Foreigners Excluded

1On that day they read from the Book of Moses into the ears of the people, and there was found written in it that an Ammonite or Moabite should not come into the assembly of God, even to the age,† 2because they had not met the sons of Israel with the bread and with the water, and they hired against them Balaam to curse them. (And our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

3And it came to pass, at their hearing the Law, that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.

The Temple Cleansed

4And before this Eliashib the priest, was being put in the chamber of the house of our God; he was near to Tobiah, 5and he had made for him a great room, and there they were previously putting the offerings, the frankincense, and the articles, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil—the commandment for the Levites and the singers and the gatekeepers—and the contribution for the priests.

6And in all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon† I had come to the king, and at the end of some days I asked from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and understood about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in preparing for him a room in the courts of the house of God.

8And it was a very evil thing to me, and I threw all the goods of the house of Tobiah outside from the room. 9And I spoke, and they cleansed the rooms, and I returned there the articles of the house of God, with the offering and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored
(Leviticus 27:30–34; Deuteronomy 14:22–29; Deuteronomy 26:1–15)

10And I knew that the portions for the Levites had not been given, and they had fled, each man to his field—the Levites and the singers doing the work. 11And I contended with the rulers and said, “Why was the house of God forsaken?”

And I gathered them and set them on their station. 12And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the treasuries. 13And I appointed treasurers over the storehouses: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and at their hand was Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah—for they were considered trustworthy. And it was upon them to distribute to their brothers.

14Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my deeds of loving devotion that I have done for the house of my God and for its keeping.

The Sabbath Restored
(Jeremiah 17:19–27)

15In those days I saw in Judah those treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in the heaps of grain, and lifting loads upon the donkeys, and also wine, and grapes, and figs, and every load carried; and they were bringing it to Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath. And I protested on the day of their selling provision. 16And the Tyrians who dwelt in it were bringing fish and every of merchandise and selling on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah, even in Jerusalem.

17And I contended with the nobles of Judah, and I said to them, “What is this evil thing that you⁺ are doing, and profaning the day of the Sabbath? 18Thus did not your⁺ fathers do, and our God brought upon us all this disaster, and upon this city? And you⁺ are adding to wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”

19And it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem were becoming dark before the face of the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and I said that they shall not open them until after the Sabbath. And some from my servants I made stand at the gates, that there should not be brought in loads carried on the day of the Sabbath.

20And they lodged—those who traded and those who sold all kinds of goods to sell—outside of Jerusalem once or twice. 21And I testified against them and said to them, “Why are you⁺ lodging in front of the wall? If you⁺ do this again, a hand I will put forth on you⁺.” From that time they did not come on the Sabbath. 22And I said to the Levites that they should be cleansing themselves, and coming in guarding the gates, to sanctify the day of the Sabbath.

Also for this, remember me, O my God, and have pity on me according to the abundance of your loving devotion.

Intermarriage Forbidden
(Ezra 9:1–4)

23Also in those days I saw the Judeans who had settled with women—Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite. 24And of their sons, half were speaking Ashdodite, and none of them knowing how to speak Judean, and according to the tongue of people by people. 25And I contended with them and cursed them and struck some men from them and pulled out their hair.

And I made them swear by God, “You⁺ shall Not give your⁺ daughters to their sons or take from their daughters for your⁺ sons or for yourselves. 26By these things did not Solomon king of Israel sin? And among the many nations there was not a king like him, and he was beloved to his God, and God gave him as king over all Israel; yet even him, the foreign women caused to sin. 27And to you⁺ shall we listen to do all this great evil, to transgress against our God by settling with foreign women?”

28And one from the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the great priest was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, and I caused him to flee from me.

29Remember them, O my God, on account of the defiling of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

30And I purified them from everything foreign, and I appointed duties for the priests and for the Levites, each man in his work, 31and for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits.

Remember me, O my God, for good.