18
And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and 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
and from the Nethinim, whom David and the heads gave for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim, all of them defined by name.
21
And I proclaim there a fast, by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our infants, and for all our substance,
22
for I was ashamed to ask from the king a force and horsemen to help us because of the enemy in the way, for we spake to the king, saying, `The hand of our God [is] upon all seeking Him for good, and His strength and His wrath [is] upon all forsaking Him.'
23
And we fast, and seek from our God for this, and He is entreated of us.
24
And I separate from the heads of the priests, twelve, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them of their brethren ten,
25
and I weigh to them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, a heave-offering of the house of our God, that the king, and his counsellors, and his heads, and all Israel -- those present -- lifted up;
26
and I weigh to their hand, of silver, talents six hundred and fifty, and of vessels of silver a hundred talents, of gold a hundred talents,
27
and basins of gold twenty, of a thousand drams, and two vessels of good shining brass, desirable as gold.
28
And I say unto them, `Ye [are] holy to Jehovah, and the vessels [are] holy, and the silver and the gold [are] a willing-offering to Jehovah, God of your fathers;