Nehemiah 13
Israel forgets God’s law, Nehimiah reminds them
That day they read from Moses’ book in front of the Israelites. It said that Ammonites and Moabites should never join God’s assembly because instead of giving the Israelites food and water, they hired Balaam to curse them (even though our God turned the curse into a blessing). When the Israelites heard this, they immediately separated anyone with foreign descent.
Before that, Eliashib (the priest who was given authority over God’s house and who was related to Tobiah) prepared a large room for Tobiah that they had previously used to store the grain offering, frankincense, vessels, along with the tithes of grain, wine, and oil that were ordered to be given to the Levites, singers, gatekeepers, and priests. While that was taking place, I wasn’t in Jerusalem, because I went to Babylon’s King Artaxerxes during the 32nd year of his reign. After visiting a while, I asked to leave and came back to Jerusalem where I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah: preparing him a room in God’s courtyard. I was furious and threw all of Tobiah’s furniture out of the room. Then I gave the order and the room was cleaned. I put back the vessels, grain offering, and frankincense into God’s house. I also found out that the portions for the Levites hadn’t been given to them, forcing them and the singers to return to their farms. So I confronted the officials and said, “Why did you forget about God’s house?” I gathered them together and assigned them to their stations. Then all of Judah brought their tithes of grain, wine, and oil into the storage rooms. I appointed Shelemiah (the priest), Zadok (the scribe) and Pedaiah (the Levite) as treasurers over the storage rooms, and Hanan (son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah) as their assistant since they were all reliable. Their job was to distribute the portions to their brothers. Oh God, remember what I did, and don’t erase the good things I did for your house and your service.
Israelites work on Sabbath
In those days it wasn’t uncommon to see Judah’s people working their winepresses on the Sabbath and loading their donkeys with grain, wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of things which they would then bring into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I warned them when they were selling them. Tyrians who lived in the city would also bring in fish and all kinds of things to sell to Judah’s people on the Sabbath—right in the middle of Jerusalem! So I confronted Judah’s nobles and asked, “Why are you doing this evil thing and profaning the Sabbath day? Your ancestors acted like this… and didn’t God bring disaster on our entire people and also this city? Now you’re bringing even more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
As soon as it started getting dark before the Sabbath, I ordered that Jerusalem’s gates be shut until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no one could move any loads on the Sabbath day. Then all the merchants and sellers started sleeping outside of the city walls. After they did that once or twice, I warned them saying, “Why are you lodging out here? If you do this again, I’ll have you arrested.” From that day forward, they stopped coming on the Sabbath. Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and come guard the gates to keep the Sabbath day set apart. Oh God, remember this in my favor and spare me in your massively steady love.
Israelites intermarry with foreigners
In those days I also witnessed Jews marry women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. Half of their children spoke Ashdod’s language and couldn’t even speak our own language. I confronted them, cursed them, beat some of them, and even pulled out some of their hair. I made each of them vow in God’s name saying, “You won’t intermarry with them. Didn’t Israel’s king Solomon also sin with these kinds of women? No country ever had a king like him: he was loved by God, and God made him king over all of Israel, yet foreign women like these even caused him to sin. Should we allow you to continue doing evil and acting treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?”
Nehemiah asks God to value his efforts
One of Jehoiada’s sons (and a grandson of Eliashib the high priest) even became Sanballat (the Horonite)’s son-in-law. So I chased him away from me. Remember them, oh my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the commitment you made with the priests and Levites.
So I cleaned them from everything foreign, and I reestablished the responsibilities of the priests and Levites. I also provided the wood offering and firstfruits at the appointed times. Oh my God, remember me for good.