Neh 12


12:1 These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

12:4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

12:5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

12:6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

12:8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.

12:10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,

12:11 Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

12:12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;

12:13 of Ezra’s, Meshullam; of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;

12:14 of Malluch’s, Jonathan; of Shecaniah’s, Joseph;

12:15 of Harim’s, Adna; of Meremoth’s, Helkai;

12:16 of Iddo’s, Zechariah; of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;

12:17 of Abijah’s, Zicri; of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;

12:18 of Bilgah’s, Shammua; of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;

12:19 of Joiarib’s, Mattenai; of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;

12:20 of Sallu’s, Kallai; of Amok’s, Eber;

12:21 of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.

12:22 The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian.

12:23 The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals.

12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

12:25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

12:26 They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.

12:28 The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem–from the villages of the Netophathites,

12:29 from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

12:30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.

12:31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

12:32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

12:33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

12:34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

12:35 as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

12:36 and his associates–Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani–with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

12:37 At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

12:38 The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people–past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

12:39 over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

12:40 The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,

12:41 as well as the priests–Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets–

12:42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.

12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

12:44 At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.

12:45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.

12:46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

12:47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.

12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

12:4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

12:5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

12:6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.

12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

12:9 And Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were opposite them, by their service groups.

12:10 And Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada,

12:11 And Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

12:12 And in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers houses, were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

12:13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

12:14 Of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

12:15 Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

12:16 Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

12:17 Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

12:18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

12:19 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

12:20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

12:21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

12:22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of fathers houses were recorded, as well as the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

12:23 The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers houses, were written in the book of the chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

12:24 And the heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, service group next to service group.

12:25 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.

12:26 These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

12:27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem in order to hold the dedication with rejoicing and thanksgiving and singing with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

12:28 So the sons of the singers gathered together from the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites

12:29 And from Beth-gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built outlying villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

12:30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

12:31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession. One went to the right upon the wall toward the Dung Gate;

12:32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the leaders of Judah,

12:33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

12:34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

12:35 And some of the priests sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;

12:36 And his brothers, Shemaiah and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.

12:37 And at the Fountain Gate, and straight in front of them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

12:38 And the second company that gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with half of the people, upon the wall, above the Tower of the Furnaces, to the Broad Wall,

12:39 And above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

12:40 So the two companies that gave thanks stood in the house of God, as well as I and half of the rulers with me;

12:41 And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

12:42 And Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah as the overseer.

12:43 And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had caused them to rejoice greatly; and the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

12:44 And on that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, for the heave offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the cities fields, the portions assigned by the law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served.

12:45 And they kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and Solomon his son.

12:46 For in the days of David and Asaph, long ago, there were leaders of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

12:47 And in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required; and they consecrated portions for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated portions for the sons of Aaron.