On that day they read in the book of Moses in the audience of the people; and therein was found written, that an Ammonite and a Moabite should not enter into the assembly of God for ever,
because they met not the children of Israel with bread and with water, but hired Balaam against them, to curse them: howbeit our God turned the curse into a blessing.
And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated from Israel all the mixed multitude.
Now before this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the {Hebrew: chamber.}chambers of the house of our God, being allied unto Tobiah,
had prepared for him a great chamber, where aforetime they laid the meal-offerings, the frankincense, and the vessels, and the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil, which were given by commandment to the Levites, and the singers, and the porters; and the heave-offerings for the priests.
But in all this time I was not at Jerusalem; for in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went unto the king: and after certain days asked I leave of the king,
and I came to Jerusalem, and understood the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the courts of the house of God.
And it grieved me sore: therefore I cast forth all the household stuff of Tobiah out of the chamber.
Then I commanded, and they cleansed the chambers: and thither brought I again the vessels of the house of God, with the meal-offerings and the frankincense.
And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, that did the work, were fled every one to his field.
Then contended I with the {Or, deputies}rulers, and said, Why is the house of God forsaken? And I gathered them together, and set them in their place.
Then brought all Judah the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil unto the treasuries.
And I made treasurers over the treasuries, Shelemiah the priest, and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah: and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were counted faithful, and their business was to distribute unto their brethren.
Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and wipe not out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for the observances thereof.
In those days saw I in Judah some men treading winepresses on the sabbath, and bringing in {Or, heaps of grain}sheaves, and lading asses therewith; as also wine, grapes, and figs, and all manner of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the sabbath day: and I testified against them in the day wherein they sold victuals.
There dwelt men of Tyre also therein, who brought in fish, and all manner of wares, and sold on the sabbath unto the children of Judah, and in Jerusalem.
Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? yet ye bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.
And it came to pass that, when the gates of Jerusalem began to be dark before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the sabbath: and some of my servants set I over the gates, that there should no burden be brought in on the sabbath day.
So the merchants and sellers of all kind of wares lodged without Jerusalem once or twice.
Then I testified against them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye {Hebrew: before.}about the wall? if ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on the sabbath.
And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves, and that they should come and keep the gates, to sanctify the sabbath day. Remember unto me, O my God, this also, and spare me according to the greatness of thy lovingkindness.
In those days also saw I the Jews that {Hebrew: had made to dwell with them.}had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
and their children spake half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the Jews' language, but according to the language of each people.
And I contended with them, and {Or, reviled}cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by God, saying, Ye shall not give your daughters unto their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons, or for yourselves.
Did not Solomon king of Israel sin by these things? yet among many nations was there no king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.
Shall we then hearken unto you to do all this great evil, to trespass against our God in marrying foreign women?
And one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was son-in-law to Sanballat the Horonite: therefore I chased him from me.
Remember them, O my God, {Hebrew: for the defilings of &c.}because they have defiled the priesthood, and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Levites.
Thus cleansed I them from {Or, everything foreign}all foreigners, and appointed charges for the priests and for the Levites, every one in his work;
and for the wood-offering, at times appointed, and for the first-fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.
Querverweise zu Nehemia 13,1 Neh 13,1
And he read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate {Hebrew: from the light.}from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a {Hebrew: tower.}pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
And Ezra blessed Jehovah, the great God: and all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped Jehovah with their faces to the ground.
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.
And they read in the book, in the law of God, {Or, with an interpretation}distinctly; and they gave the sense, {Or, and caused them to understand}so that they understood the reading.
In those days also saw I the Jews that {Hebrew: had made to dwell with them.}had married women of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moab:
And when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly, for that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of Jehovah their God a fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped Jehovah their God.
An Ammonite or a Moabite shall not enter into the assembly of Jehovah; even to the tenth generation shall none belonging to them enter into the assembly of Jehovah for ever:
because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt, and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor from Pethor of {Hebrew: Aram-naharaim.}Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
Nevertheless Jehovah thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but Jehovah thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because Jehovah thy God loved thee.
