18. Did not your avot thus, and did not Eloheinu bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city? Yet ye bring more wrath upon Yisroel by committing Chillul Shabbos (desecration of Shabbos).
19. And it came to pass, that when the gates of Yerushalayim began to be dark before Shabbos, I commanded that the gates should be shut, and charged that they should not be opened till after Shabbos, and some of my own men set I at the gates, that there should no massa (burden) be brought in on Shabbos.
20. Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of merchandise lodged outside Yerushalayim.
21. Then I warned them, and said unto them, Why lodge ye about the wall? If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you. From that time forth came they no more on Shabbos.
22. And I commanded the Levi'im that they should make themselves tahor, and that they should come and be shomer over the gates, to set apart as kodesh Shabbos. Remember me, O Elohai, concerning this also, and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy.
23. In those days also saw I Yehudim that had married wives of Ashdod, of Ammon, and of Moav,
24. And their children spoke half in the speech of Ashdod, and could not speak in the language of the Yehudim, but according to the language of each people.
25. And I contended with them, and cursed them, and smote certain of them, and plucked off their hair, and made them swear by Elohim, saying, Ye shall not give your banot unto their banim, nor take their banot unto your banim, or for yourselves.
26. Did not Sh'lomo Melech Yisroel sin by these things? Yet among many Goyim was there no melech like him, who was beloved of Elohav, and Elohim made him melech over kol Yisroel. Nevertheless even him did foreign women cause to sin.
27. Shall we then pay heed unto you to do all this great evil, to transgress against Eloheinu in marrying strange wives?
28. And one of the Bnei Yoyada ben Elyashiv, the Kohen HaGadol, was son-inlaw to Sanvalat the Choroni; therefore I drove him away from me.