Separation from Foreigners
1 When the Law of Moses was being read aloud to the people, they came to the passage that said that no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to be permitted to join God's people. 2 This was because the people of Ammon and Moab did not give food and water to the Israelites on their way out of Egypt. Instead, they paid money to Balaam to curse Israel, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When the people of Israel heard this law read, they excluded all foreigners from the community.
Nehemiah's Reforms
4 The priest Eliashib, who was in charge of the Temple storerooms, had for a long time been on good terms with Tobiah. 5 He allowed Tobiah to use a large room that was intended only for storing offerings of grain and incense, the equipment used in the Temple, the offerings for the priests, and the tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil given to the Levites, to the Temple musicians, and to the Temple guards. 6 While this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year that Artaxerxes was king of Babylon I had gone back to report to him. After some time I received his permission 7 and returned to Jerusalem. There I was shocked to find that Eliashib had allowed Tobiah to use a room in the Temple. 8 I was furious and threw out all of Tobiah's belongings. 9 I gave orders for the rooms to be ritually purified and for the Temple equipment, grain offerings, and incense to be put back.
10 I also learned that the Temple musicians and other Levites had left Jerusalem and gone back to their farms, because the people had not been giving them enough to live on. 11 I reprimanded the officials for letting the Temple be neglected. And I brought the Levites and musicians back to the Temple and put them to work again. 12 Then all the people of Israel again started bringing to the Temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil. 13 I put the following men in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah, a priest; Zadok, a scholar of the Law; and Pedaiah, a Levite. Hanan, the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah, was to be their assistant. I knew I could trust these men to be honest in distributing the supplies to the other workers.
14 Remember, my God, all these things that I have done for your Temple and its worship.
15 At that time I saw people in Judah pressing juice from grapes on the Sabbath. Others were loading grain, wine, grapes, figs, and other things on their donkeys and taking them into Jerusalem; I warned them not to sell anything on the Sabbath. 16 Some people from the city of Tyre were living in Jerusalem, and they brought fish and all kinds of goods into the city to sell to our people on the Sabbath. 17 I reprimanded the Jewish leaders and told them, “Look at the evil you're doing! You're making the Sabbath unholy. 18 This is exactly why God punished your ancestors when he brought destruction on this city. And yet you insist on bringing more of God's anger down on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19 So I gave orders for the city gates to be shut at the beginning of every Sabbath, as soon as evening began to fall, and not to be opened again until the Sabbath was over. I stationed some of my men at the gates to make sure that nothing was brought into the city on the Sabbath. 20 Once or twice merchants who sold all kinds of goods spent Friday night outside the city walls. 21 I warned them, “It's no use waiting out there for morning to come. If you try this again, I'll use force on you.” From then on they did not come back on the Sabbath. 22 I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to go and guard the gates to make sure that the Sabbath was kept holy.
Remember me, O God, for this also, and spare me because of your great love.
23 At that time I also discovered that many of the Jewish men had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or some other language and didn't know how to speak our language. 25 I reprimanded the men, called down curses on them, beat them, and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath in God's name that never again would they or their children intermarry with foreigners. 26 I told them, “It was foreign women that made King Solomon sin. Here was a man who was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him and made him king over all of Israel, and yet he fell into this sin. 27 Are we then to follow your example and disobey our God by marrying foreign women?”
28 Joiada was the son of Eliashib the High Priest, but one of Joiada's sons married the daughter of Sanballat, from the town of Beth Horon, so I made Joiada leave Jerusalem.
29 Remember, God, how those people defiled both the office of priest and the covenant you made with the priests and the Levites.
30 I purified the people from everything foreign; I prepared regulations for the priests and the Levites so that all of them would know their duties; 31 I arranged for the wood used for burning the offerings to be brought at the proper times, and for the people to bring their offerings of the first grain and the first fruits that ripened.
Remember all this, O God, and give me credit for it.
1 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 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 Now when they had heard the Lawe, they separated from Israel all those that were mixed. 4 And before this had the Priest Eliashib the ouersight of the chamber of the house of our God, being kinsman to Tobiah: 5 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 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 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 And it grieued me sore: therefore I cast forth all the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber. 9 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 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 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 brought all Iudah the tithes of corne and of wine, and of oyle vnto the treasures. 13 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 So the chapmen and marchants of al marchandise remained once or twise all night without Ierusalem. 21 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 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 In those dayes also I saw Iewes that married wiues of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab. 24 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 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 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 Shall wee then obey vnto you, to doe all this great euil, and to transgresse against our God, euen to marry strange wiues? 28 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 Remember them, O my God, that defile the Priesthoode, and the couenant of the Priesthoode, and of the Leuites. 30 Then cleansed I them from all strangers, and appoynted the wardes of the Priestes and of the Leuites, euery one in his office, 31 And for the offring of the wood at times appoynted, and for the first fruites. Remember me, O my God, in goodnes.