Ezra 8:21-31

21Then I proclaimed a fast there at the Ahava River so that we might humble ourselves before our God and seek from Him a straight way for us, our little ones, and all of our possessions.

22For I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and cavalry to protect us from the enemy along the way, because we had spoken to the king saying, “The gracious hand of our God is upon everyone who seeks Him, but His great anger is against everyone who forsakes Him.”

23So we fasted and sought our God about this, and He responded to our plea.

24Then I set apart twelve of the leading kohanim—Sherebiah, Hashabiah and with them ten of their brothers—

25and I weighed out for them the silver, the gold and the utensils, the contribution to the House of our God that the king, his counselors, his officials and all Israel who were present had offered.

26Specifically, I weighed into their hand 650 talents of silver, silver utensils worth 100 talents, 100 talents of gold,

2720 golden bowels valued at 1000 darics, and two exquisite vessels of gleaming bronze, as precious as gold.

28Then I said to them, “You are holy to Adonai and the vessels are holy. The silver and the gold are a freewill offering to Adonai, the God of your fathers.

29Guard them carefully until you weigh them before the leading kohanim and the Levites and the leading patriarchs of Israel in Jerusalem, in the storerooms of the House of Adonai.”

30So the kohanim and the Levites received the silver, the gold and the vessels by weight to bring them to Jerusalem to the House of our God.

31Then we set out from the Ahava River on the twelfth day of the first month to go to Jerusalem. The hand of our God was upon us and He delivered us from the hand of the enemy and from ambush along the way.