14
Of the sons also of Bigvai; Uthai and Zabbud and with them seventy males.
15
And I gathered them together to the river that runs to Ahava, and there we encamped three days, and having searched among the people and the priests, I did not find there any of the sons of Levi.
16
Then I commissioned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah, and Meshullam, principals, also Joiarib and Elnathan, men of understanding;
17
and I sent them unto Iddo, the captain at the place of Casiphia, and I put words in their mouth that they should speak unto Iddo
and to his brethren, the Nethinims, at the place of Casiphia, that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God.
18
And by the good hand of our God upon us, they brought us a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, the son of Levi, the son of Israel; and Sherebiah, with his sons and his brethren, eighteen;
19
and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari, his brethren and their sons, twenty;
20
also of the Nethinims, whom David and the princes had appointed for the ministry of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinims: all of them were expressed by name.
21
Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance.
22
For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to defend us against the enemy in the way because we had spoken unto the king, saying, The hand of our God
is upon all those that seek him for good; but his power and his wrath
is against all those that forsake him.
23
So we fasted and besought our God for this, and he was intreated of us.
24
Then I separated twelve of the principals of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,