Fluent Translation · Read & Reflect
Nehemiah 13
The Assembly Hears the Torah
On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should enter the assembly of God forever, because they had not met the Israelites with bread and water but had hired Balaam against them to curse them. Yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. When they heard the Torah, they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Tobiah’s Room in the Temple Courts
Before this, Eliashib the priest, who had been appointed over the chambers of the house of our God and was related to Tobiah, had prepared for him a large chamber where previously they placed the grain offerings, frankincense, vessels, tithes of grain, new wine, and oil that were assigned to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests. During all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time I asked leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem. Then I learned of the evil Eliashib had done for Tobiah by preparing a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God. It was very grievous to me, so I threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and they purified the chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and frankincense.
The Levites’ Portions Restored
I also learned that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and singers who did the work had fled, each to their own field. Then I contended with the officials and said, “Why has the house of God been forsaken?” I gathered them together and restored them to their stations. Then all Judah brought the tithe of grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses. I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and next to them Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, because they were considered faithful. Their responsibility was to distribute to their relatives. Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my acts of steadfast love that I have done for the house of my God and for its observances.
The Sabbath Protected
In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain, loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of burden, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I warned them on the day they sold food. Tyrians living there were also bringing in fish and every kind of merchandise and selling on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, even in Jerusalem. Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your ancestors do this, so that our God brought all this disaster upon us and upon this city? Yet you are adding wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
As the gates of Jerusalem began to grow dark before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no burden would enter on the Sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice. I warned them and said, “Why are you spending the night in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and come guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also for me, my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
Nehemiah Confronts Intermarriage
In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples, and they did not know how to speak the language of Judah. I contended with them, pronounced curses upon them, struck some of them, pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, “You will not give your daughters to their sons, and you will not take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin because of these things? Among many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Yet foreign women caused even him to sin. Are we then to hear that you are doing all this great evil, acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
The Priesthood Cleansed
One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. Remember them, my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. So I cleansed them from everything foreign and established duties for the priests and Levites, each in their work, and for the wood offering at appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, my God, for good.