11. of the descendants of Bebai, Zechariah son of Bebai, and with him 28 men;
12. of the descendants of Azgad, Johanan son of Hakkatan, and with him 110 men;
13. of the descendants of Adonikam, the last ones, whose names were Eliphelet, Jeuel and Shemaiah, and with them 60 men;
14. of the descendants of Bigvai, Uthai and Zakkur, and with them 70 men.
15. I assembled them at the canal that flows towards Ahava, and we camped there three days. When I checked among the people and the priests, I found no Levites there.
16. So I summoned Eliezer, Ariel, Shemaiah, Elnathan, Jarib, Elnathan, Nathan, Zechariah and Meshullam, who were leaders, and Joiarib and Elnathan, who were men of learning,
17. and I ordered them to go to Iddo, the leader in Kasiphia. I told them what to say to Iddo and his fellow Levites, the temple servants in Kasiphia, so that they might bring attendants to us for the house of our God.
18. Because the gracious hand of our God was on us, they brought us Sherebiah, a capable man, from the descendants of Mahli son of Levi, the son of Israel, and Sherebiah’s sons and brothers, 18 in all;
19. and Hashabiah, together with Jeshaiah from the descendants of Merari, and his brothers and nephews, 20 men in all.
20. They also brought 220 of the temple servants – a body that David and the officials had established to assist the Levites. All were registered by name.
21. There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.
22. I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen to protect us from enemies on the road, because we had told the king, ‘The gracious hand of our God is on everyone who looks to him, but his great anger is against all who forsake him.’
23. So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.
24. Then I set apart twelve of the leading priests, namely, Sherebiah, Hashabiah and ten of their brothers,
25. and I weighed out to them the offering of silver and gold and the articles that the king, his advisors, his officials and all Israel present there had donated for the house of our God.