50. to seek from him a safe journey for ourselves, for those with us, our children and our farm animals.
51. I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry, cavalry, and an escort for safety from our enemies,
52. because we told the king, "The Lord’s guidance will be with those who diligently seek after him, until everything is put right again."
53. So we prayed to our Lord about these things, and we obtained mercy.
54. I chose twelve of the leaders of the priestly families, Sherebiah and Hashabiah, and ten of their companions.
55. I weighed out for them the silver, the gold, and the holy equipment from the Lord’s house, which the king himself, his advisors, the officials, and all Israel had contributed.
56. I presented to them 37,050 pounds of silver, silver equipment worth 5,700 pounds, 5,700 pounds of gold, twenty gold bowls, and twelve bronze objects of such fine quality that it glittered like gold.
57. I told them, "You are holy to the Lord, and the equipment is holy, and the silver and the gold are solemnly committed to the Lord, the Lord of our ancestors.
58. Be alert and careful until you hand them over to the leaders of the priestly families, to the Levites, and to the heads of the family houses of Israel, in Jerusalem, in the inner rooms of the Lord’s house."
59. So the priests and the Levites carried the silver, the gold, and the equipment, which was in Jerusalem, and brought them to the Lord’s temple.
60. On the twelfth day of the first month, we left the Theras River and arrived in Jerusalem by the Lord’s guidance. The Lord rescued us from every enemy on the way, and we arrived in Jerusalem.
61. After being there for three days, the silver and gold were weighed and handed over to the Lord’s house, to the priest Meremoth, Uriah’s son.
62. With him was Eleazar, Phinehas’ son, and with them were the Levites Jozabad, Jeshua’s son, and Moeth, Binnui’s son. The whole collection was counted and weighed, and the total weight was recorded at that very moment.
63. All those who had returned from exile offered sacrifices to the Lord God of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-two lambs, and twelve male goats as a well-being offering—all as a sacrifice to the Lord.
64. They delivered the king’s orders to the royal managers and to the commanders of Coele-Syria and Phoenicia. These officials honored the people and the Lord’s temple.