Foreigners Excluded

1On 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, 2because they have not come before the sons of Israel with bread and with water, and hire against them Balaam to revile them, and our God turneth the reviling into a blessing. 3And it cometh to pass, at their hearing the law, that they separate all the mixed people from Israel.

4And before this Eliashib the priest, appointed over chambers of the house of our God, [is] a relation of Tobiah, 5and he maketh for him a great chamber, and there they were formerly putting the present, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, the new wine, and the oil—the commanded thing of the Levites, and the singers, and the gatekeepers—and the heave-offering of the priests. 6And during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty and second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon did I come unto the king, and at the end of days I have asked of the king, 7and I come in to Jerusalem, and understand concerning the evil that Eliashib hath done for Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the courts of the house of God, 8and it is very displeasing to me, and I cast all the vessels of the house of Tobiah without, out of the chamber, 9and I speak, and they cleanse the chambers, and I bring back thither the vessels of the house of God with the present and the frankincense.

Tithes Restored

(Leviticus 27:30-34; Deuteronomy 14:22-29; Deuteronomy 26:1-15)

10And I know that the portions of the Levites have not been given, and they flee each to his field—the Levites and the singers, doing the work. 11And I strive with the prefects, and say, ‘Wherefore hath the house of God been forsaken?’ and I gather them, and set them on their station; 12and all Judah have brought in the tithe of the corn, and of the new wine, and of the oil, to the treasuries. 13And I appoint treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites; and by their hand [is] Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for stedfast they have been reckoned, and on them [it is] to give a portion to their brethren. 14Be mindful of me, O my God, for this, and do not blot out my kind acts that I have done, for the house of my God, and for its charges.

15In those days I have seen in Judah those treading wine-vats on sabbath, and bringing in the sheaves, and lading on the asses, and also, wine, grapes, and figs, and every burden, yea, they are bringing in to Jerusalem on the sabbath-day, and I testify in the day of their selling provision. 16And the Tyrians have dwelt in it, bringing in fish, and every ware, and selling on sabbath to the sons of Judah and in Jerusalem. 17And I strive with the freemen of Judah, and say to them, ‘What [is] this evil thing that ye are doing, and polluting the sabbath-day? 18Thus did not your fathers do? and our God bringeth in on us all this evil, and on this city, and ye are adding fierceness on Israel, to pollute the sabbath.’

19And it cometh to pass, when the gates of Jerusalem have been dark before the sabbath, that I speak, and the doors are shut, and I say, that they do not open them till after the sabbath; and of my servants I have stationed at the gates; there doth not come in a burden on the sabbath-day. 20And they lodge—the merchants and sellers of all ware—at the outside of Jerusalem, once or twice, 21and I testify against them, and say unto them, ‘Wherefore are ye lodging over-against the wall? if ye repeat [it], a hand I put forth upon you;’ from that time they have not come in on the sabbath. 22And I say to the Levites, that they be cleansed, and, coming in, keeping the gates, to sanctify the sabbath-day. Also, this, remember for me, O my God, and have pity on me, according to the abundance of Thy kindness.

Intermarriage Forbidden

(Ezra 9:1-4)

23Also, in those days, I have seen the Jews [who] have settled women of Ashdod, of Ammon, of Moab. 24And of their sons, half are speaking Ashdoditish—and are not knowing to speak Jewish—and according to the language of people and people. 25And I strive with them, and declare them vile, and smite certain of them, and pluck off their hair, and cause them to swear by God, ‘Ye do not give your daughters to their sons, nor do ye take of their daughters to your sons, and to yourselves. 26‘By these did not Solomon king of Israel sin? and among the many nations there was no king like him, and beloved by his God he was, and God maketh him king over all Israel—even him did the strange women cause to sin. 27And to you do we hearken to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God, to settle strange women?’ 28And [one] of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib the high priest, [is] son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite, and I cause him to flee from off me. 29Be mindful of them, O my God, for the redeemed of the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.

30And I have cleansed them from every stranger, and appoint charges to priests and to Levites, each in his work, 31and for the wood-offering at appointed times, and for first-fruits. Be mindful of me, O my God, for good.