5
And he had prepared for him a large room, where previously they had stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, the tithes of grain, the new wine and oil, which were commanded to be given to the Levites and singers and gatekeepers, and the offerings for the priests.
6
But during all this I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Then after certain days I obtained leave from the king,
7
and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, in preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.
8
And it grieved me bitterly; therefore I threw all the household goods of Tobiah out of the room.
9
Then I commanded them to cleanse the rooms; and I brought back into them the articles of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.
10
I also realized that the portions for the Levites had not been given them; for each of the Levites and the singers who did the work had gone back to his field.
11
So I contended with the rulers, and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their place.
12
Then all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil to the storehouse.
13
And I appointed as treasurers over the storehouse Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and of the Levites, Pedaiah; and next to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered faithful, and their task was to distribute to their brethren.
14
Remember me, O my God, concerning this, and do not wipe out my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services!
15
In those days I saw people in Judah treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Jerusalem on the Sabbath day. And I warned them about the day on which they were selling provisions.