the day they sold food.

16Also Tyrians lived in it, bringing in fish and every kind of merchandise, and selling them on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, and in Jerusalem.

17So I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?”

18Did not your fathers do this, and our God brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you are adding wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.

19When the gates of Jerusalem began to grow dark before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors shut and commanded that they not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20Then the merchants and sellers of every kind of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.

21So I warned them and said to them, “Why are you spending the night in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.

22And I told the Levites that they should purify themselves and come to guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.

23Also in those days I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammonite women, and Moabite women.

24And half of their children spoke Ashdodite, and they were not able to speak Judean, but only the language of one people or another.

25So I contended with them and cursed them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair, and I made them swear by God: “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.”

26Was it not because of these things that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Even him foreign women caused to sin.

27Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?

28And one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.

29Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30So I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I assigned duties for the priests and for the Levites, each in his work,

31And for the offering of wood at appointed times, and for the firstfruits—remember me, my God, for good.