Nehemiah 13:18-20

New English Translation

¹⁸ Isn’t this the way your ancestors^[a] acted, causing our God to bring on them and on this city all this misfortune? And now you are causing even more wrath on Israel, profaning the Sabbath like this!”^[b]

¹⁹ When the evening shadows began to fall on^[c] the gates of Jerusalem before the Sabbath, I ordered^[d] the doors to be closed. I further directed that they were not to be opened until after the Sabbath. I positioned^[e] some of my young men at the gates so that no load could enter on the Sabbath day. ²⁰ The traders and sellers of all kinds of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem once or twice.