Nehemia 13 | New International Reader’s Version

1 At that time the Book of Moses was read out loud. All the people heard it. It was written there that no Ammonite or Moabite could ever become a member of God’s community. 2 That’s because they hadn’t given the people of Israel food and water. Instead, they had hired Balaam to put a curse on them. But our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3 When that law was read, the people of Judah obeyed it. They sent out of Israel everyone who was from another nation. 4 Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms in the house of our God. He had worked closely with Tobiah. 5 He had also provided a large room for Tobiah. It had been used to store the grain offerings. The incense and the objects for the temple had been put there. And a tenth of the corn, olive oil and fresh wine had been kept there. That’s what the Law required for the Levites. That’s also what it required for the musicians and the men who guarded the temple gates. The gifts for the priests had been kept there too. 6 But I wasn’t in Jerusalem while all of that was going on. I had returned to the Persian King Artaxerxes, the king of Babylon. I went to him in the 32nd year of his rule. Some time later I asked him to let me return to Jerusalem. 7 When I got back, I learned about the evil thing Eliashib had done. He had provided a room for Tobiah. It was in the courtyards of God’s house. 8 So I was very unhappy. I threw all of Tobiah’s things out of the room. 9 I gave orders to make the rooms pure and ‘clean’ again. Then I put the supplies from God’s house back into them. That included the grain offerings and the incense. 10 I also learned that the shares the Levites were supposed to receive hadn’t been given to them. So all the Levites and musicians had to leave their usual temple duties. They had to go back and farm their own fields. 11 I gave a warning to the officials. I asked them, ‘Why aren’t you taking care of God’s house?’ Then I brought the Levites and musicians together. I stationed them in their proper places. I put them back to work. 12 All the people of Judah brought a tenth of the corn, olive oil and fresh wine. They took it to the storerooms. 13 I put some men in charge of the storerooms. They were Shelemiah, Zadok and Pedaiah. Shelemiah was a priest. Zadok was a teacher of the law. And Pedaiah was a Levite. I made Hanan their assistant. He was the son of Zakkur. Zakkur was the son of Mattaniah. I knew that these men could be trusted. They were put in charge of handing out the supplies to the other Levites. 14 You are my God. Remember me because of what I’ve done. I’ve worked faithfully for your temple and its services. So please don’t forget the good things I’ve done. 15 In those days I saw some people of Judah treading grapes in winepresses. They were doing it on the Sabbath day. Other people were bringing in corn. They were loading it on donkeys. Still other people were loading up wine, grapes, figs and other kinds of things. They were bringing all of it into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So I warned them not to sell food on that day. 16 People from Tyre who lived in Jerusalem were bringing in fish. In fact, they were bringing in all kinds of goods. They were selling them in Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. The people of Judah were buying them. 17 I gave a warning to the nobles of Judah. I said, ‘Why are you doing such an evil thing? You are misusing the Sabbath day! 18 Your people of long ago did the very same things. That’s why our God has brought all this trouble on us. That’s why he’s making this city suffer so much. Now you are making him even angrier against Israel. You are misusing the Sabbath day.’ 19 Evening shadows fell on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath day started. So I ordered the gates to be shut. They had to remain closed until the Sabbath day was over. I stationed some of my own men at the gates. I told them not to let anything be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 Once or twice some traders and sellers spent the night outside Jerusalem. They were hoping to sell all kinds of goods. 21 But I gave them a warning. I said, ‘Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do this again, I’ll arrest you.’ So from that time on they didn’t come on the Sabbath day anymore. 22 I commanded the Levites to make themselves pure. Then I told them to go and guard the gates. I wanted the Sabbath day to be kept holy. You are my God. Remember me because of the good things I’ve done. Be kind to me according to your great love. 23 In those days I also saw that some men of Judah had married women from Ashdod. Others had married women from Ammon or Moab. 24 Half of their children spoke the language of Ashdod. Or they spoke the language of one of the other nations. They didn’t even know how to speak the language of Judah. 25 So I gave them a warning. I cursed them. I beat up some of them. I pulled their hair out. I had them make a promise in God’s name. I said, ‘You must promise not to give your daughters to be married to their sons. You must promise not to let their daughters marry your sons. And you must not marry their daughters either. 26 That’s how Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned. He married women from other nations. There wasn’t a king like him anywhere. His God loved him. In fact, God made him king over the whole nation of Israel. But even he was led into sin by women from other lands. 27 Now I hear that you too are doing all of the same terrible and evil things. You aren’t being faithful to our God. You are marrying women from other lands.’ 28 One of the sons of Joiada was the son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite. Joiada, the son of Eliashib, was the high priest. I drove Joiada’s son away from me. 29 You are my God. Remember what those priests have done. They have brought shame to their own work. They have also brought shame to the covenant that God made with the priests and Levites long ago. 30 So I made the priests and Levites pure. I made them pure from every practice that had come from other countries and had made them impure. I gave them their duties. Each one had his own job to do. 31 I also made plans for gifts of wood to be brought at certain appointed times. And I made plans for the first share of the crops to be brought. You are my God. Please remember me with kindness.

