Parallel Bible results for "nehemiah 13"

Nehemiah 13

New Century Version NCV

1 On that day they read the Book of Mosesto the people, and they found that it said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be allowed in the meeting to worship.

2 The Ammonites and Moabites had not welcomed the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to put a curse on Israel. (But our God turned the curse into a blessing.)

3 When the people heard this teaching, they separated all foreigners from Israel.

4 Before that happened, Eliashib the priest, who was in charge of the Temple storerooms, was friendly with Tobiah.

5 Eliashib let Tobiah use one of the large storerooms. Earlier it had been used for grain offerings, incense, the utensils, and the tenth offerings of grain, new wine, and olive oil that belonged to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. It had also been used for gifts for the priests.

6 I was not in Jerusalem when this happened. I had gone back to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year he was king. Finally I asked the king to let me leave.

7 When I returned to Jerusalem, I found out the evil Eliashib had done by letting Tobiah have a room in the Temple courtyard.

8 I was very upset at this, so I threw all of Tobiah's goods out of the room.

9 I ordered the rooms to be purified, and I brought back the utensils for God's Temple, the grain offerings, and the incense.

10 Then I found out the people were not giving the Levites their shares. So the Levites and singers who served had gone back to their own farms.

11 I argued with the officers, saying, "Why haven't you taken care of the Temple?" Then I gathered the Levites and singers and put them back at their places.

12 All the people of Judah then brought to the storerooms a tenth of their crops, new wine, and olive oil.

13 I put these men in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the teacher, and Pedaiah a Levite. I made Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, their helper. Everyone knew they were honest men. They gave out the portions that went to their relatives.

14 Remember me, my God, for this. Do not ignore my love for the Temple and its service.

15 In those days I saw people in Judah working in the winepresses on the Sabbath day. They were bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys. And they were bringing loads of wine, grapes, and figs into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them about selling food on that day.

16 People from the city of Tyre who were living in Jerusalem brought in fish and other things and sold them there on the Sabbath day to the people of Judah.

17 I argued with the important men of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing? You are ruining the Sabbath day.

18 This is just what your ancestors did. So our God did terrible things to us and this city. Now you are making him even more angry at Israel by ruining the Sabbath day."

19 So I ordered that the doors be shut at sunset before the Sabbath and not be opened until the Sabbath was over. I put my servants at the gates so no load could come in on the Sabbath.

20 Once or twice traders and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.

21 So I warned them, "Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do it again, I will force you away." After that, they did not come back on the Sabbath.

22 Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to guard the city gates to make sure the Sabbath remained holy. Remember me, my God, for this. Have mercy on me because of your great love.

23 In those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.

24 Half their children were speaking the language of Ashdod or some other place, and they couldn't speak the language of Judah.

25 I argued with those people, put curses on them, hit some of them, and pulled out their hair. I forced them to make a promise to God, saying, "Do not let your daughters marry the sons of foreigners, and do not take the daughters of foreigners as wives for your sons or yourselves.

26 Foreign women made King Solomon of Israel sin. There was never a king like him in any of the nations. God loved Solomon and made him king over all Israel, but foreign women made him sin.

27 And now you are not obedient when you do this evil thing. You are unfaithful to our God when you marry foreign wives."

28 Joiada was the son of Eliashib the high priest. One of Joiada's sons married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I sent him away from me.

29 Remember them, my God, because they made the priesthood unclean and the agreement of the priests and Levites unclean.

30 So I purified them of everything that was foreign. I appointed duties for the priests and Levites, giving each man his own job.

31 I also made sure wood was brought for the altar at regular times and that the first fruits were brought. Remember me, my God; be kind to me.

The Complete Jewish Bible CJB

1 It was also at that time, when they were reading in the scroll of Moshe, that it was found written that no 'Amoni or Mo'avi may ever enter the assembly of God,

2 because they did not supply the people of Isra'el with food and water, but hired Bil'am against them to put a curse on them - although our God turned the curse into a blessing.

