Nehemiah 13:1-14

1 On that day the Book of Moses was read while the people were listening. They heard the passage that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into God's assembly.
2 (After all, they didn't welcome the Israelites with food and water. Instead, they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites. But our God turned the curse into a blessing.)
3 After the people heard this Teaching, they separated the non-Israelites from the Israelites.
4 Even before this, the priest Eliashib, who was related to Tobiah and had been put in charge of the storerooms of our God's temple,
5 had provided a large room for Tobiah. Previously, this room had been used to store grain offerings, incense, utensils, a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil. These things belonged by law to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers. The contributions for the priests had also been stored there.
6 While all of this was taking place, I wasn't in Jerusalem. In the thirty-second year of King Artaxerxes' reign in Babylon, I returned to the king.Later, I asked the king for permission to return.
7 I went to Jerusalem and discovered the evil thing Eliashib had done by providing Tobiah with a room in God's temple.
8 I was furious. So I threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room.
9 Then I told them to cleanse the rooms, and I put back in there the utensils from God's temple, the offerings, and the incense.
10 I learned that the Levites had not been given their portions. So each of the Levites and singers, who conducted the worship [in the temple], had left for their own fields.
11 I reprimanded the leaders. "Why is God's temple being neglected?" I asked. So I brought the Levites back together and put them back in their places of service.
12 Then all Judah brought a tenth of all the grain harvested, new wine, and olive oil to the storerooms.
13 I appointed the following men to be in charge of the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite, and I appointed Hanan, son of Zaccur and grandson of Mattaniah to help them. Since they could be trusted, I made them responsible for distributing [the portions] to their relatives.
14 [Nehemiah prayed,] "Remember me for what I have done, my God, and don't wipe out the good things that I have done for your temple and for the worship that is held there."
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