Nehemiah 13:19-22

13:19 When the evening shadows ¹  began to fall on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered ²  the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned ³  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, ⁴  “Why do you spend the night by the wall? If you repeat this, I will forcibly remove you!” ⁵  From that time on they did not show up on the Sabbath. ⁶  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.

[13:19]  ¹ tn Heb “the gates of Jerusalem grew dark.”

[13:19]  ² tn Heb “said” (so also in v. 22).

[13:19]  ³ tn Heb “caused to stand.”

[13:21]  ⁴ tn The Hebrew text includes the words “to them,” but they have been excluded from the translation for stylistic reasons.

[13:21]  ⁵ tn Heb “I will send a hand on you.”

[13:21]  ⁶ 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.