Nehemiah 12

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

And these are the priests and the Levites that came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealthiel, and Jeshua': Serayah, Jeremiah, 'Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amaryah, Malluch, Chattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shechanyah, Rechum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

'Iddo, Ginnethoy, Abiyah,

5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Miyamin, Ma'adyah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shema'yah, and Joyarib, Jed'ayah,

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

Sallu, 'Amok, Chilkiyah, Jed'ayah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua'.

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.

And the Levites: Jeshua', Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebyah, Judah, and Matthaniah, who was over the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brethren;

9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.

And Bakbukyah and 'Unni, their brethren, were opposite to them in the watches.

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

And Jeshua' begat Joyakim, and Joyakim begat Elyashib, and Elyashib begat Joyada'.

11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

And Joyada' begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua'.

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

And in the days of Joyakim were priests, as chiefs of the divisions: Of Serayah, Merayah; of Jeremiah, Chananyah;

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Of 'Ezra, Meshullam; of Amaryah, Jehochanan;

14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

Of Mellchu, Jonathan; of Shebanyah, Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

Of Charim, 'Adna; of Merayoth, Chelkai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

Of 'Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;

Of Abiyah, Zichri; of Minyamin, of Mo'adyah, Piltai;

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

Of Bilgah, Shammua'; of Shem'ayah, Jehonathan;

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

And of Joyarib, Matthenai; of Jeda'yah, 'Uzzi;

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Of Sallai, Kallai; of 'Amok, 'Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

Of Chilkiyah, Chashabyah; of Jeda'yah, Nethanel.

22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

Of the Levites in the days of Elyashib, Yoyada', and Yochanan, and Jaddua', are written down the chiefs of the divisions: also those of the priests to the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles.

The sons of Levi, the chiefs of the divisions were written down in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Jochanan the son of Elyashib.

24 The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

And the chiefs of the Levites were: Chashabyah, Sherebyah, and Jeshua' the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite to them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the command of David the man of God, section by section.

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

Matthanyah, and Bakbukyah, 'Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, 'Akkub, were watching gatekeepers on the watch at the thresholds of the gates.

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

These were in the days of Joyakim, the son of Jeshua', the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of 'Ezra the priest, the expounder.

27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

28 The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

And there gathered themselves together the sons of the singers, both out of the district round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophah;

29 from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

Also from Beth-hagilgal, and out of the fields of Geba' and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem.

30 After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and then they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

Then brought I up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and stationed two great companies for thanksgiving, and trains to walk on the right hand upon the wall by the dung-gate;

32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed,

And after them walked Hosha'yah, and half of the princes of Judah,

33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

And 'Azaryah, 'Ezra, and Meshullam,

34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shema'yah, and Jeremiah;

35 and some of the 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,

And of the sons of priests' with trumpets, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shema'yah, the son of Matthanyah, the son of Michayah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Assaph;

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

And his brethren, Shema'yah, and 'Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma'ai, Nethanel, and Judah, Chanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and 'Ezra the expounder walked before them.

37 At the Fountain Gate they climbed 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.

And over the fountain-gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, even as far as the water-gate, eastward.

38 The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

And the other company for thanksgiving that walked in the opposite direction to them, —this one did I follow, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the ovens even as far as the broad wall;

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. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

And above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish-gate, and the tower of Chananel, and the tower of Meah, even as far as the sheep-gate; and they halted at the prison-gate.

40 The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me,

So did the two companies for thanksgiving place themselves in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me.

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

And the priests, Elyakim, Ma'asseyah, Minyamin, Michayah, Elyo'enai, Zechariah, and Chananiah, with trumpets;

42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

And Ma'asseyah, and Shema'yah, and El'azar, and 'Uzzi, and Jehochanan, and Malkiyah, and 'Elam, and 'Ezer. And the singers sang aloud, with Yisrachyah as their overseer.

43 On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

And they sacrificed on that day great sacrifices, and rejoiced; for God had caused them to rejoice with great joy; and also the women and the children