17 and I charge them for Iddo the head, in the place Casiphia, and put in their mouth words to speak unto Iddo, [and] his brethren the Nethinim, in the place Casiphia, to bring to us ministrants for the house of our God.
18 And they bring to us, according to the good hand of our God upon us, a man of understanding, of the sons of Mahli, son of Levi, son of Israel, and Sherebiah, and his sons, and his brethren, eighteen;
19 and Hashabiah, and with him Jeshaiah, of the sons of Merari, his brethren, and their sons, twenty;
20 and from the Nethinim, whom David and the heads gave for the service of the Levites, two hundred and twenty Nethinim, all of them defined by name.
21 And I proclaim there a fast, by the river Ahava, to afflict ourselves before our God, to seek from Him a right way for us, and for our infants, and for all our substance,
22 for I was ashamed to ask from the king a force and horsemen to help us because of the enemy in the way, for we spake to the king, saying, `The hand of our God [is] upon all seeking Him for good, and His strength and His wrath [is] upon all forsaking Him.'
23 And we fast, and seek from our God for this, and He is entreated of us.