Nehemiah 13

1 At that time [on that day, in that era] the Book of Moses [the law, the writings of Moses] was read aloud [publicly, to all the people] in the hearing [in the presence, within earshot] of the people, and in it they found [discovered, came across] the passage stating [written, recorded] that no Ammonite [a descendant of Lot, from the land of Ammon] or Moabite [from the land of Moab, a relative of Israel] should ever [at any time, forever] enter [come into, join] the assembly [congregation, gathering] of God [Elohim, the supreme God], word study 2 because they had not met [with hospitality, food and water] the Israelites [sons of Jacob, God’s chosen people] with food [bread, sustenance] and water [refreshment, spiritual nourishment], but had hired [paid, employed] Balaam [a prophet, diviner] to call down [invoke, pronounce] a curse [condemnation, evil] against them [to harm, destroy] (although our God [Elohim, the supreme Creator] had turned [overturned, transformed] the curse [evil, harm] into a blessing [prosperity, divine favor]). word study 3 As soon as the people heard [listened and obeyed] this law [instruction, guiding principles], they excluded [separated, set apart] from Israel [the descendants of Jacob] all of foreign [mixed, racial-mix] descent [ancestry, lineage]. word study 4 Now before [in the presence of, prior to] this, Eliashib [God restores, the high priest] the priest [one who serves God, a spiritual leader], a relative [near kin, closely related] of Tobiah [Jehovah is good], had been put [appointed, set] in charge [overseeing, responsible for] of the storerooms [chambers, rooms] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of our God [Elohim, the supreme deity] word study 5 and had prepared for Tobiah a large [great, spacious] room where they had previously stored the grain offerings [meal offerings, gifts of fine flour], the frankincense [white resin used for incense], the temple articles [vessels, utensils], and the tithes [a tenth part, a portion] of grain, new wine [freshly squeezed, fermented], and oil [olive oil, used for anointing] prescribed [commanded, given by order] for the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel], singers [musicians, those who sing], and gatekeepers [porters, doorkeepers], along with the contributions [offerings, gifts] for the priests [those who serve God, spiritual leaders]. word study 6 While all [everything, the entirety] this was happening, I was not [absent, nowhere to be found] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital], because I had returned [gone back, come again] to Artaxerxes [the king of kings, ruler of Babylon] king of Babylon [a city of confusion, a center of worldly power] in the thirty-second [thirty and two, a significant period] year of his reign [rule, kingdom]. Some time [after certain days, a period of waiting] later I obtained [received, was granted] leave [permission, a release] from the king [the ruler, the one in authority] word study 7 to return [come back, arrive] to Jerusalem [the city of peace]. Then I discovered [understood, gained insight] the evil [bad, morally wrong] that Eliashib [God restores] had done [made, committed] on behalf of [for the benefit of] Tobiah [Jehovah is good] by providing [preparing, making ready] him a room [chamber, private space] in the courts [areas, spaces] of the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme deity]. word study 8 And I was greatly [exceedingly, very] displeased [grieved, it was evil in my eyes] and threw [cast forth, cast away] all [everything] of Tobiah’s [Tobijah, Jehovah is good] household goods [articles, utensils] out of the room [chamber, storage room] [from the place where they were]. word study 9 Then I ordered [commanded, spoke] that the rooms [chambers, storage areas] be purified [cleansed, made holy], and I had the articles [utensils, vessels] of the house [place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme Lord] restored to them, along with the grain offerings [meal offerings, sacrifices] and frankincense [incense, fragrant resin]. word study 10 I also learned [discovered, perceived] that because the portions [allotments, shares] for the Levites [descendants of Levi, temple ministers] had not been given [provided, allotted] to them, all the Levites [priestly tribe] and singers [worship leaders, musicians] responsible for performing [carrying out, executing] the service [temple work, ministry] had gone back [fled, returned] to their own fields [lands, possessions]. word study 11 So I rebuked [contended with, argued