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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

  1. Nehemiah 13:4 Lit close to
  2. Nehemiah 13:5 Or chamber
  3. Nehemiah 13:5 Lit heave offerings
  4. Nehemiah 13:13 Lit upon them
  5. Nehemiah 13:13 Lit brothers
  6. Nehemiah 13:16 Lit in it
  7. Nehemiah 13:21 Lit witnessed against
  8. Nehemiah 13:23 Lit given dwelling to
  9. Nehemiah 13:24 Lit according to the tongue of people and people
  10. Nehemiah 13:27 Or Is it reported
  11. Nehemiah 13:27 Lit giving dwelling to
  12. Nehemiah 13:29 Lit for the defilings of
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Nehemiah 13
New English Translation

Further Reforms by Nehemiah

13 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing[a] of the people. They found[b] written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they had not met the Israelites with food[c] and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse them. (Our God, however, turned the curse into blessing.) 3 When they heard the law, they removed from Israel all who were of mixed ancestry.

4 But before this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms[d] of the temple of our God. 5 He made for himself a large storeroom where previously they had been keeping[e] the grain offering, the incense, and the vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil as commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offering for the priests.

6 During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time[f] I had requested leave of the king, 7 and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God. 8 I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. 9 Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment[g] of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.

10 I also discovered that the portions for the Levites had not been provided, and that as a result the Levites and the singers who performed this work had all gone off to their fields. 11 So I registered a complaint with the leaders, asking, “Why is the temple of God neglected?” Then I gathered them and reassigned them to their positions.[h]

12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil to the storerooms. 13 I gave instructions[i] that Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and a certain Levite named Pedaiah be put in charge of[j] the storerooms, and that Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, be their assistant,[k] for they were regarded as trustworthy. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution to their colleagues.[l]

14 Please remember me for this, O my God, and do not wipe out the kindness that I have done for the temple of my God and for its services!

15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, bringing in heaps of grain and loading them onto donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day that they sold these provisions. 16 The people from Tyre who lived there were bringing fish and all kinds of merchandise and were selling it on the Sabbath to the people of Judah—and in Jerusalem, of all places![m] 17 So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors[n] acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”[o]

19 When the evening shadows began to fall on[p] the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered[q] the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned[r] some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 20 The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I warned them and said,[s] “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!”[t] From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath.[u] 22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.

23 Also in those days I saw the men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod (or the language of one of the other peoples mentioned[v]) and were unable to speak the language of Judah. 25 So I entered a complaint with them. I called down a curse on them, and I struck some of the men and pulled out their hair. I had them swear by God saying, “You will not marry off[w] your daughters to their sons, and you will not take any of their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves. 26 Was it not because of things like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was no king like him. He was loved by his God, and God made[x] him king over all Israel. But the foreign wives made even him sin! 27 Should we then in your case hear that you do all this great evil, thereby being unfaithful to our God by marrying[y] foreign wives?”

28 Now one of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. So I banished him from my sight.

29 Please remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priesthood,[z] and the Levites.

30 So I purified them of everything foreign, and I assigned specific[aa] duties to the priests and the Levites. 31 I also provided for[ab] the wood offering at the appointed times and also for the firstfruits.

Please remember me for good, O my God.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “ears.”
  2. Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “it was found.” The Hebrew verb is passive.
  3. Nehemiah 13:2 tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.
  4. Nehemiah 13:4 tc The translation reads the plural rather than the singular of the MT.
  5. Nehemiah 13:5 tn Heb “giving.”
  6. Nehemiah 13:6 tn Heb “to the end of days.”
  7. Nehemiah 13:9 tn On the usage of this Hebrew word see HALOT 478-79 s.v. כְּלִי.
  8. Nehemiah 13:11 tn Heb “and I stood them on their standing.”
  9. Nehemiah 13:13 tc Probably one should read with the Lucianic Greek recension, the Syriac Peshitta, and the Vulgate וָאֲצַוֶּה (vaʾatsavveh, “and I commanded”) rather than the rare denominative verb וָאוֹצְרָה (vaʾotserah, “and I appointed over the storeroom”) of the MT.
  10. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “be over”
  11. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “on their hand.”
  12. Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “brothers.”
  13. Nehemiah 13:16 tn The words “of all places” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation to indicate the emphasis on Jerusalem.
  14. Nehemiah 13:18 tn Heb “your fathers.”
  15. Nehemiah 13:18 tn The words “like this” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied.
  16. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”
  17. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).
  18. Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “caused to stand.”
  19. Nehemiah 13:21 tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.
  20. Nehemiah 13:21 tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”
  21. Nehemiah 13:21 sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.
  22. Nehemiah 13:24 tn Heb “people and people.”
  23. Nehemiah 13:25 tn Heb “give.”
  24. Nehemiah 13:26 tn Heb “gave.”
  25. Nehemiah 13:27 tn Heb “give a dwelling to.”
  26. Nehemiah 13:29 tc One medieval Hebrew ms, the Lucianic Greek recension, and the Syriac Peshitta read the plural הַכֹּהֲנִים (hakkohanim, “the priests”) rather than the singular reading of the MT, הַכְּהֻנָּה (hakkehunnah, “the priesthood”).
  27. Nehemiah 13:30 tn Heb “a man in his work.”
  28. Nehemiah 13:31 tn The words “I also provided for” are not included in the Hebrew text, but are supplied in the translation for the sake of clarity.
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