13On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,H3117H7121H5612H4872H241H5971H4672H3789H5984H4125H935H6951H430H5704H5769 2because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.H6923H1121H3478H3899H4325H7936H1109H7043H430H2015H7045H1293 3When the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent.H8085H8451H914H3478H6154 4Now before this, the priest Eliashib, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,H6440H475H3548H5414H3957H1004H430H7138H2900 5prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.H6213H1419H3957H6440H5414H4503H3828H3627H4643H1715H8492H3323H4687H3881H7891H7778H8641H3548 6While this was taking place I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon I went to the king. After some time I asked leave of the kingH3389H8147H7970H8141H783H4428H894H935H4428H7093H3117H7592H4428 7and returned to Jerusalem. I then discovered the wrong that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah, preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.H935H3389H995H7451H475H6213H2900H6213H5393H2691H1004H430 8And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the room.H3415H3966H7993H1004H3627H2900H2351H3957 9Then I gave orders and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.H559H2891H3957H7725H3627H1004H430H4503H3828 10I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them; so that the Levites and the singers, who had conducted the service, had gone back to their fields.H3045H4521H3881H5414H3881H7891H6213H4399H1272H376H7704 11So I remonstrated with the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations.H7378H5461H559H1004H430H5800H6908H5975H5977 12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses.H935H3063H4643H1715H8492H3323H214 13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses the priest Shelemiah, the scribe Zadok, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah, for they were considered faithful; and their duty was to distribute to their associates.H686H214H8018H3548H6659H5608H3881H6305H3027H2605H1121H2139H1121H4983H2803H539H2505H251 14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.H2142H430H4229H2617H6213H1004H430H4929 15In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys; and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day; and I warned them at that time against selling food.H3117H7200H3063H1869H1660H7676H935H6194H6006H2543H3196H6025H8384H4853H935H3389H7676H3117H5749H3117H4376H6718 16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of merchandise and sold them on the sabbath to the people of Judah, and in Jerusalem.H3427H6876H935H1709H1709H4377H4376H7676H1121H3063H3389 17Then I remonstrated with the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day?H7378H2715H3063H559H7451H1697H6213H2490H7676H3117 18Did not your ancestors act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring more wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."H6213H1H935H430H935H7451H5892H935H3254H2740H3478H2490H7676 19When it began to be dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the sabbath. And I set some of my servants over the gates, to prevent any burden from being brought in on the sabbath day.H8179H3389H6751H6440H7676H559H1817H5462H559H6605H310H7676H5288H5975H8179H4853H935H7676H3117 20Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.H7402H4376H4465H3885H2351H3389H6471H8147 21But I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.H5749H559H3885H5048H2346H8138H7971H3027H6256H935H7676 22And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.H559H3881H2891H935H8104H8179H6942H7676H3117H2142H430H2347H7230H2617 23In those days also I saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab;H3117H7200H3064H3427H802H796H5984H4125 24and half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke the language of various peoples.H1121H1696H2677H797H5234H1696H3066H3956H5971H5971 25And I contended with them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair; and I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.H7378H7043H5221H582H4803H7650H430H5414H1323H1121H5375H1323H1121 26Did not King Solomon of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin.H8010H4428H3478H2398H7227H1471H4428H157H430H430H5414H4428H3478H1571H5237H802H2398 27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?"H8085H6213H1419H7451H4603H430H3427H5237H802 28And one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of the high priest Eliashib, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; I chased him away from me.H1121H3111H1121H475H1419H3548H2860H5571H2772H1272 29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood, the covenant of the priests and the Levites.H2142H430H1352H3550H1285H3550H3881 30Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work;H2891H5236H5975H4931H3548H3881H376H4399 31and I provided for the wood offering, at appointed times, and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.H6086H7133H6256H2163H1061H2142H430H2896
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