15 "In those days I saw men in Yavdah [incorrectly: "Judah"] treading winepresses on the sabbath and bringing in grain and loading it on donkeys, together with wine, grapes, figs and all other kinds of loads.   And they were bringing all this into Yaravsalem on the sabbath.   Therefore I warned them against selling food on that day.

16 "Men from Tyre who lived in Yaravsalem were bringing in fish and all kinds of merchandise and selling them in Yaravsalem on the sabbath to the people of Yavdah.

17 "I rebuked the nobles of Yavdah and said to them, 'What is this wicked thing you are doing -- desecrating the sabbath day?

18 "'Didn't your forefathers do the same things, so that our Almighty One brought all this calamity upon us and upon this city?   Now you are stirring up more wrath against Yasrael be desecrating the sabbath.'

19 "And it came to pass, when the gates were set up in Yaravsalem [Septuagint], before the sabbath I ordered the gates to be shut and not opened until the sabbath was over.   I stationed some of my own men at the gates so that no load could be brought in on the sabbath day.

20 "Once or twice the merchants and sellers of all kinds of goods spent the night outside Yaravsalem.

21 "But I warned them and said, 'Why do you spend the night by the wall?   If you do this again, I will lay hands on you.'   From that time on they no longer came on the sabbath.

22 "Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the sabbath day sacred.   Remember me for this also, oh my Almighty One, and show mercy to me according to your abundant mercy."