Then I rebuked the nobles of Judah and asked, “What is this evil you are doing—profaning the Sabbath day?
Parallel translations
- WEB Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, and profane the Sabbath day?
- KJV Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said unto them, What evil thing is this that ye do, and profane the sabbath day?
- NKJV Then I contended with the nobles of Judah, and said to them, “What evil thing is this that you do, by which you profane the Sabbath day?
- NASB Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, “What is this evil thing that you are doing, by profaning the Sabbath day?
- NLT So I confronted the nobles of Judah. “Why are you profaning the Sabbath in this evil way?” I asked.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Nehemiah confronted the nobles of Judah for profaning the Sabbath. It matters because he held the leaders responsible for the people's disregard of God's command.
Overview
Nehemiah rebuked the nobles directly, calling Sabbath-breaking an evil and profane thing. By addressing the leaders, he aimed the correction where responsibility lay. His unflinching call to honor God's day shows that true reform names sin plainly and looks to those who should set the example for the people.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Neh 13:11So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,
- Neh 13:25I rebuked them and called down curses on them. I beat some of these men and pulled out their hair. Then I made them take an oath before God and said, “You must not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters as wives for your sons or for yourselves!
- Jer 22:2–23saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David—you and your officials and your people who enter these gates.
- Neh 5:7and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them
- Prov 28:4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.
- Isa 1:10Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!
- Mic 3:9Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right,
- Mic 3:1Then I said: “Hear now, O leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice?
- Jer 5:5I will go to the powerful and speak to them. Surely they know the way of the LORD, the justice of their God.” But they too, with one accord, had broken the yoke and torn off the chains.
- Ps 82:1–2A Psalm of Asaph. God presides in the divine assembly; He renders judgment among the gods:
- Jer 13:18Say to the king and to the queen mother: “Take a lowly seat, for your glorious crowns have fallen from your heads.”
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Christ at the center
The rebuilt walls and renewed covenant community foreshadow the greater builder who gathers and secures a people for God, the one who declares 'I will build my church.'
How Nehemiah 13:17 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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