Nehemiah 13:15–31

Sabbath Restored

15 In 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.

16 Also 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.

17 Then 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.”

19 aIt 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.

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

21 Then 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.

22 And 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.

Mixed Marriages Forbidden

23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had 1amarried women from bAshdod, cAmmon and Moab.

24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but 1the language of his own people.

25 So aI contended with them and cursed them and bstruck some of them and pulled out their hair, and cmade them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

26 “aDid not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? bYet among the many nations there was no king like him, and che was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

27 “1Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil aby acting unfaithfully against our God by 2marrying foreign women?”

28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of aSanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.

29 aRemember them, O my God, 1because they have defiled the priesthood and the bcovenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 aThus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task,

31 and I arranged afor the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. bRemember me, O my God, for good.