15. In those days I saw in Yehuḏah those treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Yerushalayim on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day they sold food.
16. And men of Tsor dwelt there, bringing in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Yehuḏah, and in Yerushalayim.
17. Then I contended with the nobles of Yehuḏah, and said to them, “What evil matter is this that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day?
18. “Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Yisra’ĕl by profaning the Sabbath.”
19. And it came to be, at the gates of Yerushalayim, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day.
20. And the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares spent the night outside Yerushalayim once or twice,
21. and I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.
22. And I commanded the Lĕwites that they should cleanse themselves, and they should come, guarding the gates, to set apart the Sabbath day. Remember me, O my Elohim, concerning this also, and pardon me according to the greatness of Your kindness!
23. In those days I also saw Yehuḏim who had married women of Ashdoḏ, Ammon, Mo’aḇ.
24. And half of their children spoke the language of Ashdoḏ, and could not speak the language of Yehuḏah, but spoke according to the language of one or the other people.
25. Then I contended with them and cursed them, and smote some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by Elohim, saying, “You do not give your daughters as wives to their sons, nor take their daughters for your sons or yourselves.
26. “Did not Shelomoh sovereign of Yisra’ĕl sin because of them? Among the many nations there was no sovereign like him, who was beloved of his Elohim, and Elohim made him sovereign over all Yisra’ĕl. Even him foreign women caused to sin.
27. “Should we then hear of your doing all this great evil, trespassing against our Elohim by marrying foreign wives?”
28. And one of the sons of Yoyaḏa, son of Elyashiḇ the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Ḥoronite. And I drove him from me.
29. Remember them, O my Elohim, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood, and of the Lĕwites.