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But before this time, Eliashib the priest, a relative of Tobiah, had been appointed over the storerooms[a] of the temple of our God. He made for himself a large storeroom where previously they had been keeping[b] the grain offering, the incense, and the vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the olive oil as commanded for the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the offering for the priests.

During all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes of Babylon, I had gone back to the king. After some time[c] I had requested leave of the king, and I returned to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah by supplying him with a storeroom in the courts of the temple of God. I was very upset, and I threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the storeroom. Then I gave instructions that the storerooms should be purified, and I brought back the equipment[d] of the temple of God, along with the grain offering and the incense.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 13:4 tc The translation reads the plural rather than the singular of the MT.
  2. Nehemiah 13:5 tn Heb “giving.”
  3. Nehemiah 13:6 tn Heb “to the end of days.”
  4. Nehemiah 13:9 tn On the usage of this Hebrew word see HALOT 478-79 s.v. כְּלִי.

Now before this, the priest Eliashib(A) had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God.(B) He was a relative[a] of Tobiah(C) and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and fresh oil(D) prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.(E)

While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes(F) of Babylon(G) in the thirty-second year of his reign.(H) It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence(I) so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room. I ordered that the rooms be purified,(J) and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense.(K)

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Footnotes

  1. 13:4 Or an associate