23. So we fasted and pleaded with our God about this, and He granted our request.
24. I selected 12 of the leading priests, along with Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and 10 of their brothers.
25. I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the articles — the contribution for the house of our God that the king, his counselors, his leaders, and all the Israelites who were present had offered.
26. I weighed out to them 24 tons of silver, silver articles weighing 7,500 pounds, 7,500 pounds of gold,
27. 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 gold coins, and two articles of fine gleaming bronze, as valuable as gold.
28. Then I said to them, “You are holy to the Lord, and the articles are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to the Lord God of your fathers.
29. Guard them carefully until you weigh them out in the chambers of the Lord’s house before the leading priests, Levites, and heads of the Israelite families in Jerusalem.”
30. So the priests and Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the articles that had been weighed out, to bring them to the house of our God in Jerusalem.
31. We set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. We were strengthened by our God, and He protected us from the power of the enemy and from ambush along the way.
32. So we arrived at Jerusalem and rested there for three days.
33. On the fourth day the silver, the gold, and the articles were weighed out in the house of our God into the care of Meremoth the priest, son of Uriah. Eleazar son of Phinehas was with him. The Levites Jozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui were also with them.
34. Everything was verified by number and weight, and the total weight was recorded at that time.
35. The exiles who had returned from the captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel: 12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, and 77 lambs, along with 12 male goats as a sin offering. All this was a burnt offering for the Lord.
36. They also delivered the king’s edicts to the royal satraps and governors of the region west of the Euphrates, so that they would support the people and the house of God.