3 On hearing the Torah, they separated from Isra'el everyone of mixed ancestry.

4 Also, prior to this, Elyashiv the cohen, who had been put in charge of the storage rooms in the house of our God, and who was related by marriage to Toviyah,

5 had prepared for him a large room where formerly they had stored the grain offerings, frankincense, equipment and the tenths of grain, wine and olive oil ordered to be given to the L'vi'im, singers and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the cohanim.

6 During all this time I wasn't present in Yerushalayim; because in the thirty-second year of Artach'shashta king of Bavel, I went to see the king; then, after some time had passed, I asked permission from the king

7 and returned to Yerushalayim, where I found out about the terrible thing Elyashiv had done for Toviyah by preparing a room for him in the courtyards of the house of our God.

8 I was so furious that I threw all Toviyah's household goods out of the room.

9 Then, at my order, they cleansed the rooms; and I brought back the equipment of the house of God, the grain offerings and frankincense.

10 I also learned that the portions for the L'vi'im had not been given to them, so that the L'vi'im and singers who were supposed to be doing the work had deserted, each one to his own farm.

11 I disputed with the leaders, demanding, "Why is the house of God abandoned?" I gathered the L'vi'im together and restored them to their stations;

12 and then all Y'hudah brought the tenth of grain, wine and olive oil to the storerooms.

13 To supervise the storerooms I appointed Shelemyah the cohen, Tzadok the Torah-teacher and, from the L'vi'im, P'dayah; assisting them was Hanan the son of Zakur, the son of Mattanyah; for these were considered reliable. Their duty was to make the distribution to their kinsmen.

14 My God, remember me for this; don't wipe out my good deeds which I have done for the house of my God and for his service!

15 During this time I saw in Y'hudah some people who were treading winepresses on Shabbat, also bringing in heaps of grain and loading donkeys with it, likewise wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads; and they were bringing them into Yerushalayim on the day of Shabbat. On the day when they were planning to sell the food, I warned them not to.

16 There were also living there people from Tzor who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on Shabbat to the people in Y'hudah and even in Yerushalayim.

17 I disputed with the nobles of Y'hudah, demanding of them, "What is this terrible thing you are doing, profaning the day of Shabbat?

18 Didn't your ancestors do this, and didn't our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you are bringing still more fury against Isra'el by profaning Shabbat!"

19 So when the gates of Yerushalayim began to grow dark before Shabbat, I ordered that the doors be shut; and I ordered that they not be reopened until after Shabbat. I put some of my servants in charge of the gates, to see to it that no loads be brought in on Shabbat.

20 The merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Yerushalayim once or twice,

21 until I warned them, "Why are you spending the night by the wall? Do it again, and I'll use force against you!" From then on they stopped coming on Shabbat.

22 Then I ordered the L'vi'im to purify themselves and come and guard the gates, in order to keep the day of Shabbat holy. My God, remember this too for me, and have mercy on me in keeping with the greatness of your grace!

23 Also during this time I saw the Judeans who had married women from Ashdod, 'Amon and Mo'av;

24 and their children, who spoke half in the language of Ashdod and couldn't speak in the language the Judeans spoke but only in the language of each people.

25 I disputed with them and cursed them, and I beat some of them up and pulled out their hair. Then I made them swear by God, "You will not give your daughters as wives for their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves.

26 Wasn't it by doing these things that Shlomo king of Isra'el sinned? There was no king like him among many nations, and his God loved him, and God made him king over all Isra'el; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

27 Are we to give in to you and let you continue in this very great evil, breaking faith with our God by marrying foreign women?"

28 One of the sons of Yoyada the son of Elyashiv, the cohen hagadol, had become son-in-law to Sanvalat the Horoni; so I drove him out of my presence.

29 My God, remember them; because they have defiled the office of cohen and the covenant of the cohanim and L'vi'im.

30 Thus I cleansed them of everything foreign, and I had the cohanim and L'vi'im resume their duties, each one in his appointed task.

31 I also made provision for the delivery of wood at stated times, and for the firstfruits. My God, remember me favorably.