The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Nehemiah 13
1 On that day they read in the book of
Moses in the hearing of the people; and it
was found written in it that an Ammonite
and a Moabite should not enter into the
assembly of God forever,
2 because they didn’t meet the children
of Israel with bread and with water, but
hired Balaam against them to curse them;
however, our God turned the curse into a
blessing.
3 It came to pass, when they had heard
the law, that they separated all the mixed
multitude from Israel.
4 Now before this, Eliashib the priest,
who was appointed over the rooms of the
house of our God, being allied to Tobiah,
5 had prepared for him a great room,
where before they laid the meal offerings, the frankincense, the vessels, and the
tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the
oil, which were given by commandment to
the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers; and
the wave offerings for the priests.
6 But in all this, I was not at Jerusalem;
for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes
king of Babylon I went to the king; and
after some days I asked leave of the king,
7 and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil
that Eliashib had done for
Tobiah, in preparing him a room in the
courts of God’s house.
8 It grieved me severely. Therefore I
threw all Tobiah’s household stuff out of
the room.
9 Then I commanded, and they cleansed
the rooms. I brought into them the vessels
of God’s house, with the meal offerings and
the frankincense again.
10 I perceived that the portions of the
Levites had not been given them, so that
the Levites and the singers, who did the
work, had each fled to his field.
11 Then I contended with the rulers, and
said, “Why is God’s house forsaken?” I
gathered them together, and set them in
their place.
12 Then all Judah brought the tithe of
the grain, the new wine, and the oil to the
treasuries.
13 I made treasurers over the treasuries,
Shelemiahthepriest, andZadok the scribe,
and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to
them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son
of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful,
and their business was to distribute to
their brothers.
14 Remember me, my God, concerning
this, and don’t wipe out my good deeds that
I have done for the house of my God, and
for its observances.
15 In those days I saw some men treading wine presses on the
Sabbath in Judah, bringing in sheaves, and loading
donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all
kinds of burdens which they brought into
Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; and I testified against
them in the day in which they sold food.
16 Some men of Tyre also lived there,
who brought in fish and all kinds of wares,
and sold 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 youdo, andprofane the Sabbath
day?
18 Didn’t your fathers do this, and didn’t
our God bring all this evil on us and on this
city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by
profaning the Sabbath.”
19 It came to pass that when the gates of
Jerusalem began to be dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should
be shut, and commanded that they should
not be opened until after the Sabbath. I
set some of my servants over the gates, so
that no burden should be broughtin on the
Sabbath day.
20 So the merchants and sellers of
all kinds of wares camped outside of
Jerusalem once or twice.
21 Then I testified against them, and said
to them, “Why do you stay around the
wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on
you.” From that time on, they didn’t come
on the Sabbath.
22 I commanded the Levites that they
should purify themselves, and that they
should come and keep the gates,to sanctify
the Sabbath day. Remember me for this
also, my God, and spare me according to
the greatness of your loving kindness.
23 In those days I also saw the Jews who
had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab;
24 and their children spoke half in the
speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in
the Jews’ language, but according to the
language of each people.
25 I contended with them, cursed them,
struck certain of them, plucked off their
hair, and made them swear by God, “You
shall not give your daughters to their sons,
nor take their daughters for your sons, or
for yourselves.
26 Didn’t Solomon king of Israel sin by
these things? Yet among many nations
there was no king like him, and he was
loved by his God, and God made him
king over all Israel. Nevertheless foreign
women caused even him to sin.
27 Shall we then listen to you to do all this
great evil, to trespass against our God in
marrying foreign women?”
28 One of the sons of Joiada, the son of
Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to
Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I chased
him from me.
29 Remember them, my God, because
they have defiled the priesthood and the
covenant of the priesthood and of the
Levites.
30 Thus I cleansed them from all foreigners and appointed duties for the priests
and for the Levites, everyone in his work;
31 and for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for
the first fruits. Remember me, my God, for good.