Nehemiah 13:17–22

¹⁷And I strive with the freemen of Judah, and say to them, ‘What is this evil thing that ye are doing, and polluting the sabbath-day? ¹⁸Thus did not your fathers do? and our God bringeth in on us all this evil, and on this city, and ye are adding fierceness on Israel, to pollute the sabbath.’ ¹⁹And it cometh to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem have been dark before the sabbath, that I speak, and the doors are shut, and I say, that they do not open them till after the sabbath; and of my servants I have stationed at the gates; there doth not come in a burden on the sabbath-day. ²⁰And they lodge—the merchants and sellers of all ware—at the outside of Jerusalem, once or twice, ²¹and I testify against them, and say unto them, ‘Wherefore are ye lodging over-against the wall? if ye repeat it, a hand I put forth upon you;’ from that time they have not come in on the sabbath. ²²And I say to the Levites, that they be cleansed, and, coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Thy kindness.