Nehemiah 13
Legacy Standard Bible
Foreigners Are Separated from Israel
13 On that day (A)they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that (B)no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but (C)hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, (D)our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So when they heard the law, (E)they separated (F)all foreigners from Israel.
Tobiah’s Goods Removed from God’s House
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (G)who was put in charge over the chambers of the house of our God, being [a]related to (H)Tobiah, 5 had prepared a large [b]room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils, and the tithes of grain, also new wine and oil (I)commanded for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, as well as the [c]contributions for the priests. 6 But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in (J)the thirty-second year of (K)Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discerned the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, (L)by preparing a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 It was very evil to me, so I (M)threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the chamber. 9 Then I said the word, and (N)they cleansed the chambers; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.
Why Is the House of God Forsaken?
10 I also came to know that (O)the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled, (P)each to his own field. 11 So I (Q)contended against the officials and said, “(R)Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and had them stand in their posts. 12 All Judah then brought (S)the tithe of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for (T)they were counted as faithful, and it was [d]their task to apportion everything to their [e]relatives. 14 (U)Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my lovingkindnesses which I have shown for the house of my God and its responsibilities.
Keep the Sabbath Day Holy
15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses (V)on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, (W)and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So (X)I testified against them on the day they sold food. 16 Also men of Tyre were living [f]there who brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then (Y)I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, even profaning the sabbath day? 18 (Z)Did not your fathers do the same, so our God brought on us and on this city all this calamity? Yet you are adding to His anger on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”
19 (AA)Now it happened that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I said the word, and the doors were shut. Then I said that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I had some of my young men stand at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day. 20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 Then (AB)I [g]warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will send forth my hand against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22 And I said to the Levites that (AC)they should cleanse themselves and come as gatekeepers to keep the sabbath day holy. For this also (AD)remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.
You Shall Not Marry Foreigners
23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had [h](AE)married women from (AF)Ashdod, (AG)Ammon, and Moab. 24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but only [i]the tongue of his own people. 25 So (AH)I contended with them and cursed them and (AI)struck some of them and pulled out their hair and (AJ)made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take up their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 (AK)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? (AL)Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and (AM)he was loved by his God, and God gave him to be king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 [j]Do we then hear about you that you have done all this great evil (AN)by acting unfaithfully against our God by [k]marrying foreign women?” 28 And even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of (AO)Sanballat the Horonite, so I made him flee away from me. 29 (AP)Remember them, O my God, [l]because they have defiled the priesthood and the (AQ)covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 (AR)Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign and ensured that the responsibilities stood for the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31 and I arranged (AS)for the supply of wood at fixed times and for the first fruits. (AT)Remember me, O my God, for good.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 13:4 Lit close to
- Nehemiah 13:5 Or chamber
- Nehemiah 13:5 Lit heave offerings
- Nehemiah 13:13 Lit upon them
- Nehemiah 13:13 Lit brothers
- Nehemiah 13:16 Lit in it
- Nehemiah 13:21 Lit witnessed against
- Nehemiah 13:23 Lit given dwelling to
- Nehemiah 13:24 Lit according to the tongue of people and people
- Nehemiah 13:27 Or Is it reported
- Nehemiah 13:27 Lit giving dwelling to
- Nehemiah 13:29 Lit for the defilings of
Nehemiah 13
Common English Bible
Restoring the temple
13 On that day, when the scroll from Moses was being read to the people, they found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter God’s assembly. 2 This is because they hadn’t met the Israelites with food and water but instead hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When the people heard this law, they separated out from Israel all those of mixed descent.
4 Now before this, however, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed to be in charge of the storerooms of our God’s house and who was related to Tobiah, 5 prepared a large room for Tobiah to use. This was the room where they had previously kept the grain offering, the incense, and the equipment, together with the tenth-part gifts of grain, wine, and oil. These items were for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers as well as the portions for the priests.
6 I wasn’t in Jerusalem while this was happening because I had gone to Babylon’s King Artaxerxes in the thirty-second year of the king. After some time, I asked the king’s permission 7 and returned to Jerusalem. That was when I saw the wrong that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by preparing him a room in the courtyards of God’s house. 8 I was very angry and threw all of Tobiah’s household furniture out of the room. 9 Then I gave orders that the rooms be purified, and I put back the temple equipment, along with the grain offering and the incense.
10 I also found out that the Levites hadn’t been given their portions, so they and the singers who did the work had gone back to their fields. 11 So I scolded the officials, asking, “Why is God’s house being neglected?” I gathered them together and set them in their stations.
12 Then all Judah brought the tenth-part gifts of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 I appointed the priest Shelemiah, the scribe Zadok, and Pedaiah of the Levites to be in charge over the storehouses. I also appointed Hanan, Zaccur’s son and Mattaniah’s grandson, as their assistant. These men were considered trustworthy, and their task was to hand out shares to their colleagues.
14 Remember me, my God, concerning this. Don’t erase my good deeds that I have done for my God’s house and for its services.
Keeping the Sabbath
15 In those days I saw people in Judah using the winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also collecting piles of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load, and then bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath. I warned them at that time against selling food.
16 In addition, people from Tyre who lived in the city were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them to the people of Judah on the Sabbath. This happened in Jerusalem itself!
17 So I scolded the officials of Judah: “What is this evil thing that you are doing?” I asked. “You are making the Sabbath impure! 18 This is just what your ancestors did, and God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city. And now you are bringing more wrath upon Israel by making the Sabbath impure!”
19 So when it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the doors should be shut. I also ordered that they shouldn’t be reopened until after the Sabbath. To make sure that no load would come into the city[a] on the Sabbath, I stationed some of my own men at the gates. 20 Once or twice the traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 But I warned them: “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again, I will lay hands on you!” At that point, they stopped coming on the Sabbath. 22 I also commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.
Remember this also in my favor, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your mercy.
Marrying foreign women
23 Also in those days I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of various peoples; they couldn’t speak the language of Judah.
25 So I scolded them and cursed them, and beat some of them, and pulled out their hair. I also made them swear a solemn pledge in the name of God, saying, “You won’t give your daughters to their sons in marriage, or take their daughters in marriage for your sons or yourselves. 26 Didn’t Israel’s King Solomon sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was well loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet foreign wives led even him into sin! 27 Should we then listen to you and do all this great evil, acting unfaithfully toward our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of the high priest Eliashib was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I chased him away from me.
29 Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests and the Levites!
30 So I purified them of everything foreign and established the services of the priests and Levites with specific duties for each person. 31 I also provided for the wood offering at appointed times as well as for the early produce.
Remember me, my God, for good.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 13:19 Heb lacks the city.
Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org For Permission to Quote Information visit https://www.LSBible.org.
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible