Nehemiah 13

1 On that day, when someone read to the people parts of the laws [that God gave] to Moses, they read where it was written that no one from the Ammon people-group or the Moab people-group was ever to be allowed to be with God’s people while they were gathered together [to worship].

And on that day did they reade in the booke of Moses, in the audience of the people, and it was found written therein, that the Ammonite, and the Moabite should not enter into the Congregation of God,

2 The reason for that was that the people of Ammon and the people of Moab did not give/sell any food or water to the Israelis [while the Israelis were going through their areas after they left Egypt]. Instead, the people of Ammon and Moab paid money to Balaam in order that he would curse the Israelis. But God commanded Balaam to bless the people, not to curse them.

Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, that he should curse them: and our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 So when the people heard these laws [being read to them], they sent away all the people whose ancestors had come from other countries.

Now when they had heard the Lawe, they separated from Israel all those that were mixed.

4 Previously, Eliashib the priest had been appointed to be in charge of the storerooms in the temple. He was a relative of [our enemy] Tobiah.

And before this had the Priest Eliashib the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, being kinsman to Tobiah:

5 He allowed Tobiah to use a large room in which they had previously stored the grain offerings and the incense, the equipment that is used in the temple, the offerings [that the people had brought] for the priests, and the tithes of grain and wine and [olive] oil that [God] had commanded the people to bring to the [other] descendants of Levi, and to the temple musicians, and to the temple guards.

And he had made him a great chamber and there had they aforetime layde the offringes, the incense, and the vessels, and the tithes of corne, of wine, and of oyle (appointed for the Leuites, and the singers, and the porters) and the offringes of the Priests.

6 While [Tobias was using that room], I was not in Jerusalem, because in the 32nd year that Artaxerxes was the king of Babylonia, I went back there to report to him. After a while I requested the king to allow me to return to Jerusalem, [and he allowed me to go].

But in all this time was not I in Ierusalem: for in the two and thirtieth yere of Artahshashte King of Babel, came I vnto the King, and after certaine dayes I obteined of the King.

7 When I arrived in Jerusalem, I found out that Eliashib had done an evil thing by allowing Tobiah to use a room in God’s temple.

And when I was come to Ierusalem, I vnderstood the euil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in that hee had made him a chamber in the court of the house of God,

8 I became very angry, and I threw out of that room everything that belonged to Tobiah.

And it grieued me sore: therefore I cast forth all the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber.

9 Then I commanded [that they perform a ritual] to make the rooms (pure/acceptable to God) again. And I also ordered that all the equipment used in the temple and all the grain offerings and incense should be put in that room again.

And I commanded them to clense ye chambers: and thither brought I againe the vessels of the house of God with the meate offring and the incense.

10 I also found out that the temple musicians and [other] descendants of Levi had left Jerusalem and returned to their fields/farms, because the Israeli people had not been bringing to them the food [that they needed].

And I perceiued that the portions of the Leuites had not bene giuen, and that euery one was fled to his lande, euen the Leuites and singers that executed the worke.

11 So I rebuked the officials, saying to them, “(Why have you not taken care of the work in the temple?/It is disgraceful that you have not taken care of the work in the temple.)” [RHQ] So I brought the descendants of Levi and the musicians back to the temple, and told them to do their work there again.

Then reproued I the rulers and sayd, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I assembled them, and set them in their place.

12 Then all the people of Judah again started to bring to the temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and [olive] oil.

Then brought all Iudah the tithes of corne and of wine, and of oyle vnto the treasures.

13 I appointed these men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah, who was a priest; Zadok, who knew the Jewish laws very well; and Pedaiah, a descendant of Levi. I appointed Hanan, who is the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah, to assist them. I knew that I could trust these men while they distributed those offerings to their fellow workers.

And I made treasurers ouer the treasures, Shelemiah the Priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Leuites, Pedaiah, and vnder their hande Hanan the sonne of Zaccur the sonne of Mattaniah: for they were counted faithfull, and their office was to distribute vnto their brethren.

14 My God, do not forget all these good things that I have faithfully done for your temple and for the work that is done there!

Remember me, O my God, herein, and wipe not out my kindenes that I haue shewed on the house of my God, and on the offices thereof.

15 During that time, I saw some people in Judea [who were working] on the Sabbath day. [Some were] pressing grapes [to make wine]. Others were putting grain, [bags of] wine, [baskets of] grapes, figs, and many [HYP] other things, on their donkeys and taking them into Jerusalem. I warned them that they should not sell things to the people of Judea on Sabbath days.

In those dayes saw I in Iudah them, that trode wine presses on ye Sabbath, and that brought in sheaues, and which laded asses also with wine, grapes, and figges, and all burdens, and brought them into Ierusalem vpon the Sabbath day: and I protested to them in the day that they sold vitailes.

16 I also saw some people from Tyre [city] who were living there in Jerusalem who were bringing fish and other things [into Jerusalem] to sell to the people of Judea on the Sabbath day.

