On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of
the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite
should ever enter the assembly of God, for they did not meet the
people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against
them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. As
soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all
those of foreign descent.
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the
chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah,
prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put
the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes
of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the
Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the
priests. While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for
in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to
the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king and came to
Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done
for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house
of God. And I was very angry, and I threw all the household
furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. Then I gave orders, and
they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of
the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been
given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the
work, had fled each to his field. So I confronted the officials and
said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them
together and set them in their stations. Then all Judah brought the
tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. And I
appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest,
Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their
assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were
considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their
brothers. Remember 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
his service.
In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the
Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on
donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which
they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them
on the day when they sold food. Tyrians also, who lived in the
city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the
Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself! Then I
confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil
thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? Did not your
fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this
disaster on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on
Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before
the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave
orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And
I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be
brought in on the Sabbath day. Then the merchants and sellers of
all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice. But I
warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall?
If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on
they did not come on the Sabbath. Then I commanded the Levites that
they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep
the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and
spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love.
In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of
Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. And half of their children spoke the
language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah,
but only the language of each people. And I confronted them and
cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I
made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not
give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your
sons or for yourselves. Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on
account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king
like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over
all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. Shall
we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act
treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high
priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I
chased him from me. Remember them, O my God, because they have
desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and
the Levites.
Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established
the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; and I
provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the
firstfruits.
