Nehemiah 13:19-27

New King James Version

¹⁹ So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it ^(A)began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. ^(B)Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of ^[a]wares ^[b]lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

²¹ Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night ^[c]around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. ²² And I commanded the Levites that ^(C)they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!

²³ In those days I also saw Jews who ^(D)had married women of ^(E)Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. ²⁴ And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

²⁵ So I ^(F)contended with them and ^[d]cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them ^(G)swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. ^26 (H)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, ^(I)who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. ^(J)Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. ²⁷ Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, ^(K)transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”