CHAPTER 13
At that
time
the Book
of Moses
was read aloud
in the hearing
of the people,
and in it
they found
the passage stating
that
no
Ammonite
or Moabite
should ever
enter
the assembly
of God,
because
they had not
met
the Israelites
with food
and water,
but had hired
Balaam
to call down a curse
against them
(although our God
had turned
the curse
into a blessing).
Now before
this,
Eliashib
the priest,
a relative
of Tobiah,
had been put in charge of
the storerooms
of the house
of our God
and had prepared
for Tobiah
a large
room
where
they had previously
stored
the grain offerings,
the incense,
the temple articles,
and the tithes
of grain,
new wine,
and oil
prescribed
for the Levites,
singers,
and gatekeepers,
along with the contributions
for the priests.
While all
this
was happening,
I was not
in Jerusalem,
because
I had returned
to
King
Artaxerxes
of Babylon
in the thirty-second
year
of his reign.
Some time later
I obtained leave
from
the king
to return
to Jerusalem.
Then I discovered
the evil
that
Eliashib
had done
on behalf of Tobiah
by providing
him a room
in the courts
of the house
of God.
Then I ordered
that the rooms
be purified,
and I had the articles
of the house
of God
restored
to them,
along with the grain offerings
and incense.
I also learned
that
because the portions
for the Levites
had not
been given them,
all
the Levites
and singers
responsible for performing
the service
had gone back
to their own fields.
So I rebuked
the officials
and asked,
“Why
has the house
of God
been neglected?”
Then I gathered the Levites and singers
and stationed
them at
their posts,
I appointed as treasurers
over
the storerooms
Shelemiah
the priest,
Zadok
the scribe,
and Pedaiah
of
the Levites,
with Hanan
son
of Zaccur,
the son
of Mattaniah,
to assist
them,
because
they were considered
trustworthy.
They were responsible for
distributing the supplies
to their fellow Levites.
Remember
me for
this,
O my God,
and do not
blot out
my deeds of loving devotion
for the house
of my God
and for its services.
In those
days
I saw
people in Judah
treading
wine presses
on the Sabbath
and bringing in
grain
and loading it
on
donkeys,
along with
wine,
grapes,
and figs.
All kinds
of goods
were being brought
into Jerusalem
on the Sabbath
day.
So I warned them
against selling
food
on that day.
Additionally, men of Tyre
who lived
there
were importing
fish
and all kinds
of merchandise
and selling them
on the Sabbath
to the people
of Judah
in Jerusalem.
Then I rebuked
the nobles
of Judah
and asked,
“What
is this
evil
you
are doing—
profaning
the Sabbath
day?
Did not
your forefathers
do
the same things,
so that our God
brought
all
this
disaster
on us
and on
this
city?
And now
you are rekindling
His wrath
against
Israel
by profaning
the Sabbath!”
When
the evening shadows
began to fall on the gates
of Jerusalem,
just before
the Sabbath,
I ordered
that the gates
be shut
and not
opened
until
after
the Sabbath.
I posted
some of my servants
at
the gates,
so that no
goods
could enter
on the Sabbath
day.
but I warned them,
“Why
are you
camping
in front of
the wall?
If
you do it again,
I will lay hands
on you.”
From
that
time on,
they did not
return
on the Sabbath.
Then I instructed
the Levites
to purify themselves
and guard
the gates
in order to keep the Sabbath
day
holy.
Remember
me for this
as well,
O my God,
and show me
mercy
according to Your abundant
loving devotion.
Half
of their children
spoke
the language of Ashdod
or of
the other peoples,
but could not
speak
Hebrew.
I rebuked them
and called down curses on them.
I beat
some of
these men
and pulled out their hair.
Then I made them take an oath
before God and said:
“You must not
give your daughters
in marriage
to their sons
or take
their daughters
as wives for your sons
or for yourselves!
Did not
King
Solomon
of Israel
sin
in
matters like this?
There was
not
a king
like him
among many
nations.
He was
loved
by his God,
and God
made
him king
over
all
Israel,
yet
foreign
women
drew him into sin.
Why should we now hear
that you too are doing
all
this
terrible
evil
and acting unfaithfully
against our God
by marrying
foreign
women?”
Even one of the sons
of Jehoiada
son
of Eliashib
the high
priest
had become a son-in-law
to Sanballat
the Horonite.
Therefore I drove him away
from me.
Remember
them,
O my God,
because
they have defiled
the priesthood
and the covenant
of the priesthood
and of the Levites.
Thus I purified [the priests and Levites
from everything
foreign,
and I assigned
specific
duties
to each
of the priests
and Levites.
I also arranged for contributions
of wood
at the appointed
times,
and for the firstfruits.
Remember me,
O my God,
with favor.