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Tobiah’s Goods Removed from God’s House

Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (A)who was put in charge over the chambers of the house of our God, being [a]related to (B)Tobiah, had prepared a large [b]room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils, and the tithes of grain, also new wine and oil (C)commanded for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, as well as the [c]contributions for the priests. But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in (D)the thirty-second year of (E)Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discerned the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, (F)by preparing a chamber for him in the courts of the house of God. It was very evil to me, so I (G)threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the chamber. Then I said the word, and (H)they cleansed the chambers; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:4 Lit close to
  2. Nehemiah 13:5 Or chamber
  3. Nehemiah 13:5 Lit heave offerings

Before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms(A) of the house of our God. He was closely associated with Tobiah,(B) and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes(C) of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes(D) king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission and came back to Jerusalem. Here I learned about the evil thing Eliashib(E) had done in providing Tobiah(F) a room in the courts of the house of God. I was greatly displeased and threw all Tobiah’s household goods out of the room.(G) I gave orders to purify the rooms,(H) and then I put back into them the equipment of the house of God, with the grain offerings and the incense.(I)

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