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 previously they used to 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 come to the king. After some time, however, I requested a leave of absence from the king, 7and I came to Jerusalem and 9learned about the evil that Eliashib had committed for 10Tobiah, 11by preparing a 12room for him in the courtyards of the house of God. 8It was very displeasing to me, so I 13threw all of Tobiah’s household articles out of the room. 9Then I gave an order, and 14they cleansed the rooms; and I returned the utensils of the house of God there with the grain offering and the frankincense.

10I also 15discovered that 16the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so the Levites and the singers who performed the service had 17gone away, 18each to his own field. 11So I 1920reprimanded the officials and said, “21Why has the house of God been neglected?” Then I gathered them together and stationed them at their posts. 12All Judah then brought 22the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. 13To be in charge of the storehouses, I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for 23they were considered reliable, and it was 24their task to distribute to their kinsmen.