1In that day the writing of the Law of Moshe was read in the ears of the people, and it was found which was written in it: “The Ammonites and the Moabites shall not enter the assembly of LORD JEHOVAH until eternity 2Because they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, and they hired Balaam for themselves to curse them, and our God turned his curses into blessings.” 3Then when they heard the words of the Torah, they set apart all the mixed multitude from Israel.

4And Elishab the Priest came, and he built himself there one great courtyard. 5And there before us they were laying offerings and frankincense and vessels of tithes of grain and of wine and of oil in the villages of the Levites, and of the Ministers, and of the Porters and the first fruits of the Priests. 6And among all these things I was not in Jerusalem, because in year thirtytwo of Artakhshesht, King of Babel, I came to the King, and in the end of days I excused myself from the King. 7And I came to Jerusalem and I inspected the evil that Elishab did for Tobia, for he made him a house in the court of LORD JEHOVAH. 8And it was very evil to me, and I cast all the furniture of the house of Tobia into the street outside of the courtyard. 9And I spoke and they purified the courtyard, and I returned there the vessels of the house of LORD JEHOVAH, and the offerings and the frankincense.

10And I knew that the portion of Levi was not given, and the Levites and the Ministers and the Servants of the work had fled, each man, to his field. 11And I judged with the Leaders and I said to them: “Why is the house of LORD JEHOVAH abandoned?” And I gathered them and I set them at their posts. 12And all the Jews brought a tenth of the grain and of wine and of oil to the storehouses. 13And I authorized Shelamiah the Priest, and Tsaduq the Scribe, and Pariah, son of Levites, and with them Khannan, son of Zakor, son of Methanya over the storehouses, because they were considered true, and their lot resulted to be Leaders over their brethren. 14“Remember me, my God, because of this, and do not remove my grace that you have performed in the house of my God and in its protection.”

15In those days in Yehuda I saw the roads flowing on the Sabbath and bringing the burdens carried on donkeys, and also wine and grapes and figs and burdens entering Jerusalem on the day of the Sabbath, and I testified to them: “You shall not buy game. 16And you shall not bring fish and you shall not buy and you shall not sell on the Sabbath to the children of Yehuda in Jerusalem.” 17And I judged with the Leaders of Yehuda and I said to them: “Why are you doing this evil and violating the Sabbath day? 18Thus your fathers did and God brought all this evil upon us and on this city, and you increase the heat and the wrath on Israel because you violate the day of the Sabbath.

19Then when the gates of Jerusalem were opened before the Sabbath, I said: “The gate shall be shut!” And I said: “The gates shall not be opened until after the Sabbath.” And I stood some of my boys at the gates that no burden would enter on the Sabbath day. 20And Merchants and Buyers of selling lodged outside of Jerusalem a day or two. 21And I testified to them and I said to them: ‘Why are you not entering into the gates of the wall while the day lasts? If you reject this word, I will reach a hand upon you!’ And from that time they did not enter on the Sabbath. 22And I said to the Levites that they would purify themselves, and the Guards and the Porters were going into hallow the Sabbath, ‘Also remember me, my God, and have pity on me according to the abundance of your mercy!’

23Also in those days I saw Judeans who had married foreign women, Ashdodite women, also Ammonite women and Moabite women. 24And their children were speaking half Ashdodite language and half did not know how to speak the Judean language except according to the tongue of the Gentiles. 25And I judged with them and I cursed them and I killed some of the men, and I buried them, and I took an oath of them by God: “You shall not give your daughters to their sons and you shall not take from their daughters for your sons! Woe to you! 26Because of these things, Solomon King of Israel sinned, like whom there was no King among the many, and he was dear to his God, and God set him King over all Israel, also foreign women caused him to sin. 27And the word was made heard to you, and you did this great evil to deny our God and to marry foreign women.” 28And one of the sons of Yawida, son of Elishab, the High Priest, was son in law to Samblat the Khornite, and I drove him out from my presence. 29Remember them, my God, concerning the rest of the priesthood, and concerning the rest of the Priests and of the Levites.

30And I purified them from all the Gentiles, and I set them at their positions with the Priests and with the Levites, each man in his work. 31“And for the offerings, and for the holy things in their times, and in their feasts, and in the first fruits, remember for me my God, this lovingkindness.”