Nehemiah 13:17-20

13:17 So I registered a complaint with the nobles of Judah, saying to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 13:18 Isn’t this the way your ancestors ¹  acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”

13:19 When the evening shadows ²  began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered ³  the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned ⁴  some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. 13:20 The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.

¹ tn Heb “your fathers.”

¹ tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”

² tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).

³ tn Heb “caused to stand.”