Attempts to Discourage the Builders

6 When Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab, and the rest of our enemies^(A) heard that I had rebuilt the wall and that no gap was left in it^(B)—though at that time I had not installed the doors in the gates^(C)—

⁴ Now before this, Eliashib the priest^(A) had been put in charge of the storerooms of the house of our God.^(B) He was a relative^[a] of Tobiah^{(C) 5} and had prepared a large room for him where they had previously stored the grain offerings, the frankincense, the articles, and the tenths of grain, new wine, and oil^(D) prescribed for the Levites, singers, and gatekeepers, along with the contributions for the priests.^(E)

⁷ so I could return to Jerusalem. Then I discovered the evil that Eliashib had done on behalf of Tobiah by providing him a room in the courts of God’s house. ⁸ I was greatly displeased and threw all of Tobiah’s household possessions out of the room.