Nehemiah 13:4-14

English Standard Version

⁴ Now before this, ^(A)Eliashib the priest, who ^(B)was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to ^(C)Tobiah, ⁵ prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil, ^(D)which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. ⁶ While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for ^(E)in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes ^(F)king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king ⁷ and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, ^(G)preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. ⁸ And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. ⁹ Then I gave orders, and they ^(H)cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰ I also found out that ^(I)the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each ^(J)to his field. ^11 (K)So I confronted the officials and said, ^(L)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. ¹² Then all Judah brought ^(M)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ¹³ And ^(N)I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah, ^(O)for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. ^14 (P)Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God and for his service.