Dual Panel1On that day <03117> the book <05612> of Moses <04872> was read <07121> aloud in the hearing <0241> of the people <05971>. They found <04672> written <03789> in it that <0834> no <03808> Ammonite <05984> or Moabite <04125> may ever <05769> enter <0935> the assembly <06951> of God <0430>,
2for <03588> they had not <03808> met <06923> the Israelites <03478> <01121> with food <03899> and water <04325>, but instead had hired <07936> Balaam <01109> to curse <07043> them. (Our God <0430>, however, turned <02015> the curse <07045> into blessing <01293>.)
3When <01961> they heard <08085> the law <08451>, they removed from <0914> Israel <03478> all <03605> who were of mixed ancestry <06154>.
4But prior to <06440> this <02088> time, Eliashib <0475> the priest <03548>, a relative <07138> of Tobiah <02900>, had been appointed over <05414> the storerooms <03957> of the temple <01004> of our God <0430>.
5He made <06213> for himself a large <01419> storeroom <03957> where <08033> previously <06440> they had been <01961> keeping <05414> the grain offering <04503>, the incense <03828>, and the vessels <03627>, along with the tithes <04643> of the grain <01715>, the new wine <08492>, and the olive oil <03323> as commanded <04687> for the Levites <03881>, the singers <07891>, the gate keepers <07778>, and the offering <08641> for the priests <03548>.
6During all <03605> this <02088> time I was <01961> not <03808> in Jerusalem <03389>, for <03588> in the thirty-second <08147> <07970> year <08141> of King <04428> Artaxerxes <0783> of Babylon <0894>, I had gone back <0935> to <0413> the king <04428>. After <07093> some time <03117> I had requested <07592> leave of the king <04428>,
7and I returned <0935> to Jerusalem <03389>. Then I discovered <0995> the evil <07451> that <0834> Eliashib <0475> had done <06213> for Tobiah <02900> by supplying <06213> him with a storeroom <05393> in the courts <02691> of the temple <01004> of God <0430>.
8I was very <03966> upset <07489>, and I threw <07993> all <03605> of Tobiah’s <02900> household <01004> possessions <03627> out <02351> of <04480> the storeroom <03957>.
9Then I gave instructions <0559> that the storerooms <03957> should be purified <02891>, and I brought back <07725> the equipment <03627> of the temple <01004> of God <0430>, along with <0854> the grain offering <04503> and the incense <03828>.
10I also discovered <03045> that <03588> the grain offerings <04521> for the Levites <03881> had not <03808> been provided <05414>, and that as a result the Levites <03881> and the singers <07891> who performed <06213> this work <04399> had all <0376> gone off <01272> to their fields <07704>.
11So I registered a complaint <07378> with <0854> the leaders <05461>, asking <0559> “Why <04069> is the temple <01004> of God <0430> neglected <05800>?” Then I gathered <06908> them and reassigned <05975> them to <05921> their positions <05977>.
12Then all <03605> of Judah <03063> brought <0935> the tithe <04643> of the grain <01715>, the new wine <08492>, and the olive oil <03323> to the storerooms <0214>.
13I gave instructions <0686> that Shelemiah <08018> the priest <03548>, Zadok <06659> the scribe <05608>, and a certain Levite <03881> named Pedaiah <06305> be put in charge <05921> of the storerooms <0214>, and that Hanan <02605> son <01121> of Zaccur <02139>, the son <01121> of Mattaniah <04983>, be their assistant <03027>, for <03588> they were regarded <02803> as trustworthy <0539>. It was then their responsibility to oversee the distribution <02505> to their colleagues <0251>.
14Please remember <02142> me for this <02063>, O my God <0430>, and do not <0408> wipe out <04229> the kindness <02617> that <0834> I have done <06213> for the temple <01004> of my God <0430> and for its services <04929>!
15In those <01992> days <03117> I saw <07200> people in Judah <03063> treading <01869> winepresses <01660> on the Sabbath <07676>, bringing <0935> in heaps of grain <06194> and loading <06006> them onto <05921> donkeys <02543>, along with <0637> wine <03196>, grapes <06025>, figs <08384>, and all <03605> kinds of loads <04853>, and bringing <0935> them to Jerusalem <03389> on the Sabbath <07676> day <03117>. So I warned <05749> them on the day <03117> that they sold <04376> these provisions <06718>.
