Nehemiah 13 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Foreigners Are Separated from Israel

1 On that day ^H3117 they read ^H7121 from the book ^H5612 of Moses ^H4872 in ^H7121 the hearing ^H241 of the people ^H5971; and there was found ^H4672 written ^H3789 in it that no ^H3808 Ammonite ^H5984 or Moabite ^H4125 should ever ^H5769 enter ^H935 the assembly ^H6951 of God ^H430,

2 because ^H3588 they did not meet ^H6923 the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 with bread ^H3899 and water ^H4325, but hired ^H7936 Balaam ^H1109 against ^H5921 them to curse ^H7043 them. However, our God ^H430 turned ^H2015 the curse ^H7045 into a blessing ^H1293. 3 So when they heard ^H8085 the law ^H8451, they separated ^H914 all ^H3605 foreigners ^H6154 from Israel ^H3478.

Tobiah’s Goods Removed from God’s House

4 Now prior ^H6440 to this ^H2088, Eliashib ^H475 the priest ^H3548, who was put ^H5414 in charge over the chambers ^H3957 of the house ^H1004 of our God ^H430, being [fn]related ^H7138 to Tobiah ^H2900,

5 had prepared ^H6213 a large ^H1419 [fn]room ^H3957 for him, where ^H8033 formerly ^H6440 they put ^H5414 the grain offerings ^H4503, the frankincense ^H3828, the utensils ^H3627, and the tithes ^H4643 of grain ^H1715, also new ^H8492 wine ^H8492 and oil ^H3323 commanded ^H4687 for the Levites ^H3881, the singers ^H7891, and the gatekeepers ^H7778, as well as the [fn]contributions ^H8641 for the priests ^H3548. 6 But during all ^H3605 this ^H2088 time I was not in Jerusalem ^H3389, for in the thirty-second ^H7970 H8147 year ^H8141 of Artaxerxes ^H783 king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 I had gone ^H935 to the king ^H4428. After ^H7093 some time ^H3117, however, I asked ^H7592 leave from the king ^H4428, 7 and I came ^H935 to Jerusalem ^H3389 and discerned ^H995 the evil ^H7451 that Eliashib ^H475 had done ^H6213 for Tobiah ^H2900, by preparing ^H6213 a chamber ^H5393 for him in the courts ^H2691 of the house ^H1004 of God ^H430. 8 It was very ^H3966 evil ^H7489 to me, so I threw ^H7993 all ^H3605 of Tobiah’s ^H2900 household ^H1004 goods ^H3627 out ^H7993 of the chamber ^H3957. 9 Then I said ^H559 the word, and they cleansed ^H2891 the chambers ^H3957; and I returned ^H7725 there ^H8033 the utensils ^H3627 of the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 with the grain offerings ^H4503 and the frankincense ^H3828.

Why Is the House of God Forsaken?

10 I also came to know ^H3045 that the portions ^H4521 of the Levites ^H3881 had not been given ^H5414 them, so the Levites ^H3881 and the singers ^H7891 who did ^H6213 the work ^H4399 had fled ^H1272, each ^H376 to his own field ^H7704.

11 So I contended ^H7378 against the officials ^H5461 and said ^H559, “Why ^H4069 is the house ^H1004 of God ^H430 forsaken ^H5800?” Then I gathered ^H6908 them together and had them stand ^H5975 in their posts ^H5977. 12 All ^H3605 Judah ^H3063 then brought ^H935 the tithe ^H4643 of the grain ^H1715, new ^H8492 wine ^H8492, and oil ^H3323 into the storehouses ^H214. 13 In charge ^H5921 of the storehouses ^H214 I appointed ^H686 Shelemiah ^H8018 the priest ^H3548, Zadok ^H6659 the scribe ^H5608, and Pedaiah ^H6305 of the Levites ^H3881, and in ^H5921 addition ^H5921 to ^H5921 them was Hanan ^H2605 the son ^H1121 of Zaccur ^H2139, the son ^H1121 of Mattaniah ^H4983; for they were counted ^H2803 as faithful ^H539, and it was [fn]their task ^H5921 to apportion ^H2505 everything to their [fn]relatives ^H251. 14 Remember ^H2142 me for this ^H2088, O my God ^H430, and do not blot ^H4229 out ^H4229 my lovingkindnesses ^H2617 which ^H834 I have shown ^H6213 for the house ^H1004 of my God ^H430 and its responsibilities ^H4929.

Keep the Sabbath Day Holy

15 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117 I saw ^H7200 in Judah ^H3063 some who were treading ^H1869 wine ^H1660 presses ^H1660 on the sabbath ^H7676, and bringing ^H935 in ^H935 sacks ^H6194 of ^H6194 grain ^H6194 and loading ^H6006 them on donkeys ^H2543, as well ^H637 as wine ^H3196, grapes ^H6025, figs ^H8384 and all ^H3605 kinds of loads ^H4853, and they brought ^H935 them into Jerusalem ^H3389 on the sabbath ^H7676 day ^H3117. So I testified ^H5749 against them on the day ^H3117 they sold ^H4376 food ^H6718.

