Nehemiah 13:22-31

22 Also I said to the deacons, that they should be cleansed, and that they should come to keep the gates, and to hallow the day of sabbath. And therefore for this thing, my God, have mind of me, and spare me by the muchliness of thy merciful doings. (And I said to the Levites, that they should be purified, and then that they should go and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. And so for this thing, my God, remember me, and spare me by the greatness of thy mercy.)
23 But also in those days I saw Jews wedding wives, women of Ashdod, and women of Ammonites, and women of Moabites.
24 And their children spake half part by the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak by the speech of Jews (and could not speak the Jewish language, or Hebrew), and they spake by the language of (this) people, and of (that) people.
25 And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat the men of them, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they should not give their daughters to the sons of those aliens, and that they should not take of the daughters of those aliens to their sons, and to themselves; (And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat these men, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they would not give their daughters as wives to the sons of those foreigners, and that they would not take the daughters of those foreigners as wives for their sons, or for themselves;)
26 and I said, Whether Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned not in such things? And certainly in many folks there was no king like him, and he was loved of his God, and God setted him king upon all Israel, and alien women brought him to sin. (and I said, Did not King Solomon of Israel sin by doing such things? And certainly in many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king upon all Israel, but then foreign women led him to sin.)
27 Whether also we unobedient, should do all this great evil, that we trespass against our Lord God, and wed alien wives? (And shall we then follow your example, and do all this great evil, and trespass against the Lord our God, and wed foreign wives?)
28 Forsooth Sanballat (the) Horonite had wedded a daughter of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib, the great priest, which Sanballat I drove away from me. (And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of the High Priest Eliashib, had wedded a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, and so I drove Joiada away from me, and out of Jerusalem.)
29 My Lord God, have mind against them, that defoul priesthood, and the right of priests, and of deacons. (My Lord God, remember them, for they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priests and of the Levites/and the covenant that you made with the priests and the Levites.)
30 Therefore I cleansed them from all aliens, and I ordained the orders of priests and of deacons, each man in his service, (And so I purified them from all foreigners, and I ordained the orders of the priests and of the Levites, each man in his service,)
31 and in (the) offering, that is, (the) dressing, of trees, or of (the) wood, to burn with (the) offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and in the first fruits. My God, have mind of me into good. (and I also made provision for the wood offering, that is, for the wood to burn with the offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and for the first fruits. My God, remember me for the good things which I have done.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.