Nehemiah 13:17-22

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. 13:21 But I warned them and said, ⁵  “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” ⁶  From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. ⁷  13:22 Then I directed the Levites to purify themselves and come and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

For this please remember me, O my God, and have pity on me in keeping with your great love.

[13:18]  ¹ tn Heb “your fathers.”

[13:19]  ² tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”

[13:19]  ³ tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).

[13:19]  ⁴ tn Heb “caused to stand.”

[13:21]  ⁵ tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:21]  ⁶ tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”

[13:21]  ⁷ sn This statement contains a great deal of restrained humor. The author clearly takes pleasure in the effectiveness of the measures that he had enacted.