Ezra 8:24-30

Expanded Bible

²⁴ Then I ·chose [appointed; set apart] twelve of the priests who were leaders, Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and ten of their ·relatives [colleagues; ^Lbrothers]. ²⁵ I weighed the offering of silver and gold and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] given for the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of our God, and I gave them to the twelve priests I had chosen. The king, ·the people who advised him [his counselors], his ·officers [officials], and all the Israelites there with us had given these things. ²⁶ I weighed out ·and gave them [^Linto their hands] ·about fifty thousand pounds [^L650 talents] of silver, ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [^L100 talents] of silver objects, and ·about seventy-five hundred pounds [^L100 talents] of gold. ²⁷ I gave them twenty gold bowls ·that weighed [or worth] ·about nineteen pounds [^L1,000 darics] and two fine pieces of polished bronze that were as ·valuable [precious] as gold.

²⁸ Then I said to the priests, “You and these utensils ·belong [are set apart/holy] to the Lord. The silver and gold are ·gifts [a freewill/voluntary offering] to the Lord, the God of your ·ancestors [fathers]. ²⁹ ·Guard [Watch] these things carefully. In Jerusalem, weigh them in front of the ·leading [chief] priests, Levites, and the ·leaders [heads] of the family groups of Israel in the ·rooms [chambers; storerooms] of the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of the Lord.” ³⁰ So the priests and Levites accepted the silver, the gold, and the ·utensils [articles; vessels] that had been weighed to take them to the ·Temple [^Lhouse] of our God in Jerusalem.