Ezra 8:22-24

New American Standard Bible

²² For I was ashamed to request from the king troops and horsemen to ^[a]protect us from the enemy on the way, because we had said to the king, “^(A)The hand of our God is ^[b]favorably disposed to all who seek Him, but ^(B)His power and His anger are against all those who ^(C)abandon Him.” ²³ So we fasted and sought our God concerning this matter, and He ^[c](D)listened to our pleading.

²⁴ Then I selected twelve of the leading priests: ^(E)Sherebiah, Hashabiah, and with them ten of their brothers;