Nehemiah 13

1 On that day there was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, and it hath been found written in it that an Ammonite and Moabite doth not come into the assembly of God — unto the age,

One day when the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the section was found where it was written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed into the assembly of God,

2 because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turneth the reviling into a blessing.

because they hadn't brought food and water when they met the Israelites, but instead they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them—though our God turned that curse into a blessing!

3 And it cometh to pass, at their hearing the law, that they separate all the mixed people from Israel.

When the people heard about this law, they separated out from Israel everyone who had foreign ancestry.

4 And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah,

Before all this, Eliashib the priest, who was related to Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the Temple of our God.

5 and he maketh for him a great chamber, and there they were formerly putting the present, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, the new wine, and the oil — the commanded thing of the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers — and the heave-offering of the priests.

He had provided Tobiah with a large room which had previously been used to store the grain offerings, incense, and Temple items, as well as the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil allocated to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, in addition to the offerings for the priests.

6 And during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon did I come unto the king, and at the end of days I have asked of the king,

When all this happened I was not in Jerusalem because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I requested permission from the king to go back.

7 and I come in to Jerusalem, and understand concerning the evil that Eliashib hath done for Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the courts of the house of God,

When I arrived back in Jerusalem I discovered the dreadful thing Eliashib had done in providing Tobiah a room in the courtyard of God's Temple.

8 and it is very displeasing to me, and I cast all the vessels of the house of Tobiah without, out of the chamber,

I was extremely upset, and I went and threw out everything that was in Tobiah's room.

9 and I speak, and they cleanse the chambers, and I bring back thither the vessels of the house of God with the present and the frankincense.

I ordered the rooms purified, and put back the Temple items, the grain offerings, and the incense.

10 And I know that the portions of the Levites have not been given, and they flee each to his field — the Levites and the singers, doing the work.

I also found out that the food allowances for the Levites were not being provided, so the Levites had gone back to take care of their fields, along with the singers who led the worship services.

11 And I strive with the prefects, and say, 'Wherefore hath the house of God been forsaken?' and I gather them, and set them on their station;

I went and confronted the leaders, asking, “Why is God's Temple being neglected?” I called the Levites back and made sure they were carrying out their responsibilities.

12 and all Judah have brought in the tithe of the corn, and of the new wine, and of the oil, to the treasuries.

Everyone in Judah then brought the tithes of grain, new wine, and olive oil into the storerooms.

13 And I appoint treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; and by their hand [is] Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for stedfast they have been reckoned, and on them [it is] to give a portion to their brethren.

I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah, one of the Levites, in charge of the storerooms with Hanan, son of Zakkur, son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered honest people. Their responsibility was to distribute the allowances to their fellow Levites.

14 Be mindful of me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my kind acts that I have done, for the house of my God, and for its charges.

My God, please remember me over this. Please don't forget my good deeds I have done for the Temple of my God and its services.

15 In those days I have seen in Judah those treading wine-vats on sabbath, and bringing in the sheaves, and lading on the asses, and also, wine, grapes, and figs, and every burden, yea, they are bringing in to Jerusalem on the sabbath-day, and I testify in the day of their selling provision.

Around that time I noticed people treading the winepress on Sabbath. I saw others collecting grain and loading it up on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and bringing it all into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

16 And the Tyrians have dwelt in it, bringing in fish, and every ware, and selling on sabbath to the sons of Judah and in Jerusalem.

I told them off for selling their produce on that day.

17 And I strive with the freemen of Judah, and say to them, 'What [is] this evil thing that ye are doing, and polluting the sabbath-day?

Some people from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of things and they were selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.

18 Thus did not your fathers do? and our God bringeth in on us all this evil, and on this city, and ye are adding fierceness on Israel, to pollute the sabbath.'

I confronted the Jewish leaders, asking them, “Why are you are doing such an evil thing? You are violating the Sabbath day! Wasn't this what your forefathers did, bringing our God down on us, causing us and this city such disasters? Now you're bringing even more trouble on us by violating the Sabbath!”

19 And it cometh to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem have been dark before the sabbath, that I speak, and the doors are shut, and I say, that they do not open them till after the sabbath; and of my servants I have stationed at the gates; there doth not come in a burden on the sabbath-day.

So I ordered Jerusalem's gates to be shut at sunset on the day before the Sabbath, and that were not to be opened until after the Sabbath had ended. I assigned some of my men to guard the gates to make sure no goods would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 And they lodge — the merchants and sellers of all ware — at the outside of Jerusalem, once or twice,

A couple of times merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside of Jerusalem.

21 and I testify against them, and say unto them, 'Wherefore are ye lodging over-against the wall? if ye repeat [it], a hand I put forth upon you;' from that time they have not come in on the sabbath.

I warned them, saying, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do that again I'll have you arrested!” After that they didn't come on the Sabbath.

22 And I say to the Levites, that they be cleansed, and, coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Thy kindness.

Then I told the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day holy. My God, please also remember me for doing this, and be merciful to me because of your trustworthy love.

23 Also, in those days, I have seen the Jews [who] have settled women of Ashdod, of Ammon, of Moab.

Around the same time I realized some Jews had married women from Ashdod, Moab, and Ammon.

24 And of their sons, half are speaking Ashdoditish — and are not knowing to speak Jewish — and according to the language of people and people.

Half their children could only speak the language of Ashdod or that of another people, and didn't know how to speak the language of Judah.

25 And I strive with them, and declare them vile, and smite certain of them, and pluck off their hair, and cause them to swear by God, 'Ye do not give your daughters to their sons, nor do ye take of their daughters to your sons, and to yourselves.

So I confronted them and told them they were cursed. I beat some of them and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God, saying, “You must not allow your daughters to marry their sons, or allow your sons—or yourselves— to marry their daughters.

26 'By these did not Solomon king of Israel sin? and among the many nations there was no king like him, and beloved by his God he was, and God maketh him king over all Israel — even him did the strange women cause to sin.

Wasn't it marriages like these that made King Solomon of Israel sin? There wasn't a king in any nation like him. God loved him, and God made him king over all Israel, but even he was made to sin by foreign women.

27 And to you do we hearken to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God, to settle strange women?'

So do we have to hear about you committing this dreadful sin, how you are being unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women?”

28 And [one] of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest, [is] son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, and I cause him to flee from off me.

Even one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, had become a son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite. So I expelled him.

29 Be mindful of them, O my God, for the redeemed of the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

My God, remember them and what they did, violating the priesthood and the solemn agreement of the priests and Levites.

30 And I have cleansed them from every stranger, and appoint charges to priests and to Levites, each in his work,

I purified them from everything foreign, and I made sure the priests and Levites were carrying out their assigned responsibilities.

31 and for the wood-offering at appointed times, and for first-fruits. Be mindful of me, O my God, for good.

I also arranged for wood to be supplied for the altar at the specified times, and for the first part of the produce to be donated. My God, remember me favorably.