Tobiah Expelled and the Temple Cleansed

Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, (A)who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being [a]related to (B)Tobiah, had prepared a large [b]room for him, where previously they used to put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil (C)prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, and 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 come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and [d]learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for [e]Tobiah, (F)by preparing a [f]room for him in the courtyards of the house of God. It was very displeasing to me, so I (G)threw all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. Then I gave an order, and (H)they cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.

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Notas al pie

  1. Nehemiah 13:4 Lit close to
  2. Nehemiah 13:5 Or chamber
  3. Nehemiah 13:5 Or uplifted offerings
  4. Nehemiah 13:7 Or understood
  5. Nehemiah 13:7 An Ammonite, banned from the temple
  6. Nehemiah 13:7 Or chamber, and so in vv 8, 9

Now before this, however, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed to be in charge of the storerooms of our God’s house and who was related to Tobiah, prepared a large room for Tobiah to use. This was the room where they had previously kept the grain offering, the incense, and the equipment, together with the tenth-part gifts of grain, wine, and oil. These items were for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers as well as the portions for the priests.

I wasn’t in Jerusalem while this was happening because I had gone to Babylon’s King Artaxerxes in the thirty-second year of the king. After some time, I asked the king’s permission and returned to Jerusalem. That was when I saw the wrong that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by preparing him a room in the courtyards of God’s house. I was very angry and threw all of Tobiah’s household furniture out of the room. Then I gave orders that the rooms be purified, and I put back the temple equipment, along with the grain offering and the incense.

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