17. I argued with the important men of Judah. I said to them, “What is this evil thing you are doing? You are ruining the Sabbath day.
18. This is just what your ancestors did. So our God did terrible things to us and this city. Now you are making him even more angry at Israel. You are ruining the Sabbath day.”
19. So I ordered the doors shut at sunset before the Sabbath. The gates were not to be opened until the Sabbath was over. I put my servants at the gates. So no load could come in on the Sabbath.
20. Once or twice traders and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Jerusalem.
21. So I warned them. I said, “Why are you spending the night by the wall? If you do it again, I will force you away.” After that, they did not come back on the Sabbath.
22. Then I ordered the Levites to purify themselves. I told them to go and guard the city gates. They were to make sure the Sabbath remained holy.Remember me, my God, for this. Have mercy on me because of your great love.
23. In those days I saw men of Judah who had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.
24. Half their children were speaking the language of Ashdod or some other place. They couldn’t speak the language of Judah.
25. I argued with those people. I put curses on them. I hit some of them and pulled out their hair. I forced them to make a promise to God. I said, “Do not let your daughters marry the sons of foreigners. Do not take the daughters of foreigners as wives for your sons or yourselves.