Nehemiah 13

Modern

Literal

Foreigners Excluded

¹At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,^a

¹On that day they read from the Book of Moses into the ears of the people, and there was found written in it that an Ammonite or Moabite should not come into the assembly of God, even to the age,

²because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).

²because they had not met the sons of Israel with the bread and with the water, and they hired against them Balaam to curse them. (And our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

³As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.

³And it came to pass, at their hearing the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Temple Cleansed

⁴Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God

⁴And before this Eliashib the priest, was being put in the chamber of the house of our God; he was near to Tobiah,

⁵and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.

⁵and he had made for him a great room, and there they were previously putting the offerings, the frankincense, and the articles, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil—the commandment for the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers—and the contribution for the priests.

⁶While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon^a in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

⁶And in all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had come to the king, and at the end of some days I asked from the king,

⁷to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.

⁷and I came to Jerusalem and understood about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing for him a room in the courts of the house of God.

⁸And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

⁸And it was a very evil thing to me, and I threw all the goods of the house of Tobiah outside from the room.

⁹Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

⁹And I spoke, and they cleansed the rooms, and I returned there the articles of the house of God, with the offering and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored

¹⁰I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.

¹⁰And I knew that the portions for the Levites had not been given, and they had fled, each man to his field—the Levites and the singers doing the work.

¹¹So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?”

Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,

¹¹And I contended with the rulers and said, “Why was the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them and set them on their station.

¹²and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.

¹²And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries.

¹³I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.

¹³And I appointed treasurers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and at their hand was Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah—for they were considered trustworthy. And it was upon them to distribute to their brothers.

¹⁴Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.

¹⁴Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my deeds of loving devotion that I have done for the house of my God and for its keeping.

The Sabbath Restored

¹⁵In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.

¹⁵In those days I saw in Judah those treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in the heaps of grain, and lifting loads upon the donkeys, and also wine, and grapes, and figs, and every load carried; and they were bringing it to Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I protested on the day of their selling provision.

¹⁶Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

¹⁶And the Tyrians who dwelt in it were bringing fish and every of merchandise and selling on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, even in Jerusalem.

¹⁷Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?

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

¹⁸Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

¹⁸Thus did not your fathers do, and our God brought upon us all this disaster, and upon this city? And you are adding to wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

¹⁹When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.

¹⁹And it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem were becoming dark before the face of the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and I said that they shall not open them until after the Sabbath. And some from my servants I made stand at the gates, that there should not be brought in loads carried on the day of the Sabbath.

²⁰Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,

²⁰And they lodged—those who traded and those who sold all kinds of goods to sell—outside of Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.

²¹And I testified against them and said to them, “Why are you lodging in front of the wall? If you do this again, a hand I will put forth on you.” From that time they did not come on the Sabbath.

²²Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.

²²And I said to the Levites that they should be cleansing themselves, and coming in guarding the gates, to sanctify the day of the Sabbath. Also for this, remember me, O my God, and have pity on me according to the abundance of your loving devotion.

Intermarriage Forbidden

²³In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

²³Also in those days I saw the Judeans who had settled with women—Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite.

²⁴Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.

²⁴And of their sons, half were speaking Ashdodite, and none of them knowing how to speak Judean, and according to the tongue of people by people.

²⁵I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair.

Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!

²⁵And I contended with them and cursed them and struck some men from them and pulled out their hair. And I made them swear by God, “You shall Not give your daughters to their sons or take from their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

²⁶Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.

²⁶By these things did not Solomon king of Israel sin? And among the many nations there was not a king like him, and he was beloved to his God, and God gave him as king over all Israel; yet even him, the foreign women caused to sin.

²⁷Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

²⁷And to you shall we listen to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God by settling with foreign women?”

²⁸Even one of the sons of Jehoiada son of Eliashib the high priest had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I drove him away from me.

²⁸And one from the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the great priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, and I caused him to flee from me.

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

²⁹Remember them, O my God, on account of the defiling of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

³⁰Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.

³⁰And I purified them from everything foreign, and I appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, each man in his work,

³¹I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, O my God, with favor.

³¹and for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.