Nehemiah 13

On that day it was read in the book of Moyses in the ears of the people, and it was found written in it that Ammanites and Moabites should not enter into the assembly of God forever;

because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and they hired Balaam against him to curse; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.

And it came about, when they heard the law, that all the mixed multitude was separated from Israel.

And before this, Eliasib the priest, dwelling in a chamber of the house of our God, being near to Tobia,

and he made him a great chamber; and there they formerly put the manaan and the frankincense and the vessels and the tithe of the grain and of the wine and of the oil, the commandment for the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers, and the firstfruits of the priests.

But during all this I was not in Ierousalem, for in the thirty-second year of Arthasastha king of Babylon I went to the king; and after the end of some days I asked leave of the king.

And I came to Ierousalem and understood the evil that Elisoub had done for Tobia, in making him a chamber in the court of the house of God.

And it seemed exceedingly evil to me, and I threw all the vessels of the house of Tobia out from the chamber.

And I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, the manaa and the frankincense.

And I learned that the portions of the Levites had not been given, and that the Levites and the singers who did the work had fled, each to his own field.

And I contended with the commanders and said, "Why has the house of God been forsaken?" And I gathered them and set them in their station.

And all Iouda brought the tithe of the wheat and of the wine and of the oil into the storehouses,

under the hand of Selemia the priest and Saddouk the scribe and Phadaia of the Levites; and at their hand was Anan son of Zakchour, son of Mathania; for they were reckoned faithful, and their charge was to distribute to their brothers.

Remember me, O God, in this, and let not my mercy be wiped out, which I did in the house of the Lord God.

In those days I saw in Iouda people treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in sheaves and loading them on the donkeys, and wine and grapes and figs and every kind of burden, and bringing them into Ierousalem on the sabbath day; and I testified on the day of their selling.

And people dwelt in it bringing fish and all manner of merchandise, selling on the sabbath to the sons of Iouda and in Ierousalem.

And I contended with the freemen of the sons of Iouda and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?

Did not your fathers do thus, and our God brought upon them and upon us all these evils, and upon this city? And you are adding wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath."

And it came about, when the gates of Ierousalem were set in place before the sabbath, that I gave orders and they shut the gates; and I said that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens should be carried in on the sabbath day.

And they all lodged and carried on trade outside Ierousalem once and twice.

And I testified against them and said to them, "Why do you lodge in front of the wall? If you do it a second time, I will stretch out my hand against you." From that time they did not come on the sabbath.

And I told the Levites who were purifying themselves and coming to keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. For these things remember me, O God, and spare me according to the abundance of your mercy.

And in those days I also saw the Ioudaioi who had taken women of Azotos, of Ammanitis, of Moabitis;

and half of their sons spoke the speech of Azotos, and they did not know how to speak the Judean speech.

And I contended with them and cursed them and struck some men among them and pulled out their hair; and I made them swear by God: "If you give your daughters to their sons, and if you take of their daughters for your sons —"

Did not Salomon king of Israel sin in this way? And among many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by God, and God made him king over all Israel; yet even him the foreign women turned aside.

And shall we listen to you, to do all this evil, to break faith with our God by taking foreign women?

And one of the sons of Ioada son of Elisoub the high priest was a son-in-law of Sanaballat the Oronite; and I drove him away from me.

Remember them, O God, concerning the kinship-claim of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

And I cleansed them from all foreignness, and I established courses for the priests and for the Levites, each man according to his work;

and for the gift of the wood carriers at appointed seasons, and for the bakchouria. Remember me, O our God, for good.