against] the officials [rulers, leaders] and asked, “Why [for what reason, on what account] has the house [dwelling place, temple] of God [Elohim, the supreme God] been neglected [forsaken, abandoned]?” Then I gathered [assembled, collected] the Levites and singers together and stationed [set, placed] them at their posts [positions, stations], word study 12 and all [every single one, the entire tribe] Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, son of Jacob] brought [offered, presented] a tenth [tithe, a tenth part] of the grain [corn, wheat, staple food], new wine [freshly squeezed, fermented], and oil [olive oil] into the storerooms [treasuries, storehouses]. word study 13 I appointed as treasurers [controllers, overseers] over the storerooms [treasuries, depositories] Shelemiah the priest [a spiritual leader, mediator between God and man], Zadok the scribe [a recorder, secretary], and Pedaiah of the Levites [descendants of Levi, a tribe of Israel], with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered [reckoned, regarded as] trustworthy [faithful, reliable]. They were responsible for distributing the supplies [allowances, portions] to their fellow [brotherly, kindred] Levites [fellow workers, companions]. word study 14 Remember [keep in mind, be mindful of] me for this, O my God [Elohim, the supreme God], and do not [never, under no circumstances] blot out [wipe away, erase] my deeds [good works, acts of kindness] of loving devotion [kindness, mercy, pity] for the house [dwelling place, temple] of my God [the one supreme God] and for its services [custody, observances, worship]. word study 15 In those days [a period of time, an era] I saw people [men, individuals] in Judah [the tribe, the region] treading [walking, stepping on] winepresses [grape presses, for making wine] on the Sabbath [a day of rest, a day of worship] and bringing in grain [sheaves, harvest] and loading it on donkeys [asses, beasts of burden], along with wine [fermented drink], grapes [fruit of the vine], and figs [a type of fruit]. All kinds [every sort, variety] of goods [burdens, cargo] were being brought into Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital] on the Sabbath day [a day of rest, a holy day]. So I warned them [testified against them, spoke out] against selling [exchanging, trading] food [provisions, sustenance] on that day [a specific time, a particular day]. word study 16 Additionally, men of Tyre [from the city of Tyre, a major port in ancient Syria] who lived [dwelt, remained] there were importing [bringing in, selling] fish [a group of fish, seafood] and all kinds [every manner] of merchandise [goods, products] and selling [trading, exchanging] them on the Sabbath [a day of rest, a day of worship] to the people [children, sons] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] in Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital city]. word study 17 Then I rebuked [contended with, argued against] the nobles [chiefs, rulers] of Judah and asked, “What [what thing, what matter] is this evil [bad, wicked] you are doing [by your actions, in your behavior]—profaning [desecrating, breaking] the Sabbath [day of rest, holy day] day? word study 18 Did not your forefathers [ancestors, fathers] do the same things [thus, in this manner], so that our God [Elohim, the supreme God] brought all this disaster [evil, calamity] on us and on this city [town, place of habitation]? And now you are rekindling His wrath [burning anger, fierce wrath] against Israel [the people of God, Jacob’s descendants] by profaning [desecrating, breaking] the Sabbath [day of rest, holy day]!” word study 19 When the evening shadows [grew dark] began to fall on the gates [city entrances] of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath [day of rest, seventh day], I ordered that the gates be shut [closed, locked] and not opened [to be opened, to be unlocked] until after the Sabbath [the day of worship]. I posted some of my servants [young men, attendants] at the gates so that no load [burden, heavy weight] could enter on the Sabbath day [day of rest, holy day]. word study 20 Once [or two times, on one or two occasions] or twice, the merchants [traders, those who travel for business] and those who sell [trade, exchange goods] all kinds [every type, variety] of goods [merchandise, wares] camped [lodged, stayed] outside [beyond the walls, in the street] Jerusalem [the city of peace, the capital of Palestine], word study 21 but I warned [testified against, gave witness to] them, “Why [for what reason, on what account] are you