1On that day it was called in the scroll of Moses in the hearing of the people, and it was found written in it that an Ammonite or Moabite may not come into the assembly of God forever.2For they had not met the sons of Israel with food and water, but had hired Balaam to curse him, and our God turned the curse into a blessing for us.3And it happened when they heard the instruction that they separated all the mixed group from Israel.4Before this, Eliashib the priest had been appointed over a chamber in the house of our God near Tobijah.5He had prepared a large chamber for him, and previously the offering, the frankincense, the articles, the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil had been stored there by command for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the priests' contribution.6During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king, and after some time I requested leave from the king.7And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the distress which Eliashib had done for Tobiah by making a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God.8This greatly displeased me, so I threw all Tobijah's belongings out of the chamber.9I ordered the chambers to be purified, and I restored the articles of the house of God, together with the offering and the frankincense, to their place.10I also learned that the portions due the Levites had not been given, so each of the Levites and singers who performed the work had fled to his own field.11I rebuked the officials and said, Why has the house of God been neglected? Then I gathered them and restored them each to his post.12All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storehouses.13I put Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite in charge of the storehouses, and Hanan son of Zaccur son of Mattaniah assisted them, because they were considered trustworthy, and it was their duty to distribute to their brothers.14Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out the loyal deeds I have done for the house of my God and for its services.15In those days I saw people in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, along with wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load, and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day; I warned them at the time they were selling food.16And the Tyrians dwelling in it were bringing fish and all merchandise and selling on the Sabbath to the sons of Judah and in Jerusalem.17I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing by profaning the Sabbath day?"18Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought all this trouble upon us and upon this city? Yet you are adding to the anger against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.19When the gates of Jerusalem began to grow dark before the Sabbath, I ordered the doors to be shut and not opened until after the Sabbath; I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day.20The merchants and sellers of every kind of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.21I warned them, Why do you lodge before the wall? If you do this again, I will lay hands on you. From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath.22I also commanded the Levites to purify themselves and to come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also for me, O my God, and have mercy on me according to your great steadfast love.23Also in those days I saw the Jews who had caused women of Ashdod, Ammonite women, and Moabite women to dwell.24And half of their sons spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the tongue of each people.25I contended with them, cursed them, struck some of the men, and pulled out their hair; I made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to the sons of those foreigners or take their daughters as wives for their sons.26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin in this very matter? Among the many nations there was no king like him; he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel, yet foreign women caused even him to sin.27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil by being unfaithful to our God and marrying foreign women?28One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him away from me.29Remember them, O my God, for the defilements of the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.30I purified them from everything foreign and assigned duties to the priests and Levites, each to his own task.31I also arranged for the wood offering at the appointed times and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.