Nehemiah 13

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

2because they had not met the people of Israel with bread and water, but had hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.

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

5had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously kept the grain offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

6While all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time I asked the king for permission to leave,

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

8I was very angry, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.

9Then I gave orders, and they purified the rooms, and I brought back into them the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

10I also found out that the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back, each to his own field.

11So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God neglected?” I gathered the Levites and singers together and put them back at their posts.

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

13I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites in charge of the storehouses, and Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, as their assistant, for they were considered trustworthy. Their duty was to distribute the portions to their brothers.

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

15In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I warned them against selling food on that day.

16Men of Tyre who lived in the city were bringing in fish and all kinds of goods and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem itself.

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

18Did not your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

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

20Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

21But 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.

22Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to come and 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.

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

24Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of one people or another.

25I confronted them and cursed them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath by God, saying, “You are not to give your daughters to their sons, or take any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

26Was it not because of women like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet even he was led into sin by foreign women.

27Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, and be unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

28One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was the 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 of the Levites.

30So I purified them from everything foreign, and I assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his own work.

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