Nehemiah 13

1On that day they read in the Book of Moses, in the hearing of the people, and it was found to be written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, for they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but instead hired Balaam to bring a curse against them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.

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2So it was, after hearing the Law, they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

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3Now before this, Eliashib the priest, living in the storeroom of the house of our God, was allied with Tobiah.

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4And he had prepared for him a large room where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, as well as the firstfruits for the priests.

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5But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king

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6and came to Jerusalem. Here I discovered the evil thing Eliashib had done for Tobiah. He had prepared a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

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7This grieved me bitterly; therefore I tossed out from the room all the household goods of Tobiah.

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8Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms, at which time I brought the articles of the house of God back into them, along with the grain offering and the frankincense.

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9I also realized that the portions for the Levites were held back from them. For each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.

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10So I contended with the rulers and said, 'Why is the house of God forsaken?' And I gathered them together and set them in their place.

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11Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.

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12I appointed Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe as treasurers over the storehouse, along with Pedaiah of the Levites. Next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. They were chosen for they were counted as faithful, and it was their duty to distribute to their brothers.

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13Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for its services!

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14In those days I saw in Judah people treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day.

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15Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah and in Jerusalem.

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16Then I contended with the free sons of Judah and said to them, 'What evil thing is this that you do by which you profane the Sabbath day?

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17Did not your fathers do this, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.'

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18So it was, when the gates of Jerusalem stood open before the Sabbath, that I commanded, and they shut the gates; and I charged that they must not be opened until after the Sabbath day. Then I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.

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19Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.

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20So I warned them and said to them, 'Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!' From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.

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21Then I told the Levites who were cleansing themselves, who came to guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.

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22Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy! In those days I also saw Jews who married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab.

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23And half their children spoke in the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.

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24So I contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, 'You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons.

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25Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.

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26Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?'

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27And one of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.

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28Remember them, God, because of the rights of inheritance of the priesthood and of the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

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29And I cleansed them of every pagan thing. I assigned the daily courses to the priests and the Levites, each to his own service,

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30and to bringing the wood offering and the firstfruits at the appointed times.

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31In goodness, remember me, O our God!

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