HelpFinder Bible - Flipbook - Page 811
page 441
and tradesmen with a variety of wares camped
outside Jerusalem once or twice. 21 But I spoke
sharply to them and said, “What are you doing
out here, camping around the wall? If you do
this again, I will arrest you!” And that was the
last time they came on the Sabbath. 22 Then I
commanded the Levites to purify themselves
and to guard the gates in order to preserve the
holiness of the Sabbath.
Remember this good deed also, O my God!
Have compassion on me according to your
great and unfailing love.
23 About the same time I realized that some of
the men of Judah had married women from Ashdod, Ammon, and Moab. 24 Furthermore, half
their children spoke the language of Ashdod or
of some other people and could not speak the
language of Judah at all. 25 So I confronted them
and called down curses on them. I beat some
of them and pulled out their hair. I made them
swear in the name of God that they would not let
their children intermarry with the pagan people
of the land.
NEHEM IAH 13
26 “Wasn’t this exactly what led King Solomon
of Israel into sin?” I demanded. “There was no
king from any nation who could compare to
him, and God loved him and made him king
over all Israel. But even he was led into sin by
his foreign wives. 27 How could you even think of
committing this sinful deed and acting unfaithfully toward God by marrying foreign women?”
28 One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib
the high priest had married a daughter of Sanballat the Horonite, so I banished him from my
presence.
29 Remember them, O my God, for they have
defiled the priesthood and the solemn vows
of the priests and Levites.
30 So I purged out everything foreign and assigned tasks to the priests and Levites, making
certain that each knew his work. 31 I also made
sure that the supply of wood for the altar and
the first portions of the harvest were brought at
the proper times.
Remember this in my favor, O my God.