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, ^(A)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 ^(B)in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes ^(C)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, ^(D)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 ^(E)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 ^(F)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 ^(G)to his field. ^11 (H)So I confronted the officials and said, ^(I)“Why is the house of God forsaken?” And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. ¹² Then all Judah brought ^(J)the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ¹³ And ^(K)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, ^(L)for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers.

² So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able, the gold for the things of gold, the silver for the things of silver, and the bronze for the things of bronze, the iron for the things of iron, and wood for the things of wood, besides great quantities of ^(A)onyx and stones for setting, antimony, colored stones, all sorts of precious stones and marble. ³ Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God: ^4 (B)3,000 talents^[a] of gold, of the gold of ^(C)Ophir, and 7,000 talents of refined silver, for overlaying the walls of the house,^{[b] 5} and for all the work to be done by craftsmen, gold for the things of gold and silver for the things of silver. Who then will offer willingly, consecrating himself^[c] today to the Lord?”

⁶ Then ^(D)the leaders of fathers' houses made their freewill offerings, as did also the leaders of the tribes, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and ^(E)the officers over the king's work. ⁷ They gave for the service of the house of God 5,000 talents and 10,000 ^(F)darics^[d] of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze and 100,000 talents of iron. ⁸ And whoever had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord, in the care of ^(G)Jehiel the Gershonite. ⁹ Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a ^(H)whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

⁵² And he said to them, “Therefore every ^(A)scribe ^(B)who has been trained for the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house, who ^(C)brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

³⁹ For the people of Israel and the sons of Levi ^(A)shall bring the contribution of grain, wine, and oil to the chambers, where the vessels of the sanctuary are, as well as the priests who minister, and the gatekeepers and the singers. ^(B)We will not neglect the house of our God.”