28. And I said to them, “You are holy to Yahweh and the vessels are holy. The silver and gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, God of your ancestors.
29. Guard and look after them until you weigh them before the chief priests, the Levites, and the heads of the families of Israel in Jerusalem, in the chamber of the house of Yahweh.”
30. So the priests and Levites took over the weighed silver, gold, and the vessels to bring to Jerusalem for the house of our God.
31. On the twelfth day of the first month we set out from the river of Ahava to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was on us and he delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambushing on the way.
32. We came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.
33. On the fourth day, the silver, gold, and vessels were weighed in the house of our God into the hand of priest Meremoth, the son of Uriah, and with him Eleazar son of Phinehas. With them were the Levites, Jehozabad son of Jeshua and Noadiah son of Binnui.
34. The amount and weight of all the weighed items was recorded at that time.
35. The exiles that returned from captivity offered burnt offerings to the God of Israel; twelve bulls for all Israel, ninety-six rams, seventy-seven lambs, and twelve goats as a sin offering. All was a burnt offering to Yahweh.
36. They delivered the customs of the king to the king’s satraps and to the governor of the province Beyond the River. And they supported the people of the house of God.