1 On that day ANeh 9:3they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that BDeut 23:3-5; Neh 13:23no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but ANum 22:3-11hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, BDeut 23:5our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 So when they heard the law, ANeh 9:2; 10:28they excluded BEx 12:38all foreigners from Israel.

4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, ANeh 12:44who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being 1Lit close torelated to BNeh 2:10; 6:1, 17, 18Tobiah, 5 had prepared a large 1Or chamberroom for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil ANum 18:21prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the 2Lit heave offeringscontributions for the priests. 6 But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in ANeh 5:14the thirty-second year of BEzra 6:22Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, 7 and I came to Jerusalem and 1Or understoodlearned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, ANeh 13:5by preparing a 2Or chamber, and so in vv 8, 9room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8 It was very displeasing to me, so I AJohn 2:13-16threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 Then I gave an order and A2 Chr 29:5, 15, 16they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

10 I also 1Or knewdiscovered that ADeut 12:19; Neh 10:37the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had 2Lit fledgone away, BNeh 12:28, 29each to his own field. 11 So I 1Or contended withANeh 13:17, 25reprimanded the officials and said, “BNeh 10:39Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. 12 All Judah then brought ANeh 10:37; 12:44; Mal 3:10the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. 13 In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for ANeh 7:2they were considered reliable, and it was 1Lit on them totheir task to distribute to their 2Lit brotherskinsmen. 14 ANeh 5:19; 13:22, 31Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses AEx 20:8; 34:21; Deut 5:12-14; Jer 17:22on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, BNeh 10:31; Jer 17:21and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So CNeh 9:29; 13:21I admonished them on the day they sold food. 16 Also men of Tyre were living 1Lit in itthere who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem. 17 Then ANeh 13:11, 25I 1Or contended withreprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing, 2Lit andby profaning the sabbath day? 18  “AEzra 9:13; Jer 17:21Did 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 ALev 23:32It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut 1Lit and commandedand 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 ANeh 13:15I 1Lit witnessed againstwarned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will 2Lit send a hand againstuse force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the sabbath. 22 And I commanded the Levites that A1 Chr 15:12; Neh 12:30they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also BNeh 13:14, 31remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had 1Lit given dwelling toAEx 34:11-16; Deut 7:1-5; Ezra 9:2; Neh 10:30married women from BNeh 4:7Ashdod, CEzra 9:1; Neh 13:1Ammon 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 1Lit according to the tongue of people and peoplethe language of his own people. 25 So ANeh 13:11, 17I contended with them and cursed them and BDeut 25:2struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and CNeh 10:29, 30made 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  “A1 Kin 11:1Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? B1 Kin 3:13; 2 Chr 1:12Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and C2 Sam 12:24, 25he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. 27  “1Or Is it reportedDo we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil AEzra 10:2; Neh 13:23by acting unfaithfully against our God by 2Lit giving dwelling tomarrying foreign women?” 28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ANeh 2:10, 19; 4:1Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me. 29 ANeh 6:14Remember them, O my God, 1Lit for the defilings ofbecause they have defiled the priesthood and the BNum 25:13covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30 ANeh 10:30Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, 31 and I arranged ANeh 10:34for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. BNeh 13:14, 22Remember me, O my God, for good.