Nehemiah 13:15-22

New American Standard Bible

Sabbath Restored

¹⁵ In those days I saw in Judah people who were treading wine presses ^(A)on the Sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs, and every kind of load, ^(B)and they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. So ^(C)I admonished them on the day they sold food. ¹⁶ Also people of Tyre were living ^[a]there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the Sabbath, even in Jerusalem. ¹⁷ Then ^(D)I ^[b]reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, ^[c]by profaning the Sabbath day? ^18 (E)Did your fathers not do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath against Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ And ^(F)it came about that just as it became dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered that the doors be shut, ^[d]and that they were not to open them until after the Sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem. ²¹ Then ^(G)I warned them and said to them, “Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will ^[e]use force against you.” From that time on they did not come on the Sabbath. ²² And I ordered the Levites that ^(H)they were to purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the Sabbath day. For this also ^(I)remember me, my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your mercy.