1Forsooth in that day it was read in the book of Moses, in hearing of the people; and it was found written therein, that Ammonites and Moabites owe not to enter into the church of God till into without end;

2for they met not the sons of Israel with bread and water, and they hired against the sons of Israel Balaam, for to curse them; and our God turned the cursing into blessing.

3And it was done, when the people had heard the law, they separated each alien from Israel.

4And upon these things was Eliashib, the priest, that was sovereign in the chamber of the house of our God, and was the neighbour of Tobiah ¹.

5Therefore he made to him a great chamber in the house of God; and there before him were men that kept the gifts that were offered, and incense, and diverse vessels, and the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, and the parts of deacons [or Levites], and of singers, and of porters, and the first fruits of priests.

6And in all these things I was not in Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon, I came to the king, and in the end of days I prayed the king.

7And I came into Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliashib had done to Tobiah, to make to him a chamber in the porches of God’s house;

8and to me it seemed full evil. And I casted forth the vessels of the house of Tobiah out of the chamber;

9and I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers; and I brought again there the vessels of God’s house, and the sacrifice thereof, and the incense.

10And I knew that the parts of the deacons [or Levites] were not given to them, and that each man of the deacons and of the singers, and of them that ministered in the temple, had gone away into his country;

11and I did the cause against magi-strates, and I said, Why have ye forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, that is, deacons or Levites and the ministers, that had gone away, and I made them to stand in their standings.

12And all Judah brought the tithe of wheat, of wine, and of oil, into the barns.

13And we ordained on the barns, Shelemiah, the priest, and Zadok, the writer, and Pedaiah, one of the deacons [or Levites], and besides them we ordained Hanan, the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were proved faithful men, and the parts of their brethren were betaken to them.

14My God, have mind of me for this thing, and do thou not away my merciful doings, which I have done in the house of my God, and in his ceremonies.

15In those days I saw in Judah men treading pressers in the sabbath, men bringing in heaps, and charging or loading on asses wine, and grapes, and figs, and all burdens, and bringing into Jerusalem in the day of sabbath; and I witnessed to them, that they should sell in the day in which it was leaveful to sell.

16And men of Tyre dwelled in it, and brought in fishes, and all things set to sale, and they sold in the sabbaths to the sons of Judah, and of Jerusalem.

17And I rebuked the principal men of Judah, and I said to them, What is this evil thing that ye do, and make unholy the day of the sabbath?

18Whether our fathers did not these things, and our God brought on us all this evil, and on this city? and ye increase wrathfulness on Israel, in defouling the sabbath.

19And it was done, when the gates of Jerusalem had rested in the day of sabbath, I said, Shut ye the gates; and they shutted the gates; and I com-manded, that they should not open the gates till after the sabbath. And of my children, or servants, I ordained numbers on the gates to keep shut, that no man should bring in a burden in the day of sabbath.

20And merchants, and men selling all things set to sale, dwelled without Jerusalem once or twice.

21And I areasoned with them, and I said to them, Why dwell ye there even against, or on the other side of, the wall? If ye do this thing the second time, I shall set hand on you. Therefore from that time forth they came not thither in the sabbath.

22Also I said to the deacons [or Levites], that they should be cleansed, and that they should come to keep the gates, and to hallow the day of sabbath. And therefore for this thing, my God, have mind of me, and spare me by the muchliness of thy merciful doings.

23But also in those days I saw Jews wedding wives, women of Ashdod, and women of Ammonites, and women of Moabites.

24And their children spake half part by the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak by the speech of Jews, and they spake by the language of this people, and of that people.

25And I rebuked them, and cursed them; and I beat the men of them, and I made them bald, and I made them swear by the Lord, that they should not give their daughters to the sons of those aliens, and that they should not take of the daughters of those aliens to their sons, and to themselves;

26and I said, Whether Solomon, the king of Israel, sinned not in such things? And certainly in many folks there was no king like him, and he was loved of his God, and God setted [or set] him king upon all Israel, and alien women brought him to sin.

27Whether also we unobedient, should do all this great evil, that we trespass against our Lord God, and wed alien wives?

28Forsooth Sanballat the Horonite had wedded a daughter of the sons of Joiada, son of Eliashib, the great priest, which Sanballat I drove away from me.

29My Lord God, have mind against them, that defoul priesthood, and the right of priests, and of deacons [or Levites].

30Therefore I cleansed them from all aliens, and I ordained the orders of priests and of deacons [or Levites], each man in his service,

31and in offering, that is, dressing, of trees, or of wood, to burn with offered sacrifices, in times ordained, and in the first fruits. My God, have mind of me into good.