Nehemiah 13

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
1 At that time they were reading to the people from the Book of Moses, when they found this written in it,'No Ammonite or Moabite is to be admitted to the assembly of God, and this is for al time,	1 Now on that day, they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it, there was found written that the Ammonites and the Moabites must not enter the church of God, even for all time,
2 since they did not come to meet the Israelites with bread and water, and even hired Balaam to opposethem by cursing them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.'	2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired Balaam against them, to curse them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Having heard the Law, they excluded al foreigners from Israel.	3 Now it happened that, when they had heard the law, they separated every foreigner from Israel.
4 Earlier, Eliashib the priest, who was in charge of the rooms of the Temple of our God, and who wasclose to Tobiah,	4 And Eliashib, the priest, was over this task; he had been given charge of the treasury of the house of our God, and he was a close relative of Tobiah.
5 had provided him with a large room where they previously used to store the meal offerings, incense,utensils, tithes of corn, wine and oil, that is, the part of the Levites, singers and gatekeepers, and thecontributions for the priests.	5 Then he made for himself a large storeroom, and in that place, there was laid before him gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the gatekeepers, and the first-fruits of the priests.
6 While al this was going on I was away from Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes kingof Babylon I had gone to see the king. But after some time I asked the king for permission to leave,	6 But during all this, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon, I went to the king, and at the end of some days, I petitioned the king.
7 and returned to Jerusalem, where I learned about the crime which Eliashib had committed for Tobiah'sbenefit, by providing him with a room in the courts of the Temple of God.	7 And I went to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, such that he would make him a storeroom in the vestibules of the house of God.
8 I was extremely displeased and threw al Tobiah's household goods out of the room and into thestreet.	8 And it seemed to me very evil. And I cast the vessels of the house of Tobiah outside of the storeroom.
9 I then gave orders for the room to be purified, and had the utensils of the Temple of God, the mealofferings and the incense, all replaced.	9 And I gave instructions, and they cleansed again the storeroom. And I brought back, into that place, the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.
10 I also learned that the Levites had not been receiving their al ocations, as a result of which theLevites and singers who performed the liturgy had al withdrawn to their farms.	10 And I realized that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, and that each one had fled into his own region, from the Levites, and from the singing men, and from those who were ministering.
11 I then reprimanded the officials. 'Why is the Temple of God deserted?' I asked. And I col ected themtogether again and brought them back to their posts;	11 And I brought the case before the magistrates, and I said, “Why have we forsaken the house of God?” And I gathered them together, and I caused them to stand at their stations.
12 and al Judah then delivered the tithe of corn, wine and oil to the storehouses.	12 And all of Judah brought the tithes of the grain, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.
13 As supervisors of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, Pedaiah oneof the Levites and, as their assistant, Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, since they were consideredreliable people; their duty was to make the distributions to their kinsmen.	13 And we appointed over the storehouses, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and next to them Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah. For they had proven to be faithful. And so the portions of their brothers were entrusted to them.
14 Remember me for this, my God, and do not blot out the good deeds which I have done for theTemple of my God and its observances!	14 Remember me, O my God, because of this, and may you not wipe away my acts of compassion, which I have done for the house of my God and for his ceremonies.
15 At the same time I saw people in Judah treading the winepress, bringing in sacks of grain andloading donkeys on the Sabbath; they were also bringing wine, grapes, figs and every kind of merchandise intoJerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I forbade them to sel the food.	15 In those days, I saw, in Judah, some who were treading the presses on the Sabbath, and who were carrying sheaves, and placing on donkeys burdens of wine, and of grapes, and of figs, and all manner of burdens, and who were bringing these into Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I contended with them, so that they would sell on a day when it was permitted to sell.
