Nehemiah 13:1-9

1On that day the Book of Moses was 1read aloud 2as the people listened; and there was found written in it that 3no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to enter the assembly of God, 2because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but 4hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, 5our God turned the curse into a blessing. 3So when they heard the Law, 6they excluded 7all foreigners from Israel.

4Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, 8who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being 9related to 10Tobiah, 5had prepared a large 11room for him, where previously they used to put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil 12prescribed for the Levites, the singers, and the gatekeepers, and the 13contributions for the priests. 6But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in 14the thirty-second year of 15Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and 16learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for 17Tobiah, 18by preparing a 19room for him in the courtyards of the house of God. 8It was very displeasing to me, so I 20threw all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. 9Then I gave an order, and 21they cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.