Nehemiah 13:4-13

4Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, 1who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being 2related to 3Tobiah, 5had prepared a large 4room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil 5prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the 6contributions for the priests. 6But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in 7the thirty-second year of 8Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and 9learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, 10by preparing a 11room for him in the courts of the house of God. 8It was very displeasing to me, so I 12threw all of Tobiah’s household goods out of the room. 9Then I gave an order and 13they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

10I also 14discovered that 15the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had 16gone away, 17each to his own field. 11So I 1819reprimanded the officials and said, “20Why is the house of God forsaken?” Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts. 12All Judah then brought 21the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses. 13In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for 22they were considered reliable, and it was 23their task to distribute to their 24kinsmen.