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.