1 ARST Then someone read out loud to the people from a scroll{ that contained the law that God gave to} Moses. They learned that the{ law} said that no one from the Ammonite or Moabite{ people groups} should ever join the{ Israelite} people{ when they gathered together to worship God}. BSB BSB: At that time the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,
2 ARST { The law said this} because{ the people of Ammon and the people of Moab} did not give any food or water to the Israelites{ while they were traveling through their areas after leaving Egypt}. Instead, they paid Balaam to get him to curse the Israelites. But our God turned that attempt to curse Israel into a blessing. BSB BSB: because they had not met the Israelites with food and water, but had hired Balaam to call down a curse against them (although our God had turned the curse into a blessing).
3 ARST So the people obeyed that law. They sent away all the people whose ancestors had come from other countries. BSB BSB: As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel all of foreign descent.
4 ARST When he became the{ Supreme} Priest, Eliashib got control of the storerooms in the temple. Now he was related to Tobiah. BSB BSB: Now before this, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God
5 ARST He allowed{ Tobiah} to have a large room in which the priests used to store supplies. These included the grain offerings and the incense, the equipment for the temple, and the tithes of grain and wine and olive oil.{ God} had commanded{ the people to bring} these to the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers. This room had also held the offerings for the priests. BSB BSB: and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes of grain, new wine, and oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
6 ARST During that time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty- second year that Artaxerxes was the king of Babylonia, I had gone back{ to report to the king what I had been doing}. After I had been there a while, I asked the king to allow me to return{ to Jerusalem}. BSB BSB: While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to Artaxerxes king of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king
7 ARST When I arrived in Jerusalem, I discovered the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by allowing him to use this room in the temple area. BSB BSB: to return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God.
8 ARST That grieved me very much. I threw everything that belonged to Tobiah out of that room. BSB BSB: And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.
9 ARST Then I commanded{ the priests to perform a ritual to cleanse} that room and make it pure again. I also{ ordered} the equipment for the temple and the grain offerings and incense{ to be} put back in that room{ where they belonged}. BSB BSB: Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.
10 ARST I also learned that the singers and the other Levites who were responsible for the{ temple} services had left Jerusalem. They had returned to their own fields because the people had stopped giving them{ 10 percent of their} harvests,{ since Tobiah had occupied the storeroom}. BSB BSB: I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.
11 ARST So I rebuked the city officials. I told them,“You have neglected{ the work of} the temple!” Then I brought{ the Levites and the singers} back to the temple and told them to do their work{ again}. BSB BSB: So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
12 ARST Then all{ the people of} Judah started bringing their tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil to the{ temple} storerooms{ once again}. BSB BSB: and all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.
13 ARST I appointed some{ men} to be in charge of the storerooms. They were Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite. I also appointed Hanan the son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah to assist them. I appointed these{ men} because{ everyone} knew that they were trustworthy and would distribute{ the offerings fairly} to their associates. BSB BSB: I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.
14 ARST “My God, please bless me for this. Yes, bless me for the good things that I have done for your temple and for the temple services!” BSB BSB: Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my deeds of loving devotion for the house of my God and for its services.
15 ARST During that time, I saw{ some people} in Judea{ who were working} on the Sabbath day. Some were pressing grapes to make wine. Others were taking their grain and loading it on donkeys. Others were also loading{ bags of} wine, baskets of grapes, figs, and many other things onto donkeys and bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. I warned them not to sell{ food to the people of Judea} on{ Sabbath} days. BSB BSB: In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, and figs. All kinds of goods were being brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them against selling food on that day.
16 ARST I also saw some people from{ the city of} Tyre who were living there in{ Jerusalem} bringing fish and other things into Jerusalem to sell to the people of Judah on the Sabbath day. BSB BSB: Additionally, men of Tyre who lived there were importing fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah in Jerusalem.
