Nehemiah 13:4-14 - Nehemiah Brings Reform
4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who supervised the store rooms of the Temple of our God and who was related to Tobiah, 5 had prepared a great chamber for him, in the place where they used to place the grain offerings, incense, and vessels, along with the tithes of the grain, the new wine, and the oil that was mandated for the descendants of Levi, the singers, the gate keepers, and the priests' offerings.
6 During all of this time, I was not in Jerusalem, because I had returned to the king in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes, king of Babylon. After a while I obtained permission from the king 7 to return to Jerusalem. I learned of the evil thing that Eliashib had done for Tobiah in furnishing him with a room in the courts of the Temple of God. 8 I was greatly upset, so I threw out all of Tobiah's property from the room. 9 I ordered them to purify the chambers, and then they brought back the vessels from the Temple of God, along with the grain offerings and incense. 10 I also learned that the allotments for the descendants of Levi had not been distributed. As a result, the descendants of Levi and singers who were responsible for the service had each left to go back to their fields. 11 So I confronted the officials and asked, "Why is the Temple of God neglected?" Then I gathered them together and put them back in their places. 12 Then all of Judah brought the tithe of the grain, the new wine, and the oil into the storerooms. 13 I appointed over the storerooms: Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah from the descendants of Levi; and next to them Zaccur's son Hanan, the grandson of Mattaniah, because they had been considered faithful. Their duties were to distribute to their associates.
14 Remember me, my God, concerning this, and do not erase my faithful deeds that I have undertaken for the Temple of my God, and for its services.