18. Through God's grace they sent us Sherebiah, an able man, a Levite from the clan of Mahli, and eighteen of his sons and brothers came with him.
19. They also sent Hashabiah and Jeshaiah of the clan of Merari, with twenty of their relatives.
20. In addition there were 220 temple workmen whose ancestors had been designated by King David and his officials to assist the Levites. They were all listed by name.
21. There by the Ahava Canal I gave orders for us all to fast and humble ourselves before our God and to ask him to lead us on our journey and protect us and our children and all our possessions.
22. I would have been ashamed to ask the emperor for a troop of cavalry to guard us from any enemies during our journey, because I had told him that our God blesses everyone who trusts him, but that he is displeased with and punishes anyone who turns away from him.
23. So we fasted and prayed for God to protect us, and he answered our prayers.
24. From among the leading priests I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten others.
25. Then I weighed out the silver, the gold, and the utensils which the emperor, his advisers and officials, and the people of Israel had given to be used in the Temple, and I gave it to the priests.
26-27. This is what I gave them:silver — 22 tonnes100 silver utensils — seventy kilogrammesgold — 3.4 tonnestwenty gold bowls — 8.4 kilogrammestwo fine bronze bowls, equal in value to gold bowls
28. I said to them, “You are sacred to the Lord, the God of your ancestors, and so are all the silver and gold utensils brought to him as freewill offerings.
29. Guard them carefully until you reach the Temple. There in the priests' room weigh them and hand them over to the leaders of the priests and of the Levites, and to the leaders of the people of Israel in Jerusalem.”
30. So the priests and the Levites took charge of the silver, the gold, and the utensils, to take them to the Temple in Jerusalem.
31. It was on the twelfth day of the first month that we left the Ahava Canal to go to Jerusalem. Our God was with us and protected us from enemy attacks and from ambush as we travelled.
32. When we reached Jerusalem, we rested for three days.