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Nehemiah 13
New American Standard Bible

Foreigners Excluded

13 On that day the Book of Moses was (A)read aloud [a]as the people listened; and there was found written in it that (B)no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to 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 excluded (F)all foreigners from Israel.

Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed

4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (G)who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being [b]related to (H)Tobiah, 5 had prepared a large [c]room for him, where previously they used to put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil (I)prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the [d]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 come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and [e]learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for [f]Tobiah, (L)by preparing a [g]room for him in the courtyards of the house of God. 8 It was very displeasing to me, so I (M)threw all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. 9 Then I gave an order, and (N)they cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored

10 I also [h]discovered that (O)the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers who performed the service had [i]gone away, (P)each to his own field. 11 So I [j](Q)reprimanded the officials and said, “(R)Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts. 12 All Judah then brought (S)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13 To be in charge of the storehouses, I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for (T)they were considered reliable, and it was [k]their task to distribute to their kinsmen. 14 (U)Remember me for this, my God, and do not wipe out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

Sabbath Restored

15 In those days I saw in Judah people 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 every kind of load, (W)and they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So (X)I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16 Also people of Tyre were living [l]there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then (Y)I [m]reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, [n]by profaning the Sabbath day? 18 (Z)Did your fathers not do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

19 And (AA)it came about that just as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut, [o]and that they were not to open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants 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 warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will [p]use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. 22 And I ordered the Levites that (AC)they were to purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this also (AD)remember me, my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

Mixed Marriages Forbidden

23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had [q](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 knew how to speak the language of Judah, but [r]only the language of his own people. 25 So (AH)I quarreled 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 any of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. 26 (AK)Did Solomon the king of Israel not 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 made him king over all Israel; yet the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27 Has it not then been reported about you that you have committed all this great evil (AN)by acting unfaithfully against our God, by [s]marrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, became a son-in-law of (AO)Sanballat the Horonite, so I chased him away from me. 29 (AP)Remember them, my God, [t]because they have defiled the priesthood and the (AQ)covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 (AR)So I purified them from everything foreign, and assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each in his work, 31 and I arranged (AS)for the delivery of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. (AT)Remember me, my God, for good.

Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:1 Lit in the ears of the people
  2. Nehemiah 13:4 Lit close to
  3. Nehemiah 13:5 Or chamber
  4. Nehemiah 13:5 Or uplifted offerings
  5. Nehemiah 13:7 Or understood
  6. Nehemiah 13:7 An Ammonite, banned from the temple
  7. Nehemiah 13:7 Or chamber, and so in vv 8, 9
  8. Nehemiah 13:10 Or knew
  9. Nehemiah 13:10 Lit fled
  10. Nehemiah 13:11 Or contended with
  11. Nehemiah 13:13 Lit on them to
  12. Nehemiah 13:16 Lit in it
  13. Nehemiah 13:17 Or contended with
  14. Nehemiah 13:17 Lit and
  15. Nehemiah 13:19 Lit and commanded
  16. Nehemiah 13:21 Lit send a hand against
  17. Nehemiah 13:23 Lit given dwelling to
  18. Nehemiah 13:24 Lit according to the tongue of people and people
  19. Nehemiah 13:27 Lit giving dwelling to
  20. Nehemiah 13:29 Lit for the defilements of
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Nehemiah 13
New International Version

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.

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