3
When they heard the law, they separated all those of mixed descent from Israel.
4
Now before this, Eliashib the priest had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God. He was a relative of Tobiah
5
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 oil prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.
6
While all this was happening, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to King Artaxerxes of Babylon in the thirty-second year of his [reign]. It was only later that I asked the king for a leave of absence
7
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.
8
I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah's household possessions out of the room.
9
I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God restored there, along with the grain offering and frankincense.
10
I also found out that because the portions for the Levites had not been given, each of the Levites and the singers performing the service had gone back to his own field.
11
Therefore, I rebuked the officials, saying, "Why has the house of God been neglected?" I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts.
12
Then all Judah brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storehouses.
13
I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, with Hanan son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for the distribution to their colleagues.