The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.

Nehemiah 13:1-14 (English Standard Version)

Nehemiah 13

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

¹On that day^A)">(A) they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written^B)">(B) that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God, ²for they did not meet the people of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them—yet our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³As soon as the people heard the law,^C)">(C) they separated from Israel all^D)">(D) those of foreign descent.

⁴Now before this,^E)">(E) Eliashib the priest, who^F)">(F) was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, and who was related to^G)">(G) Tobiah, ⁵prepared for Tobiah a large chamber where they had previously put the grain offering, the frankincense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, wine, and oil,^H)">(H) which were given by commandment to the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests. ⁶While this was taking place, I was not in Jerusalem, for^I)">(I) in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes^J)">(J) king of Babylon I went to the king. And after some time I asked leave of the king ⁷and came to Jerusalem, and I then discovered the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah,^K)">(K) preparing for him a chamber in the courts of the house of God. ⁸And I was very angry, and I threw all the household furniture of Tobiah out of the chamber. ⁹Then I gave orders, and they^L)">(L) cleansed the chambers, and I brought back there the vessels of the house of God, with the grain offering and the frankincense.

¹⁰I also found out that^M)">(M) the portions of the Levites had not been given to them, so that the Levites and the singers, who did the work, had fled each^N)">(N) to his field. ¹¹^O)">(O) So I confronted the officials and said,^P)">(P) "Why is the house of God forsaken?" And I gathered them together and set them in their stations. ¹²Then all Judah brought^Q)">(Q) the tithe of the grain, wine, and oil into the storehouses. ¹³And^R)">(R) I appointed as treasurers over the storehouses Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and as their assistant Hanan the son of Zaccur, son of Mattaniah,^S)">(S) for they were considered reliable, and their duty was to distribute to their brothers. ¹⁴^T)">(T) 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 his service.

As they read God's Word and found stuff that was out of line with their life, they changed. No excuses, no rationalizations, just obedience. This is a great example I need to follow. When my life is not in synch with God's Word, I need to change