13
Principles of Separation
1On that day ⚓they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people, and in it was found written ⚓that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever come into the assembly of God,
2because they had not met the children of Israel with bread and water, but ⚓hired Balaam against them to curse them. ⚓However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3So it was, when they had heard the Law, ⚓that they separated all the mixed multitude from Israel.
The Reforms of Nehemiah
4Now before this, ⚓Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with ⚓Tobiah.
5And he had prepared for him a large room, ⚓where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, ⚓which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
6But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, ⚓for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,
7and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in ⚓preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.
8And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.
9Then I commanded them to ⚓cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10I also realized that the portions for the Levites had ⚓not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to ⚓his field.
11So ⚓I contended with the rulers, and said, ⚓“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12⚓Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.
13⚓And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered ⚓faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
14⚓Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
15In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses ⚓on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, ⚓which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.
16Men of Tyre dwelt there also, who brought in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
17Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?
18⚓Did not your fathers do thus, and did not our God bring all this disaster on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”
19So it was, at the gates of Jerusalem, as it ⚓began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and charged that they must not be opened till after the Sabbath. ⚓Then I posted some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20Now the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.
21Then I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.
22And I commanded the Levites that ⚓they should cleanse themselves, and that they should go and guard the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day.
Remember me, O my God, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy!
23In those days I also saw Jews who⚓had married women of ⚓Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab.
24And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and could not speak the language of Judah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.
25So I ⚓contended with them and cursed them, struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them ⚓swear by God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.
26⚓Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? Yet among many nations there was no king like him, ⚓who was beloved of his God; and God made him king over all Israel. ⚓Nevertheless pagan women caused even him to sin.
27Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, ⚓transgressing against our God by marrying pagan women?”
28And one of the sons ⚓of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of ⚓Sanballat the Horonite; therefore I drove him from me.
29⚓Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and ⚓the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.
30⚓Thus I cleansed them of everything pagan. I also ⚓assigned duties to the priests and the Levites, each to his service,
31and to bringing⚓the wood offering and the firstfruits at appointed times.
⚓Remember me, O my God, for good!
13
與外邦人隔離
1在那日，百姓聽到人朗讀摩西的律法書，發現書上寫着，亞捫人和摩押人永不可入上帝的會；
2因為他們沒有拿食物和水來迎接以色列人，卻雇了巴蘭詛咒他們，但我們的上帝使那詛咒變為祝福。
3以色列人聽見這律法，就與所有不同族羣的人分別出來。
尼希米的改革
4在這之前，與多比雅結親的以利亞實祭司，受派管理我們上帝殿中的庫房，
5為多比雅預備了一間大屋子，就是從前收存素祭、乳香、器皿，和照例供給利未人、歌唱者、門口守衛的五穀、新酒和新油的十分之一，以及歸祭司之舉祭的屋子。
6當這一切事發生的時候，我不在耶路撒冷，因為巴比倫王亞達薛西三十二年，我回到王那裏。過了多日，我又向王告假。
7我來到耶路撒冷，才知道以利亞實為多比雅所做、在上帝殿的院內為他預備屋子的那件惡事。
8我非常憤怒，就把多比雅的一切家具都從屋子裏拋出去。
9我又吩咐人潔淨這屋子，然後將上帝殿的器皿、素祭和乳香搬回那裏。
10我發現利未人當得的份無人供給他們，甚至供職的利未人與歌唱的都各奔回自己的田地去了。
11我就斥責官長說：「你們為何不顧上帝的殿呢？」於是我召集利未人，使他們在自己的崗位上供職。
12猶大眾人就把五穀、新酒和新油的十分之一送入庫房。
13我派示利米雅祭司、撒督文士和利未人毗大雅作司庫管理庫房，副手是哈難；哈難是撒刻的兒子，撒刻是瑪他尼的兒子；這些人都是忠實的，他們的職務是分派他們弟兄所當得的份。
14我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，不要塗去我為上帝的殿與其中的禮儀所獻的忠心。
15那些日子，我在猶大見有人在安息日踹醡酒池，搬運禾捆馱在驢上，又把酒、葡萄、無花果和各樣的擔子在安息日扛入耶路撒冷，我就在他們賣食物的那日警戒他們。
16有一些住在城裏的推羅人也把魚和各樣貨物運進來，甚至在耶路撒冷，在安息日賣給猶大人。
17我就斥責猶大的貴族，對他們說：「你們怎麼會做這惡事干犯安息日呢！
18你們祖先豈不是這樣做，以致我們的上帝使一切災禍臨到我們和這城嗎？你們竟干犯安息日，使憤怒越發臨到以色列！」
19安息日前一日黃昏的時候，我吩咐人把耶路撒冷城門鎖上；我又吩咐，不過安息日不准開門。我也派幾個僕人在城門口站崗，免得有人在安息日挑擔子進城。
20於是商人和販賣各樣貨物的人，有一兩次在耶路撒冷城外過夜。
21我警告他們說：「你們為何在城牆前過夜呢？若再這樣，我必下手辦你們。」從此以後，他們在安息日就不再來了。
22我吩咐利未人潔淨自己來守城門，使安息日分別為聖。我的上帝啊，求你因這事記念我，照你豐盛的慈愛憐憫我。
23那些日子，我又看見猶太人娶了亞實突、亞捫和摩押的女子為妻。
24他們的兒女，一半說亞實突話，或其他種族的方言，不會說猶大話。
25我就斥責他們，詛咒他們，打了他們幾個人，拔下他們的鬍鬚，叫他們指着上帝起誓：「你們不可把自己的女兒嫁給外邦人的兒子，也不可為自己和兒子娶他們的女兒。
26以色列王所羅門不也在這樣的事上犯罪嗎？在許多國家中並沒有一位王像他，蒙他上帝喜愛，上帝立他作王治理全以色列。然而，連他也被外邦女子引誘犯罪。
27我們豈能聽憑你們行這一切大惡，娶外邦女子干犯我們的上帝呢？」
28以利亞實大祭司的孫子，耶何耶大的一個兒子是和倫人參巴拉的女婿，我就把他從我這裏趕出去。
29我的上帝啊，求你記得他們的罪，因為他們玷污了祭司的職分，違背祭司和利未人的約。
30這樣，我潔淨他們，使他們脫離屬外邦人的一切；我又分派祭司和利未人的班次，使他們各盡其職，
31按定期奉獻木柴和初熟的土產。我的上帝啊，求你記念我，施恩於我。