But when Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian, heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, What is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the king?
when all Israel is come to appear before Jehovah thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
The {Or, oracle concerning}burden of Moab.For {Or, in the night}in a night Ar of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought; for {Or, in the night}in a night Kir of Moab is laid waste, and brought to nought.
{Or, Bayith and Dibon are gone up to the high places}They are gone up to {Or, the temple}Bayith, and to Dibon, to the high places, to weep: Moab waileth {Or, upon}over Nebo, and {Or, upon}over Medeba; on all their heads is baldness, every beard is cut off.
In their streets they gird themselves with sackcloth; on their housetops, and in their broad places, every one waileth, weeping abundantly.
And Heshbon crieth out, and Elealeh; their voice is heard even unto Jahaz: therefore the armed men of Moab cry aloud; his soul trembleth within him.
My heart crieth out for Moab; her {Or, as otherwise read, fugitives}nobles flee unto Zoar, {Or, as a heifer three years old}to Eglath-shelishi-yah: for by the ascent of Luhith with weeping they go up; for in the way of Horonaim they raise up a cry of destruction.
For the waters of Nimrim shall be {Hebrew: desolations.}desolate; for the grass is withered away, the tender grass faileth, there is no green thing.
Therefore the abundance they have gotten, and that which they have laid up, shall they carry away over the brook of the willows.
For the cry is gone round about the borders of Moab; the wailing thereof unto Eglaim, and the wailing thereof unto Beer-elim.
For the waters of Dimon are full of blood; for I will bring yet more upon Dimon, a lion upon them of Moab that escape, and upon the remnant of the land.
Now Tobiah the Ammonite was by him, and he said, Even that which they are building, if a {Or, jackel}fox go up, he shall break down their stone wall.
Assemble the people, the men and the women and the little ones, and thy sojourner that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear Jehovah your God, and observe to do all the words of this law;
Of Moab. Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Woe unto Nebo! for it is laid waste; Kiriathaim is put to shame, it is taken; {Or, the high fort}Misgab is put to shame and {Or, dismayed}broken down.
The praise of Moab is no more; in Heshbon they have devised evil against her: Come, and let us cut her off from being a nation. Thou also, O Madmen, shalt be brought to silence: the sword shall pursue thee.
The sound of a cry from Horonaim, desolation and great destruction!
Moab is destroyed; her little ones have caused a cry to be heard.
For by the ascent of Luhith with continual weeping shall they go up; for at the descent of Horonaim they have heard the distress of the cry of destruction.
Flee, save your lives, and be like the heath in the wilderness.
For, because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou also shalt be taken: and Chemosh shall go forth into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
And the destroyer shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape; the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed; as Jehovah hath spoken.
Give wings unto Moab, {Or, for she must fly: and her cities &c.}that she may fly and get her away: and her cities shall become a desolation, without any to dwell therein.
Cursed be he that doeth the work of Jehovah {Or, deceitfully}negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood.
Moab hath been at ease from his youth, and he hath settled on his lees, and hath not been emptied from vessel to vessel, neither hath he gone into captivity: therefore his taste remaineth in him, and his scent is not changed.
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will send unto him them that {Hebrew: tilt (a vessel).}pour off, and they shall {Hebrew: tilt (a vessel).}pour him off; and they shall empty his vessels, and break their {Or, jars}bottles in pieces.
And Moab shall be ashamed of Chemosh, as the house of Israel was ashamed of Beth-el their confidence.
How say ye, We are mighty men, and valiant men for the war?
Moab is laid waste, and {Or, his cities are gone up in smoke}they are gone up into his cities, and his chosen young men are gone down to the slaughter, saith the King, whose name is Jehovah of hosts.
The calamity of Moab is near to come, and his affliction hasteth fast.
All ye that are round about him, bemoan him, and all ye that know his name; say, How is the strong {Or, sceptre}staff broken, the beautiful rod!
