Nehemiah 13:1-31 Remembering What was Done in Jerusalem, for the Lord God's Mercy

Remembering What was Done in Jerusalem, for the Lord God's Mercy

Nehemiah 13:1-31           The Book of Nehemiah in [Smaller Chunks]

[On] that day, they read [from] the Book of Moses, in the audience of the people & [in it] was found written, that the Ammonite & Moabite shouldn't come into the congregation of God forever.

[That's] because they [didn't meet] the children [people] of Israel with bread & water, but hired Balaam, against them, [so] he [could] curse them. [However,] our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Now, it [happened,] that after they heard the law, they separated Israel from all the mixed multitude. [Deuteronomy 12:29-31 When the Lord, your God, shall cut off the nations from before you, [where you go] to possess them & [you come there afterwards & live] in their land;

[pay attention] to yourself, that you not be [trapped] by following them, after they [have been] destroyed from before you. [So] that you [don't] inquire after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? I will even do the same [to you.]

You shall not do so, to the Lord, your God; for every abomination to the Lord, [that] He hates, they have done to their gods; for they have even burnt their sons & daughters in the fire to their gods.]

And before this, Eliashib, the priest, having oversight of the [storage room] of the house of our God, was [joined as allies] with Tobiah.

And he had prepared for [Tobiah a large room, where previously] they laid the meat offerings, frankincense, vessels, [1/10] tithes of [grain,] new wine & the oil, which was commanded to be given to the Levites, singers [& musicians,] & [gatekeepers] & the offerings of the priests.

But all this time, I wasn't [in] Jerusalem. For [during] the 32nd year of Artaxerxes, [Babylon's] king, I came to the king & after [some] days, I [got permission] to leave [from] the king.

And I came to Jerusalem & I [realized] the evil that Eliashib [had done] for Tobiah, in preparing him a [room] in the [courtyards] of the house of God. And it grieved me [bitterly,] therefore, I [threw out] all the household stuff of Tobiah, out of the [room.]

Then, I commanded & they cleansed the [rooms] & brought [in there] again, the vessels of the house of God, with the meat offering & the frankincense. And I [realized] that the Levites portions [of food,] hadn't been given to them. For the Levites, the singers [& musicians, who] did the work, had [each] fled to his field.

Then, I [argued] with the rulers & said, Why is the house of God [abandoned?] And I gathered them together & [put] them in their place. Then, all Judah brought the [1/10] tithe of [grain,] new wine & oil into the treasuries, [a.k.a. storage rooms.]

And I made treasurers [in charge] over the [treasury storage rooms:] Shelemiah, the priest & Zadok, the scribe. And [from] the Levites: Pedaiah & next to them was: Hanan, the son of Zaccur, [a.k.a. Zakkur, who] was the son of Mattaniah.

For they were [considered] faithful & their [duty] was to distribute [their portion of food] to their brethren. Remember me, O my God, [about] this & [don't] wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God & for [its services.]

[During] those days, I saw in Judah & some [trampling grapes in a wine vat] on the Sabbath & bringing in sheaves [of grain & loading mules] & also wine, grapes & figs & all [types of loads, that] they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath Day.

And I testified against them [on the Sabbath] Day, [in which] they sold [food.] Also, there [lived] men of Tyre [there, who] brought fish & all [types of merchandise] & sold [it] on the Sabbath to the children [people] of Judah & in Jerusalem.

Then, I [argued] with the nobles of Judah & said to them, What is this evil thing that you do & [defile] the Sabbath day? Didn't your [forefathers] do [this] & didn't our God bring all this [calamity] upon us & upon this city? [Still,] you bring [even] more [anger] upon Israel by [defiling] the Sabbath.

And it [happened,] that when [it] began to be dark, before the Sabbath, I commanded that the gates of Jerusalem should be shut & [ordered] that they should not be opened [until] after the Sabbath. And I [put] some of my servants at the gates, [so] that no [load could] be brought in on the Sabbath day.

So, the merchants & sellers of all [types of merchandise,] lodged [outside] Jerusalem once or twice. Then, I testified against them & said to them, Why [do] you lodge [around] the wall? If you do so again, I will [seize] you. From that time [forward,] they no [longer] came on the Sabbath.

And I commanded the Levites, that they should cleanse themselves & that they should come & keep [watch] at the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath Day. Remember me, O God, [related] to this also & spare me according to the greatness of Your mercy.

[During] those days, I also saw Jews [who] had married wives of Ashdod, Ammon & Moab. And their children [partially spoke] the [language] of Ashdod & couldn't speak the Jew's language, but according to the language of each people.

And I [argued] with them & cursed them & [struck some] of them & plucked off their hair & made them swear by God, saying, You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take their daughter to your sons, or for yourselves.

Didn't Solomon, [Israel's] king, sin by these things? [Still] among many nations, there was no king like him, who was beloved [by] his God. And God made him king over all Israel. [However,] even outlandish women, [caused him] to sin.

[1 Kings 11:2-4 Of the nations, [of] which the Lord said to the children [people] of Israel, You shall not go in to them [intimately] & neither shall they come in to you. For surely they will turn away your heart after their gods & Solomon [clung] to these in love.

And [Solomon] had 700 wives, princesses & 300 [mistresses] & his wives turned away his heart. For it [happened,] when he was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods & his heart wasn't perfect with the Lord his God [like] David, his father.]

Shall we [pay attention] to you & do all this great evil, to [sin] against our God [by] marrying strange wives? And one of the sons of Joiada, [who] was the son of Eliashib, the high priest & was the son-in-law to Sanballat, the Horonite. Therefore, I chased him [away] from me.

Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood & the covenant [contract] of the priesthood & of the Levites.

[Like this,] I cleansed them from all [foreigners] & appointed the [duties] of the priests & the Levites, everyone [related to] his business. And [for] the wood offering & the firstfruits, times [were] appointed. Remember me, O my God, for good.