Nehemiah 13:15–22

Sabbath Restored

¹⁵In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses ^aon the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, ^band they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So ^cI admonished them on the day they sold food.

¹⁶Also men of Tyre were living ¹there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem.

¹⁷Then ^aI ¹reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, ²by profaning the sabbath day?

¹⁸“^aDid not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath.”

^19aIt came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut ¹and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day.

²⁰Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem.

²¹Then ^aI ¹warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will ²use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.

²²And I commanded the Levites that ^athey should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also ^bremember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.