13At that time the book of Moses was read publicly to the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,H3117H7121H5612H4872H241H5971H4672H3789H5984H4125H935H6951H430H5704H5769 2because they did not meet the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam against them to curse them, but our God turned the curse into a blessing.H6923H1121H3478H3899H4325H7936H1109H7043H430H2015H7045H1293 3When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel.H8085H8451H914H3478H6154 4Now before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of TobiahH6440H475H3548H5414H3957H1004H430H7138H2900 5and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.H6213H1419H3957H6440H5414H4503H3828H3627H4643H1715H8492H3323H4687H3881H7891H7778H8641H3548 6While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his [reign]. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absenceH3389H8147H7970H8141H783H4428H894H935H4428H7093H3117H7592H4428 7so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God's house.H935H3389H995H7451H475H6213H2900H6213H5393H2691H1004H430 8I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah's household possessions out of the room.H3415H3966H7993H1004H3627H2900H2351H3957 9I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense.H559H2891H3957H7725H3627H1004H430H4503H3828 10I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field.H3045H4521H3881H5414H3881H7891H6213H4399H1272H376H7704 11Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, "Why has the house of God been neglected?" I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts.H7378H5461H559H1004H430H5800H6908H5975H5977 12Then all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses.H935H3063H4643H1715H8492H3323H214 13I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for the distribution to their colleagues.H686H214H8018H3548H6659H5608H3881H6305H3027H2605H1121H2139H1121H4983H2803H539H2505H251 14Remember me for this, my God, and don't erase the good deeds I have done for the house of my God and for its services.H2142H430H4229H2617H6213H1004H430H4929 15At that time I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading [them] on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned [them] against selling food on that day.H3117H7200H3063H1869H1660H7676H935H6194H6006H2543H3196H6025H8384H4853H935H3389H7676H3117H5749H3117H4376H6718 16The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.H3427H6876H935H1709H1709H4377H4376H7676H1121H3063H3389 17I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them: "What is this evil you are doing— profaning the Sabbath day?H7378H2715H3063H559H7451H1697H6213H2490H7676H3117 18Didn't your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling [His] anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!"H6213H1H935H430H935H7451H5892H935H3254H2740H3478H2490H7676 19When shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the gates be closed and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my men at the gates, so that no goods could enter during the Sabbath day.H8179H3389H6751H6440H7676H559H1817H5462H559H6605H310H7676H5288H5975H8179H4853H935H7676H3117 20Once or twice the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,H7402H4376H4465H3885H2351H3389H6471H8147 21but I warned them, "Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I'll use force against you." After that they did not come again on the Sabbath.H5749H559H3885H5048H2346H8138H7971H3027H6256H935H7676 22Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this also, my God, and look on me with compassion in keeping with Your abundant, faithful love.H559H3881H2891H935H8104H8179H6942H7676H3117H2142H430H2347H7230H2617 23In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.H3117H7200H3064H3427H802H796H5984H4125 24Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of one of the other peoples but could not speak Hebrew.H1121H1696H2677H797H5234H1696H3066H3956H5971H5971 25I rebuked them, cursed them, beat some of their men, and pulled out their hair. I forced them to take an oath before God and said: "You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or yourselves!H7378H7043H5221H582H4803H7650H430H5414H1323H1121H5375H1323H1121 26Didn't King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations. He was loved by his God and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women drew him into sin.H8010H4428H3478H2398H7227H1471H4428H157H430H430H5414H4428H3478H1571H5237H802H2398 27Why then should we hear about you doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?"H8085H6213H1419H7451H4603H430H3427H5237H802 28Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I drove him away from me.H1121H3111H1121H475H1419H3548H2860H5571H2772H1272 29Remember them, my God, for defiling the priesthood as well as the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.H2142H430H1352H3550H1285H3550H3881 30So I purified them from everything foreign and assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.H2891H5236H5975H4931H3548H3881H376H4399 31I also arranged for the donation of wood at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, my God, with favor.H6086H7133H6256H2163H1061H2142H430H2896
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