23
So we fasted and asked our God for this, and he answered our prayer.
24
Then I separated twelve of the chief cohanim, along with Sherevyah, Hashavyah and ten of their kinsmen.
25
I weighed out to them the silver, the gold and the utensils for the house of our God contributed by the king, his counselors, his princes and all Isra'el present there.
26
I weighed out and handed over to them twenty-one-and-a-half tons of silver, three-and-a-third tons of silver articles, three-and-a-third tons of gold,
27
twenty gold bowls weighing twenty-one pounds, and two vessels of fine burnished bronze as precious as gold.
28
Then I told them, "You are consecrated to ADONAI, the articles are holy, and the silver and gold are a voluntary offering for ADONAI the God of your ancestors.
29
Guard them carefully, until you weigh them before the chief cohanim and L'vi'im and the leaders of the fathers'clans in Yerushalayim, in the rooms of the house of ADONAI."
30
So the cohanim and L'vi'im received the consignment of silver and gold and the articles to bring to Yerushalayim, to the house of our God.
31
On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Ahava River to go to Yerushalayim. The hand of our God was on us, and he protected us from enemies and surprise attacks along the road.
32
In time, we arrived at Yerushalayim, where we rested for three days.
33
On the fourth day, the silver, gold and articles were weighed in the house of our God and handed over to M'remot the son of Uriyah the cohen; with him was El'azar the son of Pinchas; and with them were Yozavad the son of Yeshua and No'adyah the son of Binui, who were L'vi'im.