Nehemiah 13:19-21

New Catholic Bible

¹⁹ When the evening shadows were falling on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut, and I further directed that they were not to be opened again until the Sabbath was over. Furthermore, I stationed some of my attendants at the gate to ensure that no merchandise would be brought in on the Sabbath day.^[a]

²⁰ On one or two occasions the merchants and dealers in goods of all kinds spent the night outside Jerusalem, ²¹ until I warned them, saying: “Why are you spending the night in front of the city wall? If you ever do so again, I will not hesitate to lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.