16
Then sent I for Eli`ezer, for Ari'el, for Shemayah, and for Elnatan, and for Yariv, and for Elnatan, and for Natan, and for Zekharyah, and for Meshullam, chief men; also for Yoiariv, and for Elnatan, who were teachers.
17
I sent them forth to `Iddo the chief at the place Kasifyah; and I told them what they should tell `Iddo, [and] his brothers the temple servants, at the place Kasifyah, that they should bring to us ministers for the house of our God.
18
According to the good hand of our God on us they brought us a man of discretion, of the sons of Machli, the son of Levi, the son of Yisra'el; and Sherevyah, with his sons and his brothers, eighteen;
19
and Hashavyah, and with him Yesha`yah of the sons of Merari, his brothers and their sons, twenty;
20
and of the temple servants, whom David and the princes had given for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty temple servants: all of them were mentioned by name.
21
Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek of him a straight way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance.
22
For I was ashamed to ask of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way, because we had spoken to the king, saying, The hand of our God is on all those who seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all those who forsake him.
23
So we fasted and begged our God for this: and he was entreated of us.
24
Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the Kohanim, even Sherevyah, Hashavyah, and ten of their brothers with them,
25
and weighed to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counselors, and his princes, and all Yisra'el there present, had offered:
26
I weighed into their hand six hundred fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels one hundred talents; of gold one hundred talents;