camping [lodging, spending the night] in front of [before, over-against] the wall [wall of protection, barrier]? If you do it again [repeat this action, do so once more], I will lay hands [exercise authority, take action] on you.” From that time [from then on, from that moment] on, they did not return [come back, appear again] on the Sabbath [day of rest, day of worship]. word study 22 Then I instructed the Levites [to cleanse themselves, to purify their hearts] to purify themselves and guard the gates [the city entrances, the temple doors] in order to keep the Sabbath day [a day of rest, a day of worship] holy [set apart, consecrated to God]. Remember me for this as well, O my God [Elohim, the supreme God], and show me mercy [pity, compassion] according to Your abundant [great, overflowing] loving devotion [kindness, lovingkindness]. word study 23 In those days [during that time, in the same period] I also [even, too] saw Jews [people from the tribe of Judah] who had married [taken as wives, settled with] women [females, wives] from Ashdod [the city of Ashdod, an Ashdodite], Ammon [the land of Ammon, an Ammonite], and Moab [the land of Moab, a Moabite]. word study 24 Half [a significant portion] of their children spoke the language [tongue, dialect] of Ashdod [Ashdodite, a distinct dialect] or of the other peoples [nations, tribes], but could not speak [communicate, express themselves] the language [Jewish, Hebrew] of Judah [the people of God, the chosen nation]. word study 25 I rebuked [contended with, argued against] them and called down curses [declared them vile, invoked a divine curse] on them. I beat [struck, smote] some of these men and pulled out [plucked off, smoothed] their hair. Then I made them take an oath [swear a vow, make a promise] before God [Elohim, the supreme Judge] and said, “You must not give your daughters [female children, women] in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives [brides, spouses] for your sons or for yourselves [your own benefit, personal gain]! word study 26 Did not King [ruler, monarch] Solomon [a king of Israel] of Israel [the symbolic name of Jacob, referring to his descendants] sin [to miss the mark, go wrong] in matters [things, actions] like this? There was not a king [monarch, leader] like him [unique, unparalleled] among many [numerous, abundant] nations, and he was loved [beloved, cherished] by his God [Elohim, the one supreme God], who made him king [ruler, sovereign] over all [everything, the whole] Israel—yet foreign [strange, unfamiliar] women [females, wives] drew him into sin [caused him to go wrong, led him astray]. word study 27 Must we now hear [to listen and obey] that you too are doing [committing, practicing] all this terrible [great, moral] evil [harm, wickedness] and acting unfaithfully [treacherously, secretly] against our God [Elohim, the supreme One] by marrying [taking as wives, settling with] foreign [strange, unfamiliar] women [wives, females]?” word study 28 Even one of the sons [descendants, family members] of Jehoiada [Jehovah knows, a high priest’s son] son of Eliashib [God restores, a high priest] the high priest [a spiritual leader, mediator] had become a son-in-law [husband of a daughter, related by marriage] to Sanballat [an enemy of the Israelites] the Horonite [from Horonaim, a town in Moab]. Therefore I drove [chased, forced away] him away from me [rejected, removed him from my presence]. word study 29 Remember [be mindful of, keep in mind] them, O my God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], because they have defiled [made unclean, caused shame to] the priesthood [the office of spiritual leadership] and the covenant [solemn agreement, promise] of the priesthood [the divine institution of priests] and of the Levites [the descendants of Levi, assistants to the priests]. word study 30 Thus I purified [cleansed from sin, made holy] the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators] and Levites [descendants of Levi, temple servants] from everything foreign [strange, heathen], and I assigned [appointed, established] specific duties [charges, responsibilities] to each of the priests and Levites [every one in his ministry, work]. word study 31 I also arranged for contributions of wood [for the wood offering, at specified times] at the appointed times [at fixed times, when scheduled], and for the firstfruits [the first part of the harvest, a token of gratitude]. Remember [to recall, mark, or bring to mind] me, O my God [Elohim, the supreme Lord], with favor [goodness, kindness, or pleasant regard]. word study