1Da Toraen blev læst op for folket, opdagede man, at der stod skrevet deri, at ingen ammonitter eller moabitter kunne blive indlemmet i Guds folk.[1] (5.Mos 23,4)2Grunden til denne bestemmelse var, at disse folk ikke havde vist israelitterne gæstfrihed, dengang de stod på grænsen til Kana’ans land, men i stedet havde betalt Bileam for at forbande dem. Gud forvandlede dog forbandelsen til velsignelse.3Da det afsnit blev læst op, tog man straks konsekvensen og udelukkede alle af blandet herkomst fra forsamlingen.4-5Nogen tid forinden var præsten Eljashib blevet udpeget til at have overopsyn med templets forrådskamre. Han havde imidlertid overdraget et stort forrådskammer til Tobija, fordi de var i familie. Forrådskamrene var ellers beregnet til opbevaring af afgrødeofre, røgelse, redskaber til brug i templet og tiende af korn, vin og olivenolie, så der kunne være mad til præsterne, levitterne, sangerne og tempelvagterne, sådan som Moses havde foreskrevet.6På det tidspunkt var jeg ikke i Jerusalem, for jeg var rejst tilbage til kong Artaxerxes i Babylon. Det var i hans 32. regeringsår. Et stykke tid efter fik jeg tilladelse til at vende tilbage til Jerusalem,7og da jeg ved hjemkomsten opdagede, hvor skandaløst Eljashib havde handlet ved at overdrage et af templets forrådskamre til Tobija,8blev jeg meget vred og smed alle Tobijas ting ud af kammeret.9Så forlangte jeg, at kammeret skulle renses, og at redskaberne, afgrødeofrene og røgelsen skulle bringes tilbage på deres plads.10Ved samme lejlighed blev jeg klar over, at levitterne ikke havde fået de gaver, de havde krav på. Derfor var både de og tempelsangerne rejst hjem for at passe deres dyr og marker.11Straks konfronterede jeg lederne med denne forsømmelse over for Guds hus, hvorefter jeg kaldte levitterne tilbage til deres opgaver i templet12og bragte forholdene i orden, så Judas folk igen sendte tienden af deres korn, vin og olivenolie til forrådskamrene.13Fra da af gav jeg præsten Shelemja, sekretæren Zadok og levitten Pedaja ansvaret for at administrere forrådet—og de fik Hanan, søn af Zakkur, søn af Mattanja, til hjælp. Disse mænd havde ry for at være pålidelige, og derfor fik de betroet opgaven med at fordele tienden blandt de øvrige levitter.14Min Gud, glem ikke min trofasthed og alt det, jeg har gjort til gavn for tjenesten i dit tempel.15Jeg lagde siden mærke til, at nogle judæere pressede vindruer på sabbatten, mens andre læssede korn, vin, druer, figner og andre afgrøder på deres æsler for at tage ind til Jerusalem og sælge dem. Derfor gav jeg dem en alvorlig advarsel om, at det måtte de ikke gøre på en sabbat.16Der var også folk fra Tyrus, som boede i Jerusalem, og som bragte fisk og alle mulige varer ind til byen for at sælge dem til judæerne på sabbatsdagen.17Da sagde jeg til Judas ledere: „Hvorfor holder I ikke sabbatten hellig?18Har I glemt, at jeres forfædre heller ikke gjorde det, og at vi endnu lider under konsekvenserne? Vil I nu yderligere provokere Gud og forværre straffen for Israels folk ved at vanhellige sabbatten?”19Fra da af forlangte jeg, at byportene skulle holdes lukket for de handlende lige fra sabbattens begyndelse fredag aften ved mørkets frembrud, og indtil sabbatteb var forbi. Og jeg satte folk til at holde vagt ved portene, så ingen kunne slippe ind med varer på sabbatten.20Da nogle handlende derefter slog sig ned uden for bymuren for at sælge deres varer der,21advarede jeg dem: „Næste gang jeg finder jer udenfor muren, bliver I arresteret!” Siden den tid holdt de sig borte på sabbatsdagen.22Derefter gav jeg levitterne ordre til at gennemgå renselsesritualet og sørge for at bevogte portene, så sabbatten fremover kunne holdes hellig. Min Gud, glem ikke hvad jeg har gjort for dig. Se i nåde til mig på grund af din trofaste kærlighed.23Omkring den tid lagde jeg mærke til, at i de familier, hvor mændene havde giftet sig med kvinder fra Ashdod, Ammon eller Moab,24talte mindst halvdelen af børnene deres mors sprog, og de kunne ikke tale judæernes sprog.25Da skældte jeg mændene ud og forbandede dem. Nogle af dem slog jeg, eller jeg trak dem i håret, og jeg mindede dem om Guds befaling: „I må ikke give jeres døtre til mænd fra fremmede folkeslag, og hverken I eller jeres sønner må tage fremmede kvinder til ægte!26Var det ikke netop den synd, der fældede kong Salomon? Der var ingen konge som han! Gud elskede ham og gjorde ham til konge over hele Israel, men selv han blev forført til afgudsdyrkelse ved at gifte sig med fremmede kvinder!27Skal vi virkelig høre om jer, at I gifter jer med fremmede kvinder og på den måde er troløse overfor vores Gud?”28Jojada var søn af ypperstepræsten Eljashib, og en af Jojadas sønner havde giftet sig med en datter af Sanballat fra Bet-Horon. Derfor afsatte jeg ham som præst.29Min Gud, drag dem til ansvar for, at de med deres handlinger har vanhelliget præsteembedet og brudt den pagt, som præsterne og levitterne på en særlig måde burde overholde.30Således rensede jeg ud blandt folket, og jeg opstillede regler for præsternes og levitternes pligter og opgaver.31Jeg sørgede også for, at der blev bragt alterbrænde til rette tid, og at folket gav de foreskrevne høstofre af markens første afgrøder. Min Gud, glem ikke det gode, jeg har gjort.
