^{21 Ref} 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 Ref} 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 unto the king, saying, The hand of our God is upon all them that seek him, for good; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him.

^{23 Ref} So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.

^{24 Ref} Then I set apart twelve of the chiefs of the priests, even Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,

^{25 Ref} and weighed unto them the silver, and the gold, and the vessels, even the offering for the house of our God, which the king, and his counsellors, and his princes, and all Israel there present, had offered:

^{26 Ref} I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver, and silver vessels a hundred talents; of gold a hundred talents;

^{27 Ref} and twenty bowls of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of fine bright brass, precious as gold.

^{28 Ref} And I said unto them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah, and the vessels are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill-offering unto Jehovah, the God of your fathers.

^{29 Ref} Watch ye, and keep them, until ye weigh them before the chiefs of the priests and the Levites, and the princes of the fathers' `houses' of Israel, at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of Jehovah.

^{30 Ref} So the priests and the Levites received the weight of the silver and the gold, and the vessels, to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God.

^{31 Ref} Then we departed from the river Ahava on the twelfth `day' of the first month, to go unto Jerusalem: and the hand of our God was upon us, and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the lier-in-wait by the way.

^{32 Ref} And we came to Jerusalem, and abode there three days.

^{33 Ref} And on the fourth day the silver and the gold and the vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of Meremoth the son of Uriah the priest; and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them was Jozabad the son of Jeshua, and Noadiah the son of Binnui, the Levite;

³⁴ the whole by number and by weight: and all the weight was written at that time.

^{35 Ref} The children of the captivity, that were come out of exile, offered burnt-offerings unto the God of Israel, twelve bullocks for all Israel, ninety and six rams, seventy and seven lambs, twelve he-goats for a sin-offering: all this was a burnt-offering unto Jehovah.

^{36 Ref} And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's satraps, and to the governors beyond the River: and they furthered the people and the house of God.