[Sidenote:  Neh. 13:1-9] Now before my return from the king, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah, had prepared for him a great chamber, where formerly they had stored the cereal-offerings, the incense, the vessels, and the tithes of grain, the new wine, and the oil.  But during this time I had not been at Jerusalem; for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I went to the king.  Then after some time I asked leave of the king, and I came to Jerusalem and discovered the crime that Eliashib had committed for the Sake of Tobiah, in preparing him a chamber in the court of the house of God.  And it displeased me greatly; therefore I cast all the household possessions of Tobiah out of the chamber.  Then I gave command that they should cleanse the chambers, and I brought there again the vessels of the house of God, with the cereal-offerings and the incense.

[Sidenote:  Neh. 13:10-14] And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them; so that the Levites and the singers, who performed the service had each fled to his field.  Then I contended with the rulers and said, ’Why is the house of God forsaken?’ And I gathered them together and placed them at their posts.  And all Judah brought the tithe of the grain and the new wine and the oil into the store-rooms.  And I appointed in charge of the store-rooms:  Shelemiah the priest and Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah the Levite; for they were considered faithful, and their business was to distribute to their kinsmen.  Remember me, O my God, concerning this and forget not all my good deeds that I have done for the house of my God, and for its services.

[Sidenote:  Neh. 13:15-22] At that time I saw in Judah some men treading wine-presses on the sabbath and bringing in heaps of grain and loading asses, as also wine, grapes, figs, and all kinds of burdens, and that they were bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath; and I warned them when they sold provisions.  Tyrians also dwelt therein, who brought in fish and all kinds of wares, and sold on the sabbath to the inhabitants of Judah and in Jerusalem.  Then I contended with the nobles of Judah and said to them, ’What evil thing is this that you are doing, and thereby profaning the sabbath?  Did not your fathers do thus and did not our God bring all this calamity upon them and upon us and upon this city?  Yet you bring more wrath upon Israel by profaning the sabbath.’  Accordingly, when it began to be dark, the gates of Jerusalem were shut before the sabbath; and I gave command that they should not be opened until after the sabbath.  And I placed some of my servants in charge of the gates, and commanded that no burden should be brought in on the sabbath.  So the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares spent the night without Jerusalem once or twice.  Then I warned them and said to them, ’Why do you spend the night before the wall?  If ye do so again, I will lay hands on you.’  From that time forth they came no more on the sabbath.  Remember, O my God, this also to my credit and show me mercy according to the greatness of thy loving-kindness.