16The people from Tyre <06876> who lived <03427> there were bringing <0935> fish <01709> and all <03605> kinds of merchandise <04377> and were selling <04376> it on the Sabbath <07676> to the people <01121> of Judah <03063>– and in Jerusalem <03389>, of all places!
17So I registered a complaint <07378> with <0854> the nobles <02715> of Judah <03063>, saying <0559> to them, “What <04100> is this <02088> evil <07451> thing <01697> that <0834> you <0859> are doing <06213>, profaning <02490> the Sabbath <07676> day <03117>?
18Isn’t <03808> this the way your ancestors <01> acted <06213>, causing <0935> our God <0430> to bring on <05921> them and on <05921> this <02063> city <05892> all <03605> this <02063> misfortune <07451>? And now you <0859> are causing <0935> even more wrath <02740> on <05921> Israel <03478>, profaning <02490> the Sabbath <07676> like this!”
19When <01961> the evening shadows began to fall <06751> on the gates <08179> of Jerusalem <03389> before <06440> the Sabbath <07676>, I ordered <0559> the doors <01817> to be closed <05462>. I further directed <0559> that <0834> they were not <03808> to be opened <06605> until <05704> after <0310> the Sabbath <07676>. I positioned <05975> some of my young men <05288> at <05921> the gates <08179> so that no <03808> load <04853> could enter <0935> on the Sabbath <07676> day <03117>.
20The traders <07402> and sellers <04376> of all <03605> kinds of merchandise <04465> spent the night <03885> outside <02351> Jerusalem <03389> once <06471> or twice <08147>.
21But I warned <05749> them and said <0413> <0559>, “Why <04069> do you <0859> spend <03885> the night by <05048> the wall <02346>? If <0518> you repeat <08138> this, I will forcibly remove <07971> <03027> you!” From <04480> that time <06256> on they did not <03808> show up <0935> on the Sabbath <07676>.
22Then I directed <0559> the Levites <03881> to purify <02891> themselves and come <0935> and guard <08104> the gates <08179> in order to keep <06942> the Sabbath <07676> day <03117> holy <06942>. For this <02063> please remember <02142> me, O my God <0430>, and have pity <02347> on <05921> me in keeping with your great <07230> love <02617>.
23Also <01571> in those <01992> days <03117> I saw <07200> the men of Judah <03064> who had married <03427> women <0802> from Ashdod <0796>, Ammon <05984>, and Moab <04125>.
24Half <02677> of their children <01121> spoke <01696> the language <0797> of Ashdod <0797> (or the language <03956> of one of the other peoples mentioned <05971> <05971>) and were unable <05234> <0369> to speak <01696> the language <03066> of Judah <03066>.
25So I entered a complaint <07378> with <05973> them. I called down a curse <07043> on them <01992>, and I struck <05221> some of the men <0376> and pulled out <04803> their hair. I had them swear <07650> by God <0430> saying, “You will not <0518> marry off <05414> your daughters <01323> to their sons <01121>, and you will not <0518> take <05375> any of their daughters <01323> as wives for your sons <01121> or for yourselves!
26Was it not <03808> because of <05921> things like these <0428> that King <04428> Solomon <08010> of Israel <03478> sinned <02398>? Among the many <07227> nations <01471> there was <01961> no <03808> king <04428> like <03644> him. He was loved <0157> by his God <0430>, and God <0430> made <05414> him king <04428> over <05921> all <03605> Israel <03478>. But the foreign <05237> wives <0802> made <02398> even <01571> him sin <02398>!
27Should we then in your case hear <08085> that you do <06213> all <03605> this <02063> great <01419> evil <07451>, thereby being unfaithful <04603> to our God <0430> by marrying <03427> foreign <05237> wives <0802>?”
28Now one of the sons <01121> of Joiada <03111> son <01121> of Eliashib <0475> the high <01419> priest <03548> was a son-in-law <02860> of Sanballat <05571> the Horonite <02772>. So I banished <01272> him from <05921> my sight.
29Please remember <02142> them <01992>, O my God <0430>, because <05921> they have defiled <01352> the priesthood <03550>, the covenant <01285> of the priesthood <03550>, and the Levites <03881>.
30So I purified <02891> them of everything <03605> foreign <05236>, and I assigned <05975> specific duties <04931> to the priests <03548> and the Levites <0376> <03881>.
31I also provided for the wood <06086> offering <07133> at the appointed <02163> times <06256> and also for the first fruits <01061>. Please remember <02142> me for good <02896>, O my God <0430>.