KJV ORIGINAL
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?
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
Then I confronted the leaders of Judah and said to them, 'What is this wicked thing you're doing? You're treating the Sabbath day as unholy!'
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
Nehemiah is boldly confronting the Jewish leaders for allowing people to dishonor the Sabbath day through their actions.
📚 Historical Context
This occurs after Nehemiah returned from a trip to the Persian king and discovered that the people had fallen back into old patterns of disobedience. The nobles were allowing merchants to sell goods on the Sabbath, which violated God's command to keep the seventh day holy and set apart for rest and worship.
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