Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,^{(A) 2} because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam^(B) to call a curse down on them.^(C) (Our God, however, turned the curse into a blessing.)^{(D) 3} When the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all who were of foreign descent.^(E)

⁴ Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms^(F) of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,^{(G) 5} and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes^(H) of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes^(I) king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission ⁷ and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib^(J) had done in providing Tobiah^(K) a room in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.^{(L) 9} I gave orders to purify the rooms,^(M) and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.^(N)

¹⁰ I also learned that the portions assigned to the Levites had not been given to them,^(O) and that all the Levites and musicians responsible for the service had gone back to their own fields.^{(P) 11} So I rebuked the officials and asked them, “Why is the house of God neglected?”^(Q) Then I called them together and stationed them at their posts.

¹² All Judah brought the tithes^(R) of grain, new wine and olive oil into the storerooms.^{(S) 13} I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a Levite named Pedaiah in charge of the storerooms and made Hanan son of Zakkur, the son of Mattaniah, their assistant, because they were considered trustworthy. They were made responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.^(T)

¹⁴ Remember^(U) me for this, my God, and do not blot out what I have so faithfully done for the house of my God and its services.

¹⁵ In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads. And they were bringing all this into Jerusalem on the Sabbath.^(V) Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day. ¹⁶ People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath^(W) to the people of Judah. ¹⁷ I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this wicked thing you are doing—desecrating the Sabbath day? ¹⁸ Didn’t your ancestors do the same things, so that our God brought all this calamity on us and on this city?^(X) Now you are stirring up more wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath.”^(Y)

¹⁹ When evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath,^(Z) I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. ²¹ But I warned them and said, “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you do this again, I will arrest you.” From that time on they no longer came on the Sabbath. ²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember^(AA) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²³ Moreover, in those days I saw men of Judah who had married^(AB) women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.^{(AC) 24} Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and did not know how to speak the language^(AD) of Judah. ²⁵ I rebuked them and called curses down on them. I beat some of the men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath^(AE) in God’s name and said: “You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons, nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for yourselves.^{(AF) 26} Was it not because of marriages like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him.^(AG) He was loved by his God,^(AH) and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.^{(AI) 27} Must we hear now that you too are doing all this terrible wickedness and are being unfaithful to our God by marrying^(AJ) foreign women?”

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib^(AK) the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat^(AL) the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²⁹ Remember^(AM) them, my God, because they defiled the priestly office and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.^(AN)

³⁰ So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,^(AO) and assigned them duties, each to his own task. ³¹ I also made provision for contributions of wood^(AP) at designated times, and for the firstfruits.^(AQ)

Remember^(AR) me with favor, my God.

4 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead,^(A) and in view of his appearing^(B) and his kingdom, I give you this charge:^{(C) 2} Preach^(D) the word;^(E) be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke^(F) and encourage^(G)—with great patience and careful instruction. ³ For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.^(H) Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.^{(I) 4} They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.^{(J) 5} But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship,^(K) do the work of an evangelist,^(L) discharge all the duties of your ministry.

⁶ For I am already being poured out like a drink offering,^(M) and the time for my departure is near.^{(N) 7} I have fought the good fight,^(O) I have finished the race,^(P) I have kept the faith. ⁸ Now there is in store for me^(Q) the crown of righteousness,^(R) which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day^(S)—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.^(T)

Personal Remarks

⁹ Do your best to come to me quickly,^{(U) 10} for Demas,^(V) because he loved this world,^(W) has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica.^(X) Crescens has gone to Galatia,^(Y) and Titus^(Z) to Dalmatia. ¹¹ Only Luke^(AA) is with me.^(AB) Get Mark^(AC) and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. ¹² I sent Tychicus^(AD) to Ephesus.^{(AE) 13} When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas,^(AF) and my scrolls, especially the parchments.