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 enter the assembly of God, (5.Mos 23,3; 5.Mos 31,11; 2.Kong 23,2; Neh 8,3; Neh 8,8; Neh 8,18; Neh 9,3)2for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing.3As soon as the people heard the law, they separated from Israel all those of foreign descent. (2.Mos 12,38; 4.Mos 11,4; Neh 9,2)4Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to Tobiah, (Neh 2,10; Neh 3,1; Neh 12,44; Neh 13,28)5prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. (4.Mos 18,21; 4.Mos 18,24)6While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king (Ez 6,22; Neh 5,14)7and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. (Neh 13,5)8And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber.9Then I gave orders, and they cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense. (2.Krøn 29,15; 2.Krøn 29,18)10I also found out that the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each to his field. (2.Krøn 31,4; Neh 12,28; Mal 3,8)11So I confronted the officials and said, “Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. (Neh 10,39; Neh 13,17; Neh 13,25)12Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. (Neh 10,38; Neh 12,44)13And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. (2.Krøn 31,12; Neh 7,2; 1.Kor 4,2)14Remember 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 his service. (Neh 5,19; Neh 13,22; Neh 13,31)15In those days I saw in Judah people treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and bringing in heaps of grain and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of loads, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them on the day when they sold food. (2.Mos 20,10; Neh 10,31; Neh 13,21)16Tyrians also, who lived in the city, brought in fish and all kinds of goods and sold them on the Sabbath to the people of Judah, in Jerusalem itself!17Then I confronted the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? (Neh 13,11; Matt 12,5)18Did not your fathers act in this way, and did not our God bring all this disaster[1] on us and on this city? Now you are bringing more wrath on Israel by profaning the Sabbath.” (Jer 17,19)19As soon as it began to grow dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and gave orders that they should not be opened until after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, that no load might be brought in on the Sabbath day. (3.Mos 23,32)20Then the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares lodged outside Jerusalem once or twice.21But I warned them and said to them, “Why do you lodge outside the wall? If you do so again, I will lay hands on you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. (Neh 13,15)22Then I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come and guard the gates, to keep the Sabbath day holy. Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and spare me according to the greatness of your steadfast love. (Neh 12,30; Neh 13,14; Neh 13,31)23In those days also I saw the Jews who had married women of Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. (Ez 9,1; Ez 9,2; Ez 10,10; Neh 4,7; Neh 13,1)24And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod, and they could not speak the language of Judah, but only the language of each people.25And I confronted them and cursed them and beat some of them and pulled out their hair. And I made them take an oath in the name of God, saying, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, or take their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. (Ez 10,5; Neh 10,29; Neh 13,17)26Did not Solomon king of Israel sin on account of such women? Among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was beloved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel. Nevertheless, foreign women made even him to sin. (2.Sam 12,24; 1.Kong 3,13; 1.Kong 11,1; 2.Krøn 1,12)27Shall we then listen to you and do all this great evil and act treacherously against our God by marrying foreign women?” (Ez 10,2)28And one of the sons of Jehoiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Therefore I chased him from me. (Neh 2,10; Neh 2,19; Neh 3,1; Neh 12,10; Neh 12,22; Neh 13,4; Neh 13,7)29Remember them, O my God, because they have desecrated the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites. (Neh 6,14; Mal 2,4)30Thus I cleansed them from everything foreign, and I established the duties of the priests and Levites, each in his work; (Neh 10,30)31and I provided for the wood offering at appointed times, and for the firstfruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. (Ez 10,14; Neh 10,34; Neh 13,14; Neh 13,22)