Nehemiah 13:1-13 ▼

1 At that time the Book of Moses (drawn out) was read aloud in the hearing of the people, and in it they found the passage stating that no Ammonite or Moabite (from father: what father?) should ever enter the assembly of God ,

2 because they had not met the Israelites (God prevails) with food and water, but had hired Balaam (not of the people) to call down a curse against them (although our God {Elohenu} had turned the curse into a blessing).

3 As soon as the people heard this law, they excluded from Israel (he wrestles with God) all of foreign descent.

4 Now before this, Eliashib (God restores) the priest, a relative of Tobiah (YHWH is good), had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God {Elohenu}

5 and had prepared for Tobiah a large room where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the temple articles, and the tithes 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 (city of peace), because I had returned to Artaxerxes (I will make the spoiled to boil) king of Babylon (Persia) in the thirty-second year of his reign. Some time later I obtained leave from the king

7 to return to Jerusalem (city of peace). Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib (God restores) had done on behalf of Tobiah (YHWH is good) by providing him a room in the courts of the house of God {Elohim}.

8 And I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s (YHWH is good) household goods out of the room.

9 Then I ordered that the rooms be purified, and I had the articles of the house of God {Elohim} restored to them, along with the grain offerings and frankincense.

10 I also learned that because the portions for the Levites had not been given to them, all the Levites and singers responsible for performing the service had gone back to their own fields.

11 So I rebuked the officials and asked, “Why has the house of God {Elohim} been neglected?” Then I gathered the Levites and singers together and stationed them at their posts,

12 and all Judah (praised) brought a tenth of the grain, new wine, and oil into the storerooms.

13 I appointed as treasurers over the storerooms Shelemiah (repaid by YHWH) the priest, Zadok (righteous) the scribe, and Pedaiah (YHWH has ransomed) of the Levites, with Hanan (he is merciful) son of Zaccur (mindful), the son of Mattaniah (gift of YHWH), to assist them, because they were considered trustworthy. They were responsible for distributing the supplies to their fellow Levites.