Nehemiah 13:15–22

¹⁵At that time I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath. They were also bringing in stores of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.^{aw 16}The Tyrians living there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.^a

¹⁷I rebuked the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?^{b 18}Didn’t your ancestors do the same, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city?^c And now you are rekindling his anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

¹⁹When shadows began to fall on the city gates of Jerusalem just before the Sabbath, I gave orders that the city gates be closed and not opened until after the Sabbath.^d I posted some of my men at the gates, so that no goods could enter during the Sabbath day.^{e 20}Once or twice the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem, ²¹but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I’ll use force^A against you.” After that they did not come again on the Sabbath. ²²Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves^f and guard the city gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.^g

Remember me for this also, my God,^h and look on me with compassion according to the abundance of your faithful love.ⁱ