¹⁴ Alexander^(AG) the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done.^{(AH) 15} You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

¹⁶ At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.^{(AI) 17} But the Lord stood at my side^(AJ) and gave me strength,^(AK) so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it.^(AL) And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.^{(AM) 18} The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack^(AN) and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom.^(AO) To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AP)

Final Greetings

¹⁹ Greet Priscilla^[a] and Aquila^(AQ) and the household of Onesiphorus.^{(AR) 20} Erastus^(AS) stayed in Corinth, and I left Trophimus^(AT) sick in Miletus.^{(AU) 21} Do your best to get here before winter.^(AV) Eubulus greets you, and so do Pudens, Linus, Claudia and all the brothers and sisters.^[b]

²² The Lord be with your spirit.^(AW) Grace be with you all.^(AX)

Daniel’s Training in Babylon

1 In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim^(A) king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar^(B) king of Babylon^(C) came to Jerusalem and besieged it.^{(D) 2} And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles from the temple of God. These he carried^(E) off to the temple of his god in Babylonia^[a] and put in the treasure house of his god.^(F)

³ Then the king ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring into the king’s service some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility^(G)— ⁴ young men without any physical defect, handsome,^(H) showing aptitude for every kind of learning,^(I) well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the king’s palace. He was to teach them the language^(J) and literature of the Babylonians.^{[b] 5} The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine^(K) from the king’s table.^(L) They were to be trained for three years,^(M) and after that they were to enter the king’s service.^(N)

⁶ Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel,^(O) Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.^{(P) 7} The chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belteshazzar;^(Q) to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.^(R)

⁸ But Daniel resolved not to defile^(S) himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. ⁹ Now God had caused the official to show favor^(T) and compassion^(U) to Daniel, ¹⁰ but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your^[c] food and drink.^(V) Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.”

¹¹ Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, ¹² “Please test^(W) your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink. ¹³ Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.”^{(X) 14} So he agreed to this and tested^(Y) them for ten days.

¹⁵ At the end of the ten days they looked healthier and better nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.^{(Z) 16} So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.^(AA)

¹⁷ To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding^(AB) of all kinds of literature and learning.^(AC) And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds.^(AD)

¹⁸ At the end of the time^(AE) set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ The king talked with them, and he found none equal to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.^{(AF) 20} In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians^(AG) and enchanters in his whole kingdom.^(AH)

²¹ And Daniel remained there until the first year of King Cyrus.^(AI)

Concluding Exhortations

13 Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters.^{(A) 2} Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers,^(B) for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it.^{(C) 3} Continue to remember those in prison^(D) as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.

⁴ Marriage should be honored by all,^(E) and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.^{(F) 5} Keep your lives free from the love of money^(G) and be content with what you have,^(H) because God has said,

⁶ So we say with confidence,

⁷ Remember your leaders,^(K) who spoke the word of God^(L) to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate^(M) their faith. ⁸ Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.^(N)

⁹ Do not be carried away by all kinds of strange teachings.^(O) It is good for our hearts to be strengthened^(P) by grace, not by eating ceremonial foods,^(Q) which is of no benefit to those who do so.^{(R) 10} We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle^(S) have no right to eat.^(T)

¹¹ The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering,^(U) but the bodies are burned outside the camp.^{(V) 12} And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate^(W) to make the people holy^(X) through his own blood.^{(Y) 13} Let us, then, go to him^(Z) outside the camp, bearing the disgrace he bore.^{(AA) 14} For here we do not have an enduring city,^(AB) but we are looking for the city that is to come.^(AC)

¹⁵ Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice^(AD) of praise—the fruit of lips^(AE) that openly profess his name. ¹⁶ And do not forget to do good and to share with others,^(AF) for with such sacrifices^(AG) God is pleased.

¹⁷ Have confidence in your leaders^(AH) and submit to their authority, because they keep watch over you^(AI) as those who must give an account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no benefit to you.

¹⁸ Pray for us.^(AJ) We are sure that we have a clear conscience^(AK) and desire to live honorably in every way. ¹⁹ I particularly urge you to pray so that I may be restored to you soon.^(AL)

Benediction and Final Greetings

²⁰ Now may the God of peace,^(AM) who through the blood of the eternal covenant^(AN) brought back from the dead^(AO) our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep,^{(AP) 21} equip you with everything good for doing his will,^(AQ) and may he work in us^(AR) what is pleasing to him,^(AS) through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.^(AT)

²² Brothers and sisters, I urge you to bear with my word of exhortation, for in fact I have written to you quite briefly.^(AU)

²³ I want you to know that our brother Timothy^(AV) has been released. If he arrives soon, I will come with him to see you.

²⁴ Greet all your leaders^(AW) and all the Lord’s people. Those from Italy^(AX) send you their greetings.

²⁵ Grace be with you all.^(AY)