Nehemiah 13
New King James Version
Principles of Separation(A)
13 On that day (B)they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written (C)that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but (D)hired Balaam against them to curse them. (E)However, our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So it was, when they had heard the Law, (F)that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
The Reforms of Nehemiah
4 Now before this, (G)Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with (H)Tobiah. 5 And he had prepared for him a large room, (I)where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, (J)which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. 6 But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, (K)for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in (L)preparing a room for him in the courts of the [a]house of God. 8 And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. 9 Then I commanded them to (M)cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10 I also realized that the portions for the Levites had (N)not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to (O)his field. 11 So (P)I contended with the rulers, and said, (Q)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place. 12 (R)Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse. 13 (S)And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered (T)faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
14 (U)Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
15 In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses (V)on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, (W)which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions. 16 Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17 Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day? 18 (X)Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it (Y)began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. (Z)Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of [b]wares [c]lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night [d]around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that (AA)they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
23 In those days I also saw Jews who (AB)had married women of (AC)Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.
25 So I (AD)contended with them and [e]cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them (AE)swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves. 26 (AF)Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, (AG)who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. (AH)Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin. 27 Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, (AI)transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”
28 And one of the sons (AJ)of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of (AK)Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.
29 (AL)Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and (AM)the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30 (AN)Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also (AO)assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service, 31 and to bringing (AP)the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.
(AQ)Remember me, O my God, for good!
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 13:7 Temple
- Nehemiah 13:20 merchandise
- Nehemiah 13:20 spent the night
- Nehemiah 13:21 Lit. before
- Nehemiah 13:25 pronounced them cursed
Nehemia 13
Albanian Bible
13 po atë ditë u lexua në prani të popullit libri i Moisiut, dhe aty u gjet e shkruar që Amoniti dhe Moabiti nuk duhet të hynin kurrë në asamblenë e Perëndisë,
2 sepse nuk i kishin pritur me bukë e me ujë bijtë e Izraelit dhe kishin rekrutuar kundër tyre me para Balaamin për t’i mallkuar; por Perëndia ynë e ndëroi mallkimin në bekim.
3 Sa e dëgjuan ligjin, ata ndanë nga Izraeli tërë njerëzit e huaj që ishin përzier me ta.
4 Para kësaj, prifti Eliashib, që ishte caktuar në dhomat e shtëpisë të Perëndisë tonë dhe kishte lidhur krushqi me Tobiahun,
5 kishte përgatitur për këtë një dhomë të madhe, ku vinin më parë ofertat, temjanin, përdorëset, të dhjetat e grurit, të verës dhe të vajit, tërë ato që me ligj u përkisnin Levitëve, këngëtarëve, derëtarëve, si edhe ofertat e mbledhura për priftërinjtë.
6 Por gjatë kësaj kohe unë nuk isha në Jeruzalem, sepse në vitin e tridhjetë e dytë të Artakserksit, mbretit të Babilonisë, isha kthyer pranë mbretit. Pas një farë kohe mora leje nga mbreti
7 dhe u ktheva në Jeruzalem; kështu pashë të keqen që Eliashibi kishte bërë për të favorizuar Tobiahun, duke përgatitur për të një dhomë në oborret e shtëpisë së Perëndisë.
8 Më erdhi shumë keq për këtë gjë dhe kështu hodha jashtë dhomës tërë orenditë shtëpiake që i përkisnin Tobiahut;
9 pastaj urdhërova që të pastroheshin ato dhoma dhe të rivendoseshin përdorëset e shtëpisë së Perëndisë, ofertat dhe temjani.
10 Pastaj mësova gjithashtu që racionet që u detyroheshin Levitëve nuk u ishin dhënë atyre dhe që Levitët dhe këngëtarët, që kryenin shërbimin, kishin ikur secili në tokën e vet.
11 Atëherë qortova gjyqtarët dhe u thashë atyre: "Pse shtëpia e Perëndisë është braktisur?". Pastaj i mblodha dhe i vura përsëri në funksonet e tyre.
12 Tërë Juda solli pastaj në magazinat të dhjetat e grurit, të mushtit dhe të vajit.
13 Mbikëqyrjen e magazinave ia besova priftit Shelemiah, shkruesit Tsadok dhe Pedajahut, një nga Levitët; si ndihmësa të tyre, zgjodha Hananin, birin e Zakurit, bir i Mataniahut, sepse këta konsideroheshin si njerëz besnikë. Atyre u takonte detyra të bënin ndarjet midis vëllezërve të tyre.
14 Për këtë më kujto mua, o Perëndia im, dhe mos i fshij veprat e mira që kam bërë për shtëpinë e Perëndisë tim dhe për ruajtjen e saj.
15 Në ato ditë vura re në Judë disa që shtrydhnin rrushin ditën e shtunë dhe mbartnin thasë gruri, duke i ngakuar mbi gomarët, bashkë me verën, rrushin, fiqtë dhe gjithfarë ngarkesash të tjera që sillnin në Jeruzalem ditën e shtunë; dhe unë i qortova për shkak të ditës në të cilën shisnin sendet ushqimore.
