15 And I gathered them together to the river that runneth to Ahava and there abode we in tents three days and I viewed the people and the priests and found there none of the sons of Levi 16 Then sent I for Eliezer for Ariel for Shemaiah and for Elnathan and for Jarib and for Elnathan and for Nathan and for Zechariah and for Meshullam chief men also for Joiarib and for Elnathan men of understanding 17 And I sent them with commandment unto Iddo the chief at the place Casiphia and I told __ them what they should say unto Iddo and to his brethren the Nethinims __ at the place Casiphia that they should bring unto us ministers for the house of our God 18 And by the good hand of our God upon us they brought us a man of understanding of the sons of Mahli the son of Levi the son of Israel and Sherebiah with his sons and his brethren eighteen __ 19 And Hashabiah and with him Jeshaiah of the sons of Merari his brethren and their sons twenty 20 Also of the Nethinims whom David and the princes had appointed for the service of the Levites two hundred and twenty Nethinims all of them were expressed by name
21 Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava that we might afflict ourselves before our God to seek of him a right way for us and for our little ones and for all our substance 22 For I was ashamed to require 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 for good that seek him but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him 23 So we fasted and besought our God for this and he was intreated of us
24 Then I separated twelve __ of the chief of the priests Sherebiah Hashabiah and ten of their brethren with them 25 And weighed unto them the silver and the gold and the vessels even the offering of the house of our God which the king and his counsellors and his lords and all Israel there present had offered 26 I even weighed unto their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver and silver vessels an hundred talents and of gold an hundred talents 27 Also twenty basons of gold of a thousand drams and two vessels of fine __ copper precious as gold 28 And I said unto them Ye are holy unto the LORD the vessels are holy also and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering unto the LORD God of your fathers 29 Watch ye and keep them until ye weigh them before the chief of the priests and the Levites and chief of the fathers of Israel at Jerusalem in the chambers of the house of the LORD 30 So took the priests and the Levites the weight of the silver and the gold and the vessels to bring them to Jerusalem unto the house of our God
31 Then we departed from the river of 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 of such as lay in wait by the way 32 And we came to Jerusalem and abode there three days
33 Now on the fourth day was the silver and the gold and the vessels weighed in the house of our God by 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 Levites 34 By number and by weight of every one and all the weight was written at that time
35 Also the children of those that had been carried away which were come out of the captivity 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 the LORD 36 And they delivered the king's commissions unto the king's lieutenants and to the governors on this side the river and they furthered the people and the house of God
