Daily Holy Bible Reading on Nehemiah’s Final Chapter

Obedience to G-d’s Torah is the common theme in all the books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament).

Along come other books teaching the opposite or contrary.

You do not have to be a scholar or intelligent to identify which is right, and which is wrong. Unless, you are just showing off to others by following blindly.

Observance and remembrance of the Sabbath (Shabbat) is one huge mitzvah or commandment.

“Nehemiah Corrects The Mistakes”

… and it was found written in it that an Ammonite or Moabite shall not ever enter into the congregation of God, to eternity,
13:1
because they did not greet the Children of Israel with bread and with water; and [the Moabite king] hired Balaam against [Israel], but our God reversed the curse into a blessing.
:13:2
So it happened that when they heard the Torah, they separated all the assimilated ones from Israel.
13:3
I arrived in Jerusalem and contemplated the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a chamber for him in the courtyards of the Temple of God.
:7
“Remember me, O my God, for this; do not disregard my kindnesses that I did for the Temple of my God and for its watches!”
:14
In those days I observed in Judah [people] treading on winepresses on the Sabbath and [people] brining sheaves and loading them on the donkeys, as well as wine, grapes and figs and every burden, bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. …
:15
… and sell [them] on the Sabbath to the people of Judah — and in Jerusalem!
:16
So I contended with the aristocrats of Judah, and I said to them, “What is this wicked thing that you are doing, desecrating the Sabbath day?
:17
Did not your ancestors do this, and then our God brought all this evil upon us and upon this city? And now you bring additional wrath against Israel by desecrating the Sabbath!”
:18
… and I spoke [the order] not to open them until after the Sabbath. I stationed some of my servants at the gates, [so that] no burden could come in the Sabbath.
:19
I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you lodge across from the wall? If you repeat this, I will send a force against you!” …
:21
Then I told the Levites that they should regularly purify themselves and come as guards of the gates, to sanctify the Sabbath day. “This, too, remember for me, O my God, and be compassionate towards me according to Your abundant kindness!”
:22
Half their children spoke Ashdodian and did not know how to speak the language of the Jews, and likewise with the language of each nation.
:24
So I contended with them and I cursed them. I beat some of their men and tore their hair out. I made them swear by God, that “you not give your daughters over to their sons, nor marry their daughters to your sons or to yourselves.”
:25
[I said,] “Did not Solomon, king of Israel, sin with such [women]? … he was beloved by his God, … Yet the alien wives caused even him to sin!
:26
Shall we then listen to you, to do all his great wickedness, to be unfaithful to our God by marrying alien wives?”
:27
… Remember me, O my God, for good!”
:31

1 On that day the Book of Moses was read in the ears of the people, and it was found written therein that an Ammonite and a Moabite may not enter the congregation of God forever.
2 For they did not come forward to meet the Children of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them; but our God turned the curse into a blessing.
3 Now it came to pass when they heard the Torah, that they separated all mixtures from Israel.
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed to the chamber of the Temple of our God, was a kinsman of Tobiah.
5 And he had made him a large chamber, and in previous times they would put there the meal offering, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithe of the corn, the wine, and the oil, which were ordained for the Levites and the singers and the gate sentries, and the heave offering of the priests.
6 Now with all this, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes the king of Babylon, I came to the king, and after some days, I requested of the king.
7 And I came to Jerusalem, and I pondered the evil that Eliashib had done in the matter of Tobiah, by making him a chamber in the courts of the Temple of God.
8 And I was very distressed, and I cast all the vessels of Tobiah’s house out of the chamber.
9 And I commanded, and they purified the chambers, and I returned there the vessels of the Temple of God, the meal offerings, and the frankincense.
10 And I knew that the portions due the Levites had not been given, and the Levites and the singers who did the work fled each one to his field.
11 So I quarreled with the prefects, and I said, “Why has the Temple of God been forsaken?” And I gathered them and stationed them in their place.
12 And all of Judah brought the tithes of the corn, and the wine, and the oil to the treasuries.
13 And I appointed treasurers over the treasuries: Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah, for they were deemed trustworthy, and it was incumbent upon them to distribute to their brethren.
14 Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not erase my good deeds that I did in the Temple of my God and with its watches.
15 In those days, I saw in Judea [people] treading winepresses on the Sabbath and bringing stacks [of grain] and loading them on donkeys, and also wine, grapes, and figs, and all types of loads and bringing them to Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, and I warned them on the day they sold provisions.
16 And the Tyrians [who] sojourned there were bringing fish and all [types of] merchandise and selling on the Sabbath to the people of Judea and in Jerusalem.
17 And I quarreled with the dignitaries of Judea, and I said to them, “What is this bad thing that you are doing-profaning the Sabbath day?
18 Did not your ancestors do this, and our God brought upon us all this calamity, and upon this city, and you are increasing the wrath upon Israel by profaning the Sabbath?”
19 Now it came to pass when the gates of Jerusalem cast shadows before the Sabbath, that I commanded, and the doors were closed, and I said that they should not open them until after the Sabbath, and I stationed some of my youths over the gates so that no load should enter on the Sabbath day.
20 So the traffickers and the vendors of all types of merchandise lodged outside Jerusalem once and twice.
21 And I warned them and said to them, “Why are you lodging opposite the wall? If you repeat [this], I shall lay a hand on you.” Since that time, they did not come on the Sabbath.
22 And I commanded the Levites that the watchers of the walls should purify themselves and come to hallow the Sabbath day. This too remember for me, my God, and have pity on me according to Your abundant loving-kindness.
23 Also in those days, I saw the Jews who had married Ashdodite, Ammonite, and Moabite women.
24 And half their children were speaking Ashdodite, and they did not know how to speak Hebrew, and [so it was] with the language of every people.
25 And I quarreled with them, and I cursed them, and I struck some of them, and I plucked out their hair, and I adjured them by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons nor take their daughters either for your sons or for yourselves.
26 Did not Solomon the king of Israel sin with these, although there was no king like him among the great nations, beloved by his God, Who appointed him king over all Israel? The foreign women caused even him to sin.
27 Shall we then hearken to you to do all this great evil to betray our God to marry foreign women?”
28 And [one] of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the High Priest, was the son-in- law of Sanballat the Horonite, and I drove him away from me.
29 Remember them, my God, that they defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and of the Levites.
30 But I purified them of everything alien, and I appointed watches of the priests and of the Levites, each one in his work.
31 And concerning the wood offering at appointed times and concerning the first-fruits, remember for me, my God, favorably.