Библия, ревизирано издание

Реформите на Неемия

1 В същия ден, като четяха Моисеевата книга и народът слушаше, в нея се намери писано, че амонците и моавците не трябва никога да влизат в Божието общество, 2 защото не посрещнаха израилтяните с хляб и вода, а наеха против тях Валаам, за да ги прокълне; обаче нашият Бог обърна проклятията в благословение. 3 И като чуха закона, отлъчиха от Израил всички чужденци, смесени с него. 4 А въпреки това свещеник Елиасив, който надзираваше стаите на дома на нашия Бог, като беше сродник на Товия, 5 приготви за него голяма стая, където преди слагаха хлебните приноси, ливана, вещите и десятъците от житото, от виното и от дървеното масло, които бяха определени за левитите, за певците и за вратарите, също и приносите за свещениците. 6 Но когато ставало всичко това, аз не бях в Йерусалим; защото в тридесет и втората година на вавилонския цар Артаксеркс отидох при царя. И след известно време, като измолих позволение от царя, 7 пак дойдох в Йерусалим и научих за злото, което Елиасив беше направил относно Товия, като приготвил за него стая в дворовете на Божия дом. 8 И ми стана много мъчно; затова изхвърлих вън от стаята цялата покъщнина на Товия. 9 Тогава заповядах и очистиха стаите, и пак внесох там вещите на Божия дом, хлебните приноси и ливана. 10 После забелязах, че дяловете на левитите не им били давани, така че левитите и певците, които вършеха работата на служенето, бяха побегнали всеки в селото си. 11 Тогава изобличих по-главните мъже, като казах: Защо е изоставен Божият дом? И събрах побегналите служители и ги поставих на мястото им. 12 Тогава цяла Юдея донесе в складовете десятъка от житото, от виното и от дървеното масло. 13 И поставих за пазачи на складовете свещеник Селемия и секретаря Садок и от левитите Федая, и при тях Анан, син на Закхур, син на Матания, защото се смятаха за верни; и работата им беше да раздават на братята си. 14 Помни ме, Боже мой, за това и не заличавай добрините, които сторих за дома на моя Бог и за службата при Него. 15 През онези дни видях неколцина в Юдея, че в събота тъпчеха грозде в лина, внасяха снопи и товареха на осли вино, грозде, смокини и всякакви товари, които докарваха в Йерусалим в съботен ден; и аз заявих против тях, когато така продаваха храна. 16 Също и тиряните, които живееха в града, донасяха риби и всякакви стоки и продаваха в събота на юдеите и в Йерусалим. 17 Тогава изобличих юдейските благородни, като им казах: Какво е това зло, което правите, като осквернявате съботния ден? 18 Не постъпиха ли така бащите ви, така че нашият Бог докара всичкото това зло на нас и на този град? А пък вие умножавате гнева върху Израил, като осквернявате съботата. 19 Затова, когато започна да мръква в йерусалимските порти преди съботата, заповядах да се затворят вратите и заповядах да не се отварят до след съботата; и поставих на портите неколцина от моите слуги, за да не се внася никакъв товар в съботен ден. 20 Тогава един-два пъти търговците и продавачите на всякакви стоки пренощуваха вън от Йерусалим. 21 И така, аз заявих против тях, като им казах: Защо нощувате пред стената? Ако повторите, ще сложа ръка на вас. Оттогава не дойдоха вече в събота. 22 И заповядах на левитите да се очистват и да идват да пазят портите, за да освещават съботния ден. Помни ме, Боже мой, и за това и се смили над мене според голямата Си милост. 23 После в онези дни видях юдеите, които бяха взели жени азотки, амонки и моавки, 24 чиито деца говореха половин азотски, не знаеха юдейски, а говореха на езика на всеки от тези народи. 25 Изобличих ги, проклех ги, бих неколцина от тях, оскубах им космите и ги заклех в Бога, като казах: Да не давате дъщерите си на синовете им и да не вземате от техните дъщери за синовете си или за себе си. 26 Не съгреши ли така израилският цар Соломон? Ако и да не е имало между много народи цар, подобен на него, който беше възлюбен от своя Бог и когото Бог направи цар над целия Израил, но и него чужденките жени накараха да съгреши. 27 А ние да позволим ли на вас да вършите цялото това голямо зло, да ставате престъпници против нашия Бог, като вземате чужденки жени? 28 И един от синовете на Йодай, син на първосвещеника Елиасив, беше зет на оронеца Санавалат; затова го изпъдих от мене. 29 Спомни си за тях, Боже мой, защото са осквернили свещенството и завета на свещенството и левитите. 30 Така ги очистих от всички чужденци и определих отреди за свещениците и левитите, за всеки работата му; 31 наредих и за приноса на дърва в определени времена, и за първите плодове. Помни ме, Боже мой, за добро.

Nehemia 13 | New International Reader’s Version Библия, ревизирано издание

Реформите на Неемия