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].

On the day that it was read aloud in [the] scroll of Moses in [the] ears of the people and it was found written in it that not he will come an Ammonite and a Moabite in [the] assembly of God until perpetuity.

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.

For not they had met [the] people of Israel with food and with water and he had hired on it Balaam to curse it and he turned God our the curse into 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.

And it was when heard they the law and they separated every person of mixed ancestry from Israel.

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 from this Eliashib the priest [was] appointed over [the] store-room of [the] house of God our [one] near 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 made for him a room large and there people were before putting the grain offering the frankincense and the utensils and [the] tithe of the grain the new wine and the fresh oil [the] commandment of the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers and [the] contribution 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].

And in all this not I was in Jerusalem for in year thirty and two of Artaxerxes [the] king of Babylon I had gone to the king and to [the] end of days I requested leave of absence from 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 I came to Jerusalem and I perceived! the evil thing which he had done Eliashib for Tobiah by making for him a room in [the] courtyards of [the] house of God.

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

And it was displeasing to me exceedingly and I threw! all [the] articles of [the] household of Tobiah the outside from the room.

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 said! and people purified the store-rooms and I brought back! there [the] utensils of [the] house of God the grain offering and the frankincense.

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 perceived! that [the] portions of the Levites not it had been given and they had fled each one to own field his the Levites and the singers [who] did the work.

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.

And I contended! with the officials and I said! why? has it been neglected [the] house of God and I assembled them and I made stand them at place their.

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

And all Judah they brought [the] tithe of the grain and the new wine and the fresh oil to the storerooms.

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 appointed as treasurers! over [the] storerooms Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe and Pedaiah one of the Levites and [was] on hand their Hanan [the] son of Zaccur [the] son of Mattaniah for reliable they were thought and [was] on them to distribute to brothers their.

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! to me O God my on this and may not you wipe out loyalti my which I have done in [the] house of God my and in services its.

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 the days those I saw in Judah - [some who] trod winepresses - on the sabbath and [some who] brought heaps of grain and [some who] loaded [them] on donkeys and also wine grapes and figs and every load and [some who] brought [them] Jerusalem on [the] day of the sabbath and I protested on [the] day sold they food.

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.

And the Tyrians [who] they dwelt in it [were] bringing fish and every merchandise and [were] selling [it] on the sabbath to [the] people of Judah and in Jerusalem.

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.

And I contended! with [the] nobles of Judah and I said! to them what? [is] the thing evil this which you [are] doing and [are] profaning [the] day of the sabbath.

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!”

¿ Not thus did they do ancestors your and he brought God our on us all the trouble this and on the city this and you [are] increasing anger toward Israel by profaning 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 it was just when they became dark [the] gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath and I said! and they were closed the doors and I said! that not people will open them until after the sabbath and some of servants my I stationed at the gates not it will come a load on [the] day of the sabbath.

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

And they passed [the] night the traders and [the] sellers of every merchandise from [the] outside of Jerusalem a time and two [times].

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 warned! them and I said! to them why? [are] you passing [the] night before the wall if you will do [it] again a hand I will stretch out on you from the time that not they came 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 said! to the Levites that they will be purifying themselves and coming guarding the gates to keep holy [the] day of the sabbath also this remember! to me O God my and have mercy! on me according to [the] greatness of covenant loyalty your.

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].

Also - in the days those I saw the Jews [who] they had married women (Ashdodite Ammonite *Qk) Moabite.

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 children their half [were] speaking Ashdodite and not they [were] knowing to speak [in] Judean and according to [the] language of people and 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.

And I contended with them and I cursed them and I struck some of them men and I pulled out beard their and I made take an oath them by God if you will give daughters your to sons their and if you will take any of daughters their for sons your and for yourselves.

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.

¿ Not on these did he sin Solomon [the] king of Israel and among the nations many not he was a king like him and loved by God his he was and he made him God king over all Israel also him they caused to sin the wives foreign.

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

And to you ¿ is it heard to do all the evil great this to act unfaithfully against God our by marrying wives foreign.

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] sons of Joiada [the] son of Eliashib the priest great [was] a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite and I drove away him from with 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! to them O God my on [the] defilement of the priesthood and [the] covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

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.

And I purified them from all foreignness and I assigned! duties to the priests and to the Levites each one in own work his.

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] offering of the wood at times appointed and for the first-fruits remember! to me O God my for good.