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, 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. 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 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. And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. 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.

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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