59
Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' rooms, turn them over to the leaders of the priests and the Levites and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem."
60
So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils for Jerusalem and brought them to the Temple.
61
It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left Theras River, and with the Lord's presence and protection we reached Jerusalem. He protected us from all our enemies on our journey, and we arrived safely.
62
After we had been there three days, we went to the Temple, weighed the silver and gold and turned it all over to Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah.
63
With him were Eleazar son of Phinehas and two Levites, Jozabad son of Jeshua and Moeth son of Sabannus.
64
Everything was counted and weighed, and a complete record was made at the same time.
65
All those who had returned from exile then offered sacrifices to the Lord, the God of Israel. They offered 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams,
66
and 72 lambs; they also offered 12 goats as a fellowship offering. They sacrificed all these animals to the Lord.
67
Then they took the decree the emperor had given them and gave it to the governors and officials of Greater Syria and Phoenicia, who then honored the Jewish people and the Temple of the Lord.
68
After all this had been done, some of the leaders of the people of Israel came and told me that
69
the people, the leaders, the priests, and the Levites had not kept themselves separate from the people in the neighboring countries of Edom, Moab, and Egypt, or from the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, and Jebusites. They were doing the same disgusting things which those people did.