16 Përveç kësaj disa jerëz të Tiros, që banonin në Jeruzalem, importonin peshk dhe lloj-lloj mallrash dhe ua shisnin bijve të Judës ditën e shtunë dhe në Jeruzalem.
17 Atëherë qortova parinë e Judës dhe i thashë: "Ç’është kjo e keqe që kryeni duke përdhosur ditën e shtunë?
18 A nuk vepruan njëlloj etërit tonë? A nuk bëri Perëndia ynë të pllakosë mbi ne dhe mbi qytetin tonë tërë kjo fatkeqësi? Por ju po sillni një zemërim më të madh mbi Izraelin, duke përdhosur të shtunën!".
19 Kështu, sapo portat e Jeruzalemit filluan të jenë në terr, para se të fillonte e shtuna, unë urdhërova që portat të ishin mbyllur dhe të mos hapeshin deri pas së shtunës; vendosa madje disa shërbëtorë të mi te portat, me qëllim që asnjë ngarkesë të mos hynte në qytet gjatë ditës së shtunë.
20 Por tregëtarët dhe shitësit e çdo lloj malli e kaluan natën jashtë Jeruzalemit një ose dy herë.
21 Atëherë unë i qortova dhe u thashë: "Pse e kaloni natën para mureve? Po ta bëni një herë tjetër, do të veproj kundër jush". Qysh prej atij çasti ata nuk erdhën më ditën e shtunë.
22 Urdhërova gjithashtu Levitët që të pastroheshin dhe të vinin të ruanin portat për të shenjtëruar ditën e shtunë. Edhe për këtë më kujto mua, o Perëndia im, dhe ki mëshirë për mua sipas madhësisë së dhembshurisë sate!
23 Në ato ditë pashë gjithashtu disa Judej që ishin martuar me gra të Ashdodit, të Amonit dhe të Moabit,
24 gjysma e bijve të tyre fliste gjuhën e Ashdodit dhe nuk dinte të fliste gjuhën judaike, por fliste vetëm gjuhën e këtij apo atij populli.
25 Atëherë unë i qortova, i mallkova, rraha disa prej tyre, iu shkula flokët; pastaj i vura që te betohen në emër të Perëndisë se nuk do t’ia jepnin bijat e veta bijve të atyre dhe nuk do të merrnin bijat e tyre për bijtë e vet, as për vete.
26 Dhe thashë: "A nuk mëkatoi, vallë, Salomoni, mbret i Izraelit, për këto gjëra? Megjithatë midis kaq kombeve nuk pati një mbret si ai; e donte Perëndia i tij, dhe Perëndia e kishte vendosur mbret mbi tërë Izraelin; por gratë e huaja e bënë edhe atë të mëkatojë.
27 A duhet, pra, të dëgjojmë për ju se kryeni këtë të keqe të madhe, se mëkatoni kundër Perëndisë tonë, duke u martuar me gra të huaja?".
28 Njeri nga bijtë e Joadas, birit të Elishibit, kryeriftit, ishte dhëndër i Sanballatit, Horonitit; unë e përzura larg vetes.
29 Mbaji mend ata, o Perëndia im, sepse kanë ndotur priftërinë dhe besëlidhjen e priftërisë dhe të Levitëve!
30 Kështu unë i pastrova nga çdo person i huaj dhe caktova detyrat e priftërinjve dhe të Levitëve, secili në detyrën e vet.
31 Dhashë gjithashtu dispozita lidhur me ofertën e druve në kohë të caktuara dhe lidhur me prodhimet e para. Më kujto, o Perëndia im, për të më bërë të mira!
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
- Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “ears.”
- Nehemiah 13:1 tn Heb “it was found.” The Hebrew verb is passive.
- Nehemiah 13:2 tn Heb “bread.” The Hebrew term is generic here, however, referring to more than bread alone.
- Nehemiah 13:4 tc The translation reads the plural rather than the singular of the MT.
- Nehemiah 13:5 tn Heb “giving.”
- Nehemiah 13:6 tn Heb “to the end of days.”
- Nehemiah 13:9 tn On the usage of this Hebrew word see HALOT 478-79 s.v. כְּלִי.
- Nehemiah 13:11 tn Heb “and I stood them on their standing.”
- 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.
- Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “be over”
- Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “on their hand.”
- Nehemiah 13:13 tn Heb “brothers.”
- 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.
- Nehemiah 13:18 tn Heb “your fathers.”
- Nehemiah 13:18 tn The words “like this” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied.
- Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”
- Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).
- Nehemiah 13:19 tn Heb “caused to stand.”
- Nehemiah 13:21 tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.
- Nehemiah 13:21 tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”
- 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.
- Nehemiah 13:24 tn Heb “people and people.”
- Nehemiah 13:25 tn Heb “give.”
- Nehemiah 13:26 tn Heb “gave.”
- Nehemiah 13:27 tn Heb “give a dwelling to.”
- 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”).
- Nehemiah 13:30 tn Heb “a man in his work.”
- 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.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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