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; for we had spoken to the king saying, The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his anger is against all them that forsake him.
23 And we fasted, and besought our God for this; and he was entreated of us.
24 And I separated twelve of the chiefs of the priests, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their brethren with them,
25 and I weighed to them the silver and the gold and the vessels, the heave-offering for the house of our God which the king and his counsellors and his princes, and all Israel present, had offered.
26 And I weighed into their hand six hundred and fifty talents of silver; and silver vessels a hundred talents, and of gold a hundred talents;
27 and twenty basons of gold, of a thousand darics; and two vessels of shining copper, precious as gold.
28 And I said to them, Ye are holy unto Jehovah; the vessels also are holy; and the silver and the gold is a voluntary offering to Jehovah the God of your fathers.