Nehemiah 13
Lexham English Bible
Israel Separates Itself
13 On that day the book of Moses was read in the hearing of the people and it was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God 2 because they did not come to meet the Israelites[a] with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them in order to curse them—but our God changed the curse into a blessing. 3 So it happened when they heard the law[b] that they separated all of the foreign people from Israel.
Nehemiah Brings Reform
4 Before this, Eliashib the priest who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God—the one related to Tobiah— 5 prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had formerly put the grain offering, the frankincense, the temple objects, tithes of grain, wine, and oil commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offerings of the priests. 6 During all of this, I was not in Jerusalem because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. At the end of some days I asked permission from the king to leave. 7 So I came to Jerusalem. And I came to learn of the wrong that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making him a room in the courtyard of the house of God. 8 It was very displeasing for me, and I threw all of the objects from the house of Tobiah outside of the chamber. 9 And I spoke in order, and they cleansed the chambers. Then I returned the objects of the house of God—the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 And then I came to learn that the food of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, the doers of the work, had gone back each to his field. 11 So I quarreled with the prefects, and I said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them and set them at their station. 12 So all of Judah brought the tithe of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storehouses. 13 I appointed as treasurer over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah from the Levites, and as their hand Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered faithful. The responsibility given to them was to distribute to their brothers. 14 Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my loyal acts which I have done in the house of my God and in his service.
Nehemiah Begins Sabbath Reforms
15 In those days I saw in Judah people treading the wine press on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys along with wine, grapes and figs, and every kind of burden and bringing it all to Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I warned them at that time against selling food. 16 Tyrian men who lived in Jerusalem brought fish and every kind of merchandise and sold it on the Sabbath to the descendants[c] of Judah and in Jerusalem. 17 So I quarreled with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the day of the Sabbath? 18 Did not your ancestors[d] do this also, and our God brought on us all of this disaster and on this city too? Now you are adding fierce wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
19 So when it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and said that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my young men over the gates to prevent any goods[e] being brought in on the day of the Sabbath. 20 So the merchants and the sellers of merchandise spent the night outside of Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said to them, “Why are you spending the night opposite the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 And then I told two Levites that they must purify themselves and come to guard the gates in order to consecrate the day of the Sabbath. Remember this also, my God, and take pity on me according to the greatness of your loyal love.
Mixed Marriages are Condemned
23 Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke Ashdodite and could not speak Judean, but only the tongues of other nations. 25 So I quarreled with them and cursed them and beat some of their men and pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath by God: “Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in this way? And among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet the foreign women made even him sin. 27 Should we listen to you all and do this great evil, acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 One from the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, who was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonote was there. I chased him away from me. 29 Remember them, my God, because of their defilements of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 So I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established responsibilities for the priests and Levites, each in his own work, 31 a contribution of the wood offering at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 13:2 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
- Nehemiah 13:3 Hebrew torah
- Nehemiah 13:16 Or “sons”
- Nehemiah 13:18 Or “fathers”
- Nehemiah 13:19 Literally “burden”
Nehemiah 13
International Standard Version
Enemies of Israel Excluded(A)
13 Later that day the book of Moses was read aloud so the people could hear it, and a written command was discovered therein[a] permanently prohibiting the Ammonites and Moabites from coming into the congregation of God 2 because they did not greet the Israelis with food and water, but instead hired Balaam to oppose them by cursing them, even though our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When they heard the Law, they separated all those of foreign descent from Israel.
Tobiah Evicted from the Temple
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who supervised the store rooms of the Temple of our God and who was related to Tobiah, 5 had prepared a great chamber for him, in the place where they used to place the grain offerings, incense, and vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that was mandated for the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gate keepers, and the priests’ offerings. 6 During all of this time, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to the king in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. After a while I obtained permission from the king 7 to return to Jerusalem. I learned of the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in furnishing him with a room in the courts of the Temple of God. 8 I was greatly upset, so I threw out all of Tobiah’s property from the room. 9 I ordered them to purify the chambers, and then they brought back the vessels from the Temple of God, along with the grain offerings and incense.
Neglecting Levitical Allotments
10 I also learned that the allotments for the descendants of Levi had not been distributed. As a result, the descendants of Levi and singers who were responsible for the service had each left to go back to their fields. 11 So I confronted the officials and asked, “Why is the Temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them together and put them back in their places. 12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storerooms. 13 I appointed over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the descendants of Levi; and next to them Zaccur’s son Hanan, the grandson of Mattaniah, because they had been considered faithful. Their duties were to distribute to their associates.
14 Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not erase my faithful deeds that I have undertaken for the Temple of my God, and for its services.
Prohibiting Work on the Sabbath
15 At that time I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the Sabbath, bringing in sacks of grain, loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads. They brought them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I rebuked them on the day on which they were selling food. 16 Furthermore, Tyrians were living there who were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise, selling them to the people of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem.
17 I rebuked the officials of Judah, saying to them, “What’s this evil thing that you’re doing by profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Didn’t your ancestors do the same? And didn’t our God bring on us and on this city all of this trouble? Now you’re adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
19 As the Sabbath approached and it began to get dark at the gates of Jerusalem, I gave word to shut the gates, charging that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my men at the gates to ensure that no loads would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 As a result, the merchants and sellers of all sorts of goods remained outside Jerusalem a couple of times. 21 I argued with them, “Why are you staying outside the wall? If you do this again, I’ll arrest you.” From that time on, they didn’t come anymore on the Sabbath. 22 Then I commanded the descendants of Levi to purify themselves and to come as gate keepers to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, my God, and show mercy to me according to the greatness of your gracious love.
Removing Foreign Spouses(B)
23 At that time I also noticed that Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, their children spoke half of the time in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak in the language of Judah. Instead, they spoke in the languages of various peoples. 25 So I rebuked them, cursed them, struck some of their men, tore out their hair, and made them take this oath in the name of God: “You are not to give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Didn’t Solomon, king of Israel, sin by doing these things, even though among many nations there was no king like him who was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel? Even so, foreign women caused him to sin. 27 Should we listen to you and do all of this terrible evil by transgressing against our God to marry foreign wives?” 28 One of the sons of Eliashib the high priest’s son Joiada was a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.
29 Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the descendants of Levi.
30 I purified them from everything foreign, arranged duties for the priests and the descendants of Levi, each to his task, 31 and I arranged at the appointed time for the supply of wood, and for the first fruits.
Remember me, my God, with favor.
Footnotes
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