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
与外邦人隔离
1在那日，百姓听到人朗读摩西的律法书，发现书上写着，亚扪人和摩押人永不可入上帝的会；
2因为他们没有拿食物和水来迎接以色列人，却雇了巴兰诅咒他们，但我们的上帝使那诅咒变为祝福。
3以色列人听见这律法，就与所有不同族群的人分别出来。
尼希米的改革
4在这之前，与多比雅结亲的以利亚实祭司，受派管理我们上帝殿中的库房，
5为多比雅预备了一间大屋子，就是从前收存素祭、乳香、器皿，和照例供给利未人、歌唱者、门口守卫的五谷、新酒和新油的十分之一，以及归祭司之举祭的屋子。
6当这一切事发生的时候，我不在耶路撒冷，因为巴比伦王亚达薛西三十二年，我回到王那里。过了多日，我又向王告假。
7我来到耶路撒冷，才知道以利亚实为多比雅所做、在上帝殿的院内为他预备屋子的那件恶事。
8我非常愤怒，就把多比雅的一切家具都从屋子里抛出去。
9我又吩咐人洁净这屋子，然后将上帝殿的器皿、素祭和乳香搬回那里。
10我发现利未人当得的份无人供给他们，甚至供职的利未人与歌唱的都各奔回自己的田地去了。
11我就斥责官长说：“你们为何不顾上帝的殿呢？”于是我召集利未人，使他们在自己的岗位上供职。
12犹大众人就把五谷、新酒和新油的十分之一送入库房。
13我派示利米雅祭司、撒督文士和利未人毗大雅作司库管理库房，副手是哈难；哈难是撒刻的儿子，撒刻是玛他尼的儿子；这些人都是忠实的，他们的职务是分派他们弟兄所当得的份。
14我的上帝啊，求你因这事记念我，不要涂去我为上帝的殿与其中的礼仪所献的忠心。
15那些日子，我在犹大见有人在安息日踹榨酒池，搬运禾捆驮在驴上，又把酒、葡萄、无花果和各样的担子在安息日扛入耶路撒冷，我就在他们卖食物的那日警戒他们。
16有一些住在城里的推罗人也把鱼和各样货物运进来，甚至在耶路撒冷，在安息日卖给犹大人。
17我就斥责犹大的贵族，对他们说：“你们怎么会做这恶事干犯安息日呢！
18你们祖先岂不是这样做，以致我们的上帝使一切灾祸临到我们和这城吗？你们竟干犯安息日，使愤怒越发临到以色列！”
19安息日前一日黄昏的时候，我吩咐人把耶路撒冷城门锁上；我又吩咐，不过安息日不准开门。我也派几个仆人在城门口站岗，免得有人在安息日挑担子进城。
20于是商人和贩卖各样货物的人，有一两次在耶路撒冷城外过夜。
21我警告他们说：“你们为何在城墙前过夜呢？若再这样，我必下手办你们。”从此以后，他们在安息日就不再来了。
22我吩咐利未人洁净自己来守城门，使安息日分别为圣。我的上帝啊，求你因这事记念我，照你丰盛的慈爱怜悯我。
23那些日子，我又看见犹太人娶了亚实突、亚扪和摩押的女子为妻。
24他们的儿女，一半说亚实突话，或其他种族的方言，不会说犹大话。
25我就斥责他们，诅咒他们，打了他们几个人，拔下他们的胡须，叫他们指着上帝起誓：“你们不可把自己的女儿嫁给外邦人的儿子，也不可为自己和儿子娶他们的女儿。
26以色列王所罗门不也在这样的事上犯罪吗？在许多国家中并没有一位王像他，蒙他上帝喜爱，上帝立他作王治理全以色列。然而，连他也被外邦女子引诱犯罪。
27我们岂能听凭你们行这一切大恶，娶外邦女子干犯我们的上帝呢？”
28以利亚实大祭司的孙子，耶何耶大的一个儿子是和伦人参巴拉的女婿，我就把他从我这里赶出去。
29我的上帝啊，求你记得他们的罪，因为他们玷污了祭司的职分，违背祭司和利未人的约。
30这样，我洁净他们，使他们脱离属外邦人的一切；我又分派祭司和利未人的班次，使他们各尽其职，
31按定期奉献木柴和初熟的土产。我的上帝啊，求你记念我，施恩于我。