50 / 50 There I vowed a fast for the young men before our master, to seek from him a prosperous journey both for us and for our children and livestock that were with us; 51 for I was ashamed to ask of the king infantry, cavalry, and an escort for protection against our adversaries. 52 Because we had said to the king that the power of our master would be with those who seek him, to support them in all ways. 53 Again we prayed to our lord about these things, and found him to be merciful.

54 Then I set apart twelve men of the chiefs of the priests,[fn] Shereveyah, Hashavyah, and ten men of their kindred with them. 55 I weighed out to them the silver, the gold, and the holy vessels of the house of our master, which the king, his counsellors, the nobles, and all Yisrael (Israel) had given. 56 When I had weighed it, I delivered to them six hundred and fifty talents of silver, silver vessels weighing one hundred talents, one hundred talents of gold, 57 twenty golden vessels, and twelve vessels of brass, even of fine brass, glittering like gold. 58 I said to them, “You are holy to the master, the vessels are holy, and the gold and the silver are a vow to the master, the master of our fathers. 59 Watch and keep them until you deliver them to the chiefs of the priests and Levites, and to the principal men of the families of Yisrael in Yerushalem, in the chambers of our master’s house. 60 So the priests and the Levites who received the silver, the gold, and the vessels which were in Yerushalem, brought them into the temple of the master.