There dwelt men of Tyrus also therein, which brought fish and all wares, and solde on the Sabbath vnto the children of Iudah euen in Ierusalem.

17 So I rebuked the Jewish leaders and told them, “This is [RHQ] a very evil thing that you are doing! You are causing the Sabbath days to be unholy.

Then reprooued I the rulers of Iudah, and sayd vnto them, What euil thing is this that yee doe, and breake the Sabbath day?

18 Your ancestors did [RHQ] things like that, so God punished them, and as a result, this city was destroyed! And now by causing the Sabbath day to be unholy, you are going to cause God to be angry with us Israeli people [and punish us] more!”

Did not your fathers thus, and our God brought all this plague vpon vs, and vpon this citie? yet yee increase the wrath vpon Israel, in breaking the Sabbath.

19 So I ordered that at (the beginning of every Sabbath day/every Friday evening) they should shut the gates of the city before it became dark. I also ordered that they should not open the gates until (the Sabbath day was ended [the next day]/Saturday evening). Then [each Sabbath day] I put some of my men at the gates, so they would make sure that nothing to sell was brought into the city on that day.

And when the gates of Ierusalem beganne to be darke before the Sabbath, I commaded to shut the gates, and charged, that they should not be opened til after the Sabbath, and some of my seruants set I at the gates, that there shoulde no burden be brought in on the Sabbath day.

20 One or two times merchants [DOU] stayed outside of the city on (Friday night/[the night before the Sabbath day]).

So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem.

21 I warned them, “It is useless [RHQ] for you to stay here outside the walls [on Friday night]! If you do this again, I will tell my men to arrest you!” So after that, they did not come on Sabbath days.

And I protested among them, and said vnto them, Why tary ye all night about the wall? If ye do it once againe, I will lay hands vpon you. from that time came they no more on the Sabbath.

22 I also commanded the descendants of Levi to [perform the ritual to] purify themselves and to guard the city gates, to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy [by not allowing merchants to enter it on Sabbath days]. My God, do not forget this also that I [have done for you]! And because of your faithfully loving me, allow me to continue to live [many more years]!

And I sayde vnto the Leuites, that they should clense themselues, and that they shoulde come and keepe the gates, to sanctifie the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and pardon me according to thy great mercy.

23 During that time, I also found out that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod [city], and from [the] Ammon and Moab [people-groups].

In those dayes also I saw Iewes that married wiues of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab.

24 The result was that half of their children spoke the language that people in Ashdod speak or some other language, and they didn’t know how to speak our language.

And their children spake halfe in ye speach of Ashdod, and could not speake in the Iewes language, and according to the language of the one people, and of the other people.

25 So I rebuked those men, and I [asked God to] curse them, and I beat them and pulled out [some of] their hair. Then I forced them to solemnly promise, knowing that God [MTY] was [listening], that they would never again marry foreigners, and never allow their children to marry foreigners.

Then I reprooued them, and cursed them, and smote certaine of them, and pulled off their heare, and tooke an othe of them by God, Yee shall not giue your daughters vnto their sonnes, neither shall ye take of their daughters vnto your sonnes, nor for your selues.

26 [I said to them], “Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned [RHQ] as a result of [marrying] foreign women. He was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him, and caused him to become the king of all the Israeli people, but his foreign wives caused even him to sin.

Did not Salomon the king of Israel sinne by these thinges? yet among many nations was there no King like him: for he was beloued of his God, and God had made him King ouer Israel: yet strange women caused him to sinne.

27 [Do you think that] we should do what you have done, and disobey our God by marrying foreign women [who worship idols]? [RHQ]”

Shall wee then obey vnto you, to doe all this great euil, and to transgresse against our God, euen to marry strange wiues?

28 One of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the Supreme Priest, had married the daughter of [our enemy] Sanballat, from Beth-Horon [town]. So I forced Jehoiada’s son to leave Jerusalem.

And one of the sonnes of Ioiada the sonne of Eliashib the hie Priest was the sonne in law of Sanballat the Horonite: but I chased him from me.

29 My God, do not forget that those people [who have married foreign women] have caused it to be a shame/disgrace to be a priest, and have caused people to despise the agreement that you made with the priests and with the [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests])!

Remember them, O my God, that defile the Priesthoode, and the couenant of the Priesthoode, and of the Leuites.

30 I did all that to make sure that there were no more foreign people among the [Israeli] people [who would encourage them to worship idols]. I also established regulations for the priests and [other] descendants of Levi, in order that they would know what work they should do.

Then cleansed I them from all strangers, and appoynted the wardes of the Priestes and of the Leuites, euery one in his office,

31 I also arranged for people to bring the firewood [that was needed to burn on the altar, as Moses had declared] that we should [do]. I also arranged for the people to bring the first part of what they harvested [each year]. My God, do not forget [that] I [have done all these things], and bless me [for doing them]!

And for the offring of the wood at times appoynted, and for the first fruites. Remember me, O my God, in goodnes.