⁴⁴ At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms^(A) for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.^(B) From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.^(C)

⁵ and he had provided him with a large room formerly used to store the grain offerings and incense and temple articles, and also the tithes^(A) of grain, new wine and olive oil prescribed for the Levites, musicians and gatekeepers, as well as the contributions for the priests.

⁶ But while all this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes^(A) king of Babylon I had returned to the king. Some time later I asked his permission