16 Tyrians living there were bringing in fish and every kind of merchandise which they were sel ing tothe Judaeans on the Sabbath in Jerusalem itself.	16 And some Tyrians dwelt within, who were bringing fish and all kinds of items for sale. And they were selling on the Sabbaths to the sons of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 So I also reprimanded the leading men of Judah, saying to them, 'What a wicked way to behave,profaning the Sabbath day!	17 And I put the nobles of Judah under oath, and I said to them: “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Was this not exactly what your ancestors did, with the result that our God brought al this miserydown on us and on this city? And now you are adding to the wrath hanging over Israel by profaning the Sabbathyourselves!'	18 Did not our fathers do these things, and so our God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? And you are adding more wrath upon Israel by violating the Sabbath!”
19 So when the gates of Jerusalem were getting dark at the approach of the Sabbath, I gave orders forthe doors to be shut and directed that they were not to be opened again until the Sabbath was over. I stationedsome of my attendants at the gates to make sure that no merchandise was brought in on the Sabbath day.	19 And it happened that, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested on the day of the Sabbath, I spoke, and they closed the gates. And I instructed that they should not open them until after the Sabbath. And I appointed some of my servants over the gates, so that no one would carry in a burden on the day of the Sabbath.
20 So the traders and dealers in goods of al kinds spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice,	20 And so the merchants and those who sold all kinds of items remained just outside of Jerusalem, once and again.
21 until I reprimanded them. I said to them, 'Why are you spending the night in front of the wal ? Do itagain, and I shal use force on you.' After this, they did not come on the Sabbath.	21 And I contended with them, and I said to them: “Why are you remaining just beyond the wall? If you do this again, I will send hands upon you.” And so, from that time, they no longer came on the Sabbath.
22 I then ordered the Levites to purify themselves and act as guards at the gates, so that the Sabbathday might be kept holy. Remember this also to my credit, have pity on me in the greatness of your faithful love.	22 I also spoke to the Levites, so that they would be cleansed, and would arrive to guard the gates and to sanctify the day of the Sabbath. Because of this also, O my God, remember me and spare me, in accord with the multitude of your mercies.
23 At that time too, I saw Jews who had married wives from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab;	23 But also in those days, I saw some Jews taking wives from the Ashdodites, and the Ammonites, and the Moabites.
24 as regards their children, half of them spoke the language of Ashdod or the language of one of theother peoples, but could no longer speak the language of Judah.	24 And their sons spoke partly in the speech of Ashdod, and they did not know how to speak the Jewish language, and they were speaking according to the language of one people or another.
25 I reprimanded them, I cursed them, I struck several of them and tore out their hair and adjured themby God, 'You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons or let their daughters marry your sons, ormarry them yourselves!	25 And I put them under oath, and I cursed them. And I struck some of their men, and I shaved off their hair, and I made them swear to God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:
26 Was it not because of women like these that Solomon king of Israel sinned? Although among manynations there was no king like him and he was loved by his God, and God made him king of al Israel, even thenforeign women led him into sinning!	26 “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin in this kind of thing? And certainly, among many nations, there was no king similar to him, and he was beloved of his God, and God set him as king over all of Israel. And yet foreign women led even him into sin!
27 Were you obedient when you committed this very grave crime: breaking faith with our God bymarrying foreign wives?'	27 So how could we disobey and do all this great evil, so that we would transgress against our God, and take foreign wives?”
28 One of the sons of Jehoiada, son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanbal at theHoronite; I drove him from my presence.	28 Now one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib, the high priest, was a son-in-law to Sanballat, a Horonite, and I made him flee from me.
29 Remember them, my God, for having defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priests andLevites!	29 O Lord, my God, remember against those who defile the priesthood and the law of the priests and the Levites!
30 And so I purged them of everything foreign; I drew up regulations for the priests and Levites, definingeach man's duty,	30 And so I cleansed them from all foreigners, and I established the orders of the priests and the Levites, each one in his ministry.
31 as wel as for the deliveries of wood at the proper times, and for the first-fruits. Remember this, myGod, to my credit!	31 O my God, remember me also, for good, because of the offering of wood, at the appointed times, and because of the first-fruits. Amen.