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, 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. So when they heard the Law, (E)they excluded (F)all foreigners from Israel.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:1 Lit in the ears of the people

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. 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. When the people heard this law, they separated out from Israel all those of mixed descent.

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