O thou daughter that {Or, art sealed}dwellest in Dibon, come down from thy glory, and sit in thirst; for the destroyer of Moab is come up against thee, he hath destroyed thy strongholds.
O {Hebrew: inhabitress.}inhabitant of Aroer, stand by the way, and watch: ask him that fleeth, and her that escapeth; say, What hath been done?
Moab is put to shame; for it is {Or, dismayed}broken down: wail and cry; tell ye it by the Arnon, that Moab is laid waste.
And judgment is come upon the plain country, upon Holon, and upon Jahzah, and upon Mephaath,
and upon Dibon, and upon Nebo, and upon Beth-diblathaim,
and upon Kiriathaim, and upon Beth-gamul, and upon Beth-meon,
and upon Kerioth, and upon Bozrah, and upon all the cities of the land of Moab, far or near.
The horn of Moab is cut off, and his arm is broken, saith Jehovah.
Make ye him drunken; for he magnified himself against Jehovah: and Moab shall wallow in his vomit, and he also shall be in derision.
For was not Israel a derision unto thee? was he found among thieves? for as often as thou speakest of him, thou waggest the head.
O ye inhabitants of Moab, leave the cities, and dwell in the rock; and be like the dove that maketh her nest over the mouth of the abyss.
We have heard of the pride of Moab, that he is very proud; his loftiness, and his pride, and his arrogancy, and the haughtiness of his heart.
I know his wrath, saith Jehovah, that it is nought; his boastings have wrought nothing.
Therefore will I wail for Moab; yea, I will cry out for all Moab: for the men of Kir-heres shall they mourn.
With more than the weeping of Jazer will I weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah: thy branches passed over the sea, they reached even to the sea of Jazer: upon thy summer fruits and upon thy vintage the destroyer is fallen.
And gladness and joy is taken away from the fruitful field and from the land of Moab; and I have caused wine to cease from the winepresses: none shall tread with shouting; the shouting shall be no shouting.
From the cry of Heshbon even unto Elealeh, even unto Jahaz have they uttered their voice, from Zoar even unto Horonaim, {Or, as a heifer three years old}to Eglath-shelishiyah: for the waters of Nimrim also shall become {Hebrew: desolations.}desolate.
Moreover I will cause to cease in Moab, saith Jehovah, him that offereth in the high place, and him that burneth incense to his gods.
Therefore my heart soundeth for Moab like pipes, and my heart soundeth like pipes for the men of Kir-heres: therefore the abundance that he hath gotten is perished.
For every head is bald, and every beard clipped: upon all the hands are cuttings, and upon the loins sackcloth.
On all the housetops of Moab and in the streets thereof there is lamentation every where; for I have broken Moab like a vessel wherein none delighteth, saith Jehovah.
How is it broken down! {Or, wail ye!}how do they wail! how hath Moab turned the back with shame! so shall Moab become a derision and a terror to all that are round about him.
For thus saith Jehovah: Behold, he shall fly as an eagle, and shall spread out his wings against Moab.
{Or, The cities are taken}Kerioth is taken, and the strongholds are seized, and the heart of the mighty men of Moab at that day shall be as the heart of a woman in her pangs.
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against Jehovah.
Fear, and the pit, and the snare, are upon thee, O inhabitant of Moab, saith Jehovah.
He that fleeth from the fear shall fall into the pit; and he that getteth up out of the pit shall be taken in the snare: for I will bring upon him, even upon Moab, the year of their visitation, saith Jehovah.
{Or, Fleeing because of the force, they stand under}They that fled stand without strength under the shadow of Heshbon; {Or, but}for a fire is gone forth out of Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, and hath devoured the corner of Moab, and the crown of the head of the tumultuous ones.
Woe unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh is undone; for thy sons are taken away captive, and thy daughters into captivity.
Yet will I {Or, return to}bring back the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith Jehovah. Thus far is the judgment of Moab.
Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek;Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre:
Assyria also is joined with them;They have {Hebrew: been an arm to the children of Lot.}helped the children of Lot. [Selah
Do thou unto them as unto Midian,As to Sisera, as to Jabin, at the river Kishon;
And the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, and the priests, and the prophets, and all the people, both small and great: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah.
And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,
Son of man, set thy face toward the children of Ammon, and prophesy {Or, concerning}against them:
and say unto the children of Ammon, Hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, Because thou saidst, Aha, against my sanctuary, when it was profaned; and against the land of Israel, when it was made desolate; and against the house of Judah, when they went into captivity:
therefore, behold, I will deliver thee to the children of the east for a possession, and they shall set their encampments in thee, and make their dwellings in thee; they shall eat thy fruit, and they shall drink thy milk.
And I will make Rabbah a stable for camels, and the children of Ammon a couching-place for flocks: and ye shall know that I am Jehovah.
For thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because thou hast clapped thy hands, and stamped with the feet, and rejoiced with all the despite of thy soul against the land of Israel;
therefore, behold, I have stretched out my hand upon thee, and will deliver thee for a spoil to the nations; and I will cut thee off from the peoples, and I will cause thee to perish out of the countries: I will destroy thee; and thou shalt know that I am Jehovah.
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah: Because that Moab and Seir do say, Behold, the house of Judah is like unto all the nations;
therefore, behold, I will open the side of Moab from the cities, from his cities which are {Or, in every quarter}on his frontiers, the glory of the country, Beth-jeshimoth, Baal-meon, and Kiriathaim,
{Or, together with the children of Ammon, unto the children of the east}unto the children of the east, to go against the children of Ammon; and I will give them for a possession, that the children of Ammon may not be remembered among the nations.
and I will execute judgments upon Moab; and they shall know that I am Jehovah.
Of the children of Ammon. Thus saith Jehovah: Hath Israel no sons? hath he no heir? why then doth {Or, their king}Malcam {Or, inherit}possess Gad, and his people dwell in the cities thereof?
Therefore, behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will cause an alarm of war to be heard against Rabbah of the children of Ammon; and it shall become a desolate heap, and her daughters shall be burned with fire: then shall Israel {Or, inherit}possess them that did {Or, inherit}possess him, saith Jehovah.
Wail, O Heshbon, for Ai is laid waste; cry, ye daughters of Rabbah, gird you with sackcloth: lament, and run to and fro among the fences; for {Or, their king}Malcam shall go into captivity, his priests and his princes together.
{Or, Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys? thy valley floweth away}Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?
Behold, I will bring a fear upon thee, saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, from all that are round about thee; and ye shall be driven out every man right forth, and there shall be none to gather together the fugitives.
But afterward I will bring back the captivity of the children of Ammon, saith Jehovah.
Seek ye out of the book of Jehovah, and read: no one of these shall be missing, none shall want her mate; for my mouth, it hath commanded, and his Spirit, it hath gathered them.
Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of Moab, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because he burned the bones of the king of Edom into lime:
But I will send a fire upon Moab, and it shall devour the palaces of Kerioth; and Moab shall die with tumult, with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet;
and I will cut off the judge from the midst thereof, and will slay all the princes thereof with him, saith Jehovah.
Thus saith Jehovah: For three transgressions of the children of Ammon, yea, for four, I will not turn away the punishment thereof; because they have ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they may enlarge their border.
But I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rabbah, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with shouting in the day of battle, with a tempest in the day of the whirlwind;
and their king shall go into captivity, he and his princes together, saith Jehovah.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and he entered, as his custom was, into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up to read.
And there was delivered unto him {Or, a roll}the book of the prophet Isaiah. And he opened the {Or, roll}book, and found the place where it was written,
{Isaiah 41:1 f.}The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, {Or, Wherefore}Because he anointed me to preach {Or, the gospel}good tidings to the poor:He hath sent me to proclaim release to the captives,And recovering of sight to the blind,To set at liberty them that are bruised,
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.
And he said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?
And after the reading of the law and the prophets the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.
For Moses from generations of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every sabbath.