The gifts for the temple

24 I chose twelve of the leaders of the priests, Sherebiah and Hashabiah and ten of their relatives. 25 I appointed them to supervise carrying to Jerusalem the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items that the king and his advisors and other officials, and the Israeli people who were living in Babylonia, had contributed for the temple of our God. 26 As I gave these various items to those priests, I weighed each of the items. This was the total: 25 tons of silver, 100 items made from silver that altogether weighed 7,500 pounds, ◄7,500 pounds/3,400 kg.► of gold, 27 20 gold bowls that altogether weighed ◄19 pounds/8.6 kg.►, and two items made of polished bronze that were as valuable as ones made of gold.

28 I said to those priests, “You belong to Yahweh, the God whom our ancestors ◄worshiped/also belonged to►, and these valuable things also belong to him. The people themselves gave these things to be offerings to Yahweh ◄voluntarily/because they wanted to►. 29 So guard them carefully, and when we arrive in Jerusalem, weigh them in the presence of the priests, the descendants of Levi who will help the priests, and the other Israeli leaders there. They will then put them in the storerooms in the new temple.” 30 So the priests and other descendants of Levi took from me all the gifts of silver and gold and the other valuable items, in order to carry them to the temple in Jerusalem.