Nehemiah 13 - GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read while the people were listening. They heard the passage that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into God’s assembly. 2 (After all, they didn’t welcome the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.) 3 After the people heard this Teaching, they separated the non-Israelites from the Israelites.

4 Even before this, the priest Eliashib, who was related to Tobiah and had been put in charge of the storerooms of our God’s temple, 5 had provided a large room for Tobiah. Previously, this room had been used to store grain offerings, incense, utensils, a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil. These things belonged by law to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. The contributions for the priests had also been stored there.

Nehemiah Evicts Tobiah from the Temple

6 While all of this was taking place, I wasn’t in Jerusalem. In the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes’ reign in Babylon, I returned to the king. Later, I asked the king for permission to return. 7 I went to Jerusalem and discovered the evil thing Eliashib had done by providing Tobiah with a room in God’s temple. 8 I was furious. So I threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9 Then I told them to cleanse the rooms, and I put back in there the utensils from God’s temple, the offerings, and the incense.

Nehemiah Ensures That the Levites Receive Their Portion of the Offerings

10 I learned that the Levites had not been given their portions. So each of the Levites and singers, who conducted the worship ⌞in the temple⌟, had left for their own fields. 11 I reprimanded the leaders. “Why is God’s temple being neglected?” I asked. So I brought the Levites back together and put them back in their places of service. 12 Then all Judah brought a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms. 13 I appointed the following men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite, and I appointed Hanan, son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah to help them. Since they could be trusted, I made them responsible for distributing ⌞the portions⌟ to their relatives.

14 ⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember me for what I have done, my God, and don’t wipe out the good things that I have done for your temple and for the worship that is held there.”

Nehemiah Ensures That No Work Is Done on the Day of Rest

15 In those days I saw people in Judah stomping grapes in the winepresses on the day of rest—a holy day. I saw them bringing in loads of wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of load. They piled the loads on donkeys and brought them into Jerusalem on the day of rest. I warned them about selling food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of goods. They were selling them on the day of rest—a holy day, to the people of Judah, even in Jerusalem. 17 I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and asked them, “What is this evil thing you’re doing? How dare you treat the day of rest—a holy day, as unholy! 18 Isn’t this what your ancestors did, with the results that our God brought all these evils on us and on this city? Now you’re making him even more angry with Israel by treating the day of rest—a holy day, as unholy.”

19 Before the day of rest—a holy day, when the gates of Jerusalem were cleared of traffic, I ordered the doors to be shut and not to be reopened until after the day of rest. I stationed some of my men by the gates to make sure that no loads could be brought in on the day of rest. 20 Once or twice merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem. 21 I warned them. “Why are you spending the night in front of the wall?” I asked them. “If you do it again, I’ll arrest you.” After that, they no longer came on the day of rest—a holy day. 22 Then I told the Levites to cleanse themselves and guard the gates to keep the day of rest holy.

⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember me also for this, my God, and spare me, since you are very kind.”

Nehemiah Dissolves Marriages to Foreigners

23 In those days I saw some Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Half their children spoke the language of Ashdod or one of the other languages, but they couldn’t understand the language of Judah well enough to speak it. 25 So I reprimanded those Jews, cursed them, beat some of them, and pulled out their hair. I made them swear by God: “We won’t allow our daughters to marry their sons, and we won’t allow their daughters to marry us or our sons.” 26 I said, “Wasn’t it because of marriages like these that King Solomon of Israel sinned? There wasn’t a king like him among all nations. God loved him, and God made him king of all Israel. But his non-Israelite wives led him to sin. 27 Should we follow your example, commit such a serious crime against our God, and be unfaithful to him by marrying non-Israelite women?”

28 Even one of Joiada’s sons was a son-in-law of Sanballat from Beth Horon. (Joiada was the son of the chief priest Eliashib.) I chased Joiada’s son away from me.

29 ⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember them, my God, because they have contaminated the priestly office and the promise [a] you made to the priests and Levites.”

30 So I cleansed them from everything that was foreign. I assigned duties to the priests and Levites. Each one had his own assignment. 31 I also arranged for delivering wood at regular times and for bringing the first produce to be harvested.

⌞Nehemiah prayed,⌟ “Remember me, my God, for my benefit.”

Footnotes

  1. 13:29 Or “covenant.”

You Might Also Like:

Nehemiah 13 - Young's Literal Translation (YLT)

13 On that day there was read in the book of Moses, in the ears of the people, and it hath been found written in it that an Ammonite and Moabite doth not come into the assembly of God -- unto the age, 2 because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against ...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - Wycliffe Bible (WYC)

13 Forsooth in that day it was read in the book of Moses, in (the) hearing of the people; and it was found written therein, that Ammonites and Moabites ought not to enter into the church of God till into without end; (And on that day they read from The Book of Moses, in the hearing of the people; an...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - World English Bible (WEB)

13 On that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and it was found written in it that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God forever, 2 because they didn’t meet the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - The Voice (VOICE)

13 Later that day, when the book of Moses was being read to the people, we discovered a passage that said no Ammonite or Moabite should be allowed to enter the sacred gatherings of God’s people.[a] 2 This prohibition went back to the time when our ancestors wandered in the desert—when the Ammonites ...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Please Remember This, My God13 On that day, the scroll of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people. The command was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should enter into the assembly of God forever. 2 For they did not meet Bnei-Yisrael with bread and water, but instead hired Ba...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (RSVCE)

Foreigners Separated from Israel13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God; 2 for they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against ...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - Revised Standard Version (RSV)

Foreigners Separated from Israel13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God; 2 for they did not meet the children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against ...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New Revised Standard Version, Anglicised (NRSVA)

Foreigners Separated from Israel13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, 2 because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

Foreigners Separated from Israel13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,(A)2 because they did not meet the Israelites with bread and water but hired Balaam against them...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New Living Translation (NLT)

Nehemiah’s Various Reforms13 On that same day, as the Book of Moses was being read to the people, the passage was found that said no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be permitted to enter the assembly of God.[a] 2 For they had not provided the Israelites with food and water in the wilderness. Instead...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New Life Version (NLV)

Nehemiah’s Last Words13 On that day they read from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever gather together to worship with the people of God. 2 It was because they did not meet the sons of Israel with food and water, ...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New King James Version (NKJV)

Principles of Separation(A)13 On that day (B)they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written (C)that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but (D)hired Bala...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New International Version - UK (NIVUK)

Nehemiah’s final reforms13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God, 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam to cal...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New International Version (NIV)

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,(A) 2 because they had not met the Israelites with food and water but had hired Balaam(B) t...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New International Reader's Version (NIRV)

13 At that time the Book of Moses was read out loud. All the people heard it. It was written there that no Ammonite or Moabite could ever become a member of God’s community. 2 That’s because they hadn’t given the people of Israel food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them...
Read More

Nehemiah 13 - New English Translation (NET)

Further Reforms by Nehemiah13 On that day the book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing[a] of the people. They found[b] written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite may ever enter the assembly of God, 2 for they had not met the Israelites with food[c] and water, but instead had hired Balaam to curse...
Read More