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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Footnotes

  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

The Reforms of Nehemiah

Now before this, (A)Eliashib the priest, having authority over the storerooms of the house of our God, was allied with (B)Tobiah. And he had prepared for him a large room, (C)where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, (D)which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests. But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, (E)for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in (F)preparing a room for him in the courts of the [a]house of God. And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room. Then I commanded them to (G)cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:7 Temple