Ezra 8:21-36 - LSB - Legacy Standard Bible

Ezra 8:21-36

God’s Protection Sought

21 Then I called for ^aa fast there at ^bthe river of Ahava, that we might ^chumble ourselves before our God to seek from Him a ¹direct journey for us, our little ones, and all our possessions. 22 For I was ashamed to ask from the king for a military force and horsemen to help us against the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “^aThe hand of our God is upon all those who seek Him, for their good, but ^bHis strength and His anger are against all those who ^cforsake Him.” 23 So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ¹^awas moved by our entreaty.
24 Then I ¹set apart twelve of the leading priests, ^aSherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers; 25 and I ^aweighed out to them ^bthe silver, the gold, and the utensils, the contribution for the house of our God which the king and ^chis counselors and his princes and all Israel present there had offered. 26 ^aThus I weighed into their hands ¹650 talents of silver, and silver utensils worth 100 talents, and 100 gold talents, 27 and 20 gold bowls worth 1,000 ¹darics, and two utensils of fine shiny bronze, precious as gold. 28 Then I said to them, “^aYou are holy to Yahweh, and the ^butensils are holy; and the silver and the gold are a freewill offering to Yahweh, the God of your fathers. 29 Watch and keep them ^auntil you weigh them before the officials of the priests, the Levites and the officials of the fathers’ households of Israel at Jerusalem, in the chambers of the house of Yahweh.” 30 So the priests and the Levites ^aaccepted the weighed out silver and gold and the utensils, to bring them to Jerusalem to the house of our God.
31 Then we set out from ^athe river Ahava on ^bthe twelfth of the first month to go to Jerusalem; and ^cthe hand of our God was upon us, and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and the ambushes by the way. 32 ^aThus we came to Jerusalem and remained there three days.

Silver, Gold, and Utensils Weighed

33 On the fourth day the silver and the gold and the utensils ^awere weighed out in the house of our God into the hand of ^bMeremoth the son of Uriah the priest, and with him was Eleazar the son of Phinehas; and with them were the Levites, Jozabad the son of Jeshua and Noadiah the son of Binnui. 34 Everything was numbered and weighed, and all the weight was written down at that time.
35 ^aThe exiles who had come from the captivity brought burnt offerings near to the God of Israel: ^b12 bulls for all Israel, 96 rams, 77 lambs, 12 male goats for a sin offering, all as a burnt offering to Yahweh. 36 Then ^athey gave the king’s edicts to ^bthe king’s satraps and to the governors in the provinces beyond the ¹River, and they supported the people and the house of God.