16 Also men ^H6876 of ^H6876 Tyre ^H6876 were living ^H3427 [fn]there who brought ^H935 in ^H935 fish ^H1710 and all ^H3605 kinds of merchandise ^H4377, and sold ^H4376 them to the sons ^H1121 of Judah ^H3063 on the sabbath ^H7676, even in Jerusalem ^H3389. 17 Then I contended ^H7378 with the nobles ^H2715 of Judah ^H3063 and said ^H559 to them, “What ^H4100 is this ^H2088 evil ^H7451 thing ^H1697 you are doing ^H6213, even profaning ^H2490 the sabbath ^H7676 day ^H3117? 18 Did not your fathers ^H1 do ^H6213 the same ^H3541, so our God ^H430 brought ^H935 on us and on this ^H2088 city ^H5892 all ^H3605 this ^H2088 calamity ^H7451? Yet you are adding ^H3254 to His anger ^H2740 on Israel ^H3478 by profaning ^H2490 the sabbath ^H7676.”

19 Now it happened ^H1961 that just ^H834 as it grew ^H6751 dark ^H6751 at the gates ^H8179 of Jerusalem ^H3389 before ^H6440 the sabbath ^H7676, I said ^H559 the word, and the doors ^H1817 were shut ^H5462. Then I said ^H559 that they should not open ^H6605 them until ^H5704 after ^H310 the sabbath ^H7676. Then I had some of my young ^H5288 men ^H5288 stand ^H5975 at the gates ^H8179 so that no ^H3808 load ^H4853 would enter ^H935 on the sabbath ^H7676 day ^H3117. 20 Once ^H6471 or twice ^H8147 the traders ^H7402 and merchants ^H4376 of every ^H3605 kind of merchandise ^H4465 spent ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 outside ^H4480 H2351 Jerusalem ^H3389. 21 Then I [fn]warned ^H5749 them and said ^H559 to them, “Why ^H4069 do you spend ^H3885 the ^H3885 night ^H3885 in front ^H5048 of the wall ^H2346? If ^H518 you do ^H8138 so again ^H8138, I will send ^H7971 forth my hand ^H3027 against you.” From that time ^H6256 on they did not come ^H935 on the sabbath ^H7676. 22 And I said ^H559 to the Levites ^H3881 that they should cleanse ^H2891 themselves and come ^H935 as gatekeepers ^H8104 H8179 to keep ^H6942 the sabbath ^H7676 day ^H3117 holy ^H6942. For this ^H2088 also ^H1571 remember ^H2142 me, O my God ^H430, and have ^H2347 compassion ^H2347 on me according to the greatness ^H7230 of Your lovingkindness ^H2617.

You Shall Not Marry Foreigners

23 In those ^H1992 days ^H3117 I also ^H1571 saw ^H7200 that the Jews ^H3064 had [fn]married ^H3427 women ^H802 from Ashdod ^H796, Ammon ^H5985, and Moab ^H4125.

24 As for their children ^H1121, half ^H2677 spoke ^H1696 in the language ^H797 of ^H797 Ashdod ^H797, and none ^H369 of them was able ^H5234 to speak ^H1696 the language ^H3066 of ^H3066 Judah ^H3066, but only [fn]the tongue ^H3956 of his own ^H5971 people ^H5971. 25 So I contended ^H7378 with them and cursed ^H7043 them and struck ^H5221 some ^H376 of them and pulled ^H4803 out ^H4803 their hair ^H4803 and made them swear ^H7650 by God ^H430, “You shall not give ^H5414 your daughters ^H1323 to their sons ^H1121, nor ^H518 take ^H5375 up ^H5375 their daughters ^H1323 for your sons ^H1121 or for yourselves. 26 Did not Solomon ^H8010 king ^H4428 of Israel ^H3478 sin ^H2398 regarding ^H5921 these ^H428 things ^H428? Yet among the many ^H7227 nations ^H1471 there was no ^H3808 king ^H4428 like ^H3644 him, and he was loved ^H157 by his God ^H430, and God ^H430 gave ^H5414 him to be king ^H4428 over ^H5921 all ^H3605 Israel ^H3478; nevertheless ^H1571 the foreign ^H5237 women ^H802 caused even ^H1571 him to sin ^H2403. 27 [fn]Do we then hear ^H8085 about you that you have done ^H6213 all ^H3605 this ^H2088 great ^H1419 evil ^H7451 by acting ^H4603 unfaithfully ^H4603 against our God ^H430 by [fn]marrying ^H3427 foreign ^H5237 women ^H802?” 28 And even one of the sons ^H1121 of Joiada ^H3077, the son ^H1121 of Eliashib ^H475 the high ^H1419 priest ^H3548, was a son-in-law ^H2860 of Sanballat ^H5571 the Horonite ^H2772, so I made him flee ^H1272 away ^H1272 from me. 29 Remember ^H2142 them, O my God ^H430, [fn]because ^H5921 they have defiled ^H1352 the priesthood ^H3550 and the covenant ^H1285 of the priesthood ^H3550 and the Levites ^H3881.

30 Thus I cleansed ^H2891 them from everything ^H3605 foreign ^H5236 and ensured that the responsibilities ^H4931 stood ^H5975 for the priests ^H3548 and the Levites ^H3881, each ^H376 in his work ^H4399, 31 and I arranged for the supply ^H7133 of wood ^H6086 at fixed ^H2163 times ^H6256 and for the first ^H1061 fruits ^H1061. Remember ^H2142 me, O my God ^H430, for good ^H2896.