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 come into the assembly of God,H3117H7121H5612H4872H241H5971H4672H3789H5984H4125H935H6951H430H5704H5769 2because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.H6923H1121H3478H3899H4325H7936H1109H7043H430H2015H7045H1293 3So it was, when they had heard the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.H8085H8451H914H3478H6154 4Now before this, Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.H6440H475H3548H5414H3957H1004H430H7138H2900 5And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.H6213H1419H3957H6440H5414H4503H3828H3627H4643H1715H8492H3323H4687H3881H7891H7778H8641H3548 6But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,H3389H8147H7970H8141H783H4428H894H935H4428H7093H3117H7592H4428 7and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.H935H3389H995H7451H475H6213H2900H6213H5393H2691H1004H430 8And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.H3415H3966H7993H1004H3627H2900H2351H3957 9Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.H559H2891H3957H7725H3627H1004H430H4503H3828 10I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.H3045H4521H3881H5414H3881H7891H6213H4399H1272H376H7704 11So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place.H7378H5461H559H1004H430H5800H6908H5975H5977 12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.H935H3063H4643H1715H8492H3323H214 13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.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 its services!H2142H430H4229H2617H6213H1004H430H4929 15In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and 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 warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.H3117H7200H3063H1869H1660H7676H935H6194H6006H2543H3196H6025H8384H4853H935H3389H7676H3117H5749H3117H4376H6718 16Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.H3427H6876H935H1709H1709H4377H4376H7676H1121H3063H3389 17Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, "What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?H7378H2715H3063H559H7451H1697H6213H2490H7676H3117 18"Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath."H6213H1H935H430H935H7451H5892H935H3254H2740H3478H2490H7676 19So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.H8179H3389H6751H6440H7676H559H1817H5462H559H6605H310H7676H5288H5975H8179H4853H935H7676H3117 20Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.H7402H4376H4465H3885H2351H3389H6471H8147 21Then I warned them, and said to them, "Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!" From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.H5749H559H3885H5048H2346H8138H7971H3027H6256H935H7676 22And I commanded the Levites that they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!H559H3881H2891H935H8104H8179H6942H7676H3117H2142H430H2347H7230H2617 23In those days I also saw Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.H3117H7200H3064H3427H802H796H5984H4125 24And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.H1121H1696H2677H797H5234H1696H3066H3956H5971H5971 25So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, "You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.H7378H7043H5221H582H4803H7650H430H5414H1323H1121H5375H1323H1121 26"Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.H8010H4428H3478H2398H7227H1471H4428H157H430H430H5414H4428H3478H1571H5237H802H2398 27"Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?"H8085H6213H1419H7451H4603H430H3427H5237H802 28And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.H1121H3111H1121H475H1419H3548H2860H5571H2772H1272 29Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.H2142H430H1352H3550H1285H3550H3881 30Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service,H2891H5236H5975H4931H3548H3881H376H4399 31and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times. Remember me, O my God, for good!H6086H7133H6256H2163H1061H2142H430H2896
