Nehemiah 13:15-22

New Catholic Bible

¹⁵ Sabbath Observances. In those days I observed men in Judah treading winepresses on the Sabbath, and also bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on their donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs, and every other kind of merchandise into Jerusalem on the Sabbath. I warned them not to sell food on that day. ¹⁶ In addition, Tyrians who resided in Jerusalem were also bringing in fish and every other kind of merchandise and selling it to the Judahites on the Sabbath.

¹⁷ Therefore, I rebuked the nobles of Judah, saying to them: “What is this evil thing you are doing in profaning the Sabbath? ¹⁸ Is not this exactly what your ancestors did, with the result that our God has brought all this misery down upon us and upon this city? And now you are adding to the wrath that is befalling Israel by profaning the Sabbath.”

¹⁹ When the evening shadows were falling on the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I gave orders for the doors to be shut, and I further directed that they were not to be opened again until the Sabbath was over. Furthermore, I stationed some of my attendants at the gate to ensure that no merchandise would be brought in on the Sabbath day.^[a]

²⁰ On one or two occasions the merchants and dealers in goods of all kinds spent the night outside Jerusalem, ²¹ until I warned them, saying: “Why are you spending the night in front of the city wall? If you ever do so again, I will not hesitate to lay hands on you.” From that time on, they did not return on the Sabbath. ²² Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves and to act as guards at the gates, in order that the Sabbath day would be kept holy.

Remember this also in my favor, O my God, and have mercy on me in accordance with your great love and mercy.