17 ARST So I rebuked the Jewish leading citizens. I said to them,“This is a very evil thing that you are doing! You are making the Sabbath day into something{ God never wanted} it to be. BSB BSB: Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
18 ARST You know that your ancestors did these same things, and God{ punished} our nation{ by} bringing great trouble to this city! But{ now} you too are breaking{ the laws} for the Sabbath day. You are going to cause{ God} to be angry with{ the nation of} Israel{ again}.{ He will punish us} even more!” BSB BSB: Did not your forefathers do the same things, so that our God brought all this disaster on us and on this city? And now you are rekindling His wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath!”
19 ARST So I commanded{ the gatekeepers} to shut the doors of the gates of the city when it started to get dark on Friday evening. I commanded them not to open the gates until Saturday evening. I also stationed some of my men at the gates{ so they would make sure that} no one brought things to sell into{ the city in between those times}, on the Sabbath day. BSB BSB: When the evening shadows began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem, just before the Sabbath, I ordered that the gates be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath. I posted some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.
20 ARST One or two times traders and merchants selling all kinds of things camped outside the city on the night{ before the Sabbath day}.{ They were hoping} to sell{ something the next day}. BSB BSB: Once or twice, the merchants and those who sell all kinds of goods camped outside Jerusalem,
21 ARST I warned them. I said to them,“It is useless for you to camp here outside the walls on Friday night. If you do this again, I will arrest you by force!” After that, they did not come on Sabbath days. BSB BSB: but I warned them, “Why are you camping in front of the wall? If you do it again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath.
22 ARST I also commanded the Levites to{ perform a ritual to} purify themselves and then{ take up stations} to guard the city gates. I wanted them to ensure that Sabbath days were kept holy{ by not allowing merchants to enter the city on that holy day}.“My God, please bless me for doing this too! And be kind to me, because your kindness is so great.” BSB BSB: Then I instructed the Levites to purify themselves and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember me for this as well, O my God, and show me mercy according to Your abundant loving devotion.
23 ARST During that time, I also learned that many of the Jewish men had married women from{ the city of} Ashdod, and from the Ammonite and Moabite{ people groups}. BSB BSB: In those days I also saw Jews who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24 ARST So half of their children spoke a foreign language, and they did not know how to speak Hebrew. They spoke whatever language{ their} foreign{ parent spoke}. BSB BSB: Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod or of the other peoples, but could not speak the language of Judah.
25 ARST So I rebuked those men. I{ asked God} to curse them. I struck some of them{ with my fists}. I pulled out their hair. Then I forced them to make a solemn promise, knowing that God was listening. I made them promise that they would{ never} again allow their daughters to marry foreign men. I also made them promise that they and their sons would not marry foreign women. BSB BSB: I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
26 ARST { I said to them,}“You know that Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned as a result of{ marrying foreign women who worshiped idols}! You know that he was greater than any of the kings of other nations. God loved him, and God set him as the king over all{ the people of} Israel. But his foreign wives caused even him to sin! BSB BSB: Did not King Solomon of Israel sin in matters like this? There was not a king like him among many nations, and he was loved by his God, who made him king over all Israel—yet foreign women drew him into sin.
27 ARST { I am grieved} to hear this about you! You have married foreign wives{ who worship idols}. You have commited a great sin against our God!” BSB BSB: Must we now hear that you too are doing all this terrible evil and acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”
29 ARST “My God, these{ men} have brought shame to the priesthood.{ They have broken} the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites. Punish them as they deserve!” BSB BSB: Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 ARST I took away everything from{ the priests} that came from other nations and religions. I also established regulations for the priests and for the Levites{ so they would know} what work each of them was supposed to do. BSB BSB: Thus I purified the priests and Levites from everything foreign, and I assigned specific duties to each of the priests and Levites.
31 ARST { I} also{ arranged} for the people to bring their offerings of wood at the set times{ to burn on the altar}, and to bring the first part of what they harvested{ of each crop during the year}.“My God, please consider that I{ have done all these things}, and bless me{ for doing them}.” BSB BSB: I also arranged for contributions of wood at the appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, with favor.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.