21. There near the Ahava River, I announced that we all should fast. We should fast to make ourselves humble before our God. We wanted to ask God for a safe trip for ourselves, our children, and for everything we owned.
22. I was embarrassed to ask King Artaxerxes for soldiers and horsemen to protect us as we traveled. There were enemies on the road. The reason I was embarrassed to ask for protection was because of what we had told the king. We had said to King Artaxerxes, “Our God is with everyone who trusts him, but he is very angry with everyone who turns away from him.”
23. So we fasted and prayed to our God about our trip. He answered our prayers.
24. Then I chose twelve of the priests who were leaders. I chose Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brothers.
25. I weighed the silver, gold, and the other things that were given for God’s Temple. I gave them to the twelve priests I had chosen. King Artaxerxes, his advisors, his important officials, and all the Israelites in Babylon gave those things for God’s Temple.
26. I weighed all these things. There were 25 tons of silver. There were also 7500 pounds of silver dishes and things. There were 3 3/4 tons of gold.
27. And I gave them 20 gold bowls. The bowls weighed about 19 pounds. And I gave them two beautiful dishes made from polished bronze that were as valuable as gold.
28. Then I said to the twelve priests: “You and these things are holy to the Lord. People gave this silver and gold to the Lord, the God of your ancestors.
29. So guard these things carefully. You are responsible for them until you give them to the Temple leaders in Jerusalem. You will give them to the leading Levites and the family leaders of Israel. They will weigh them and put them in the rooms of the Lord’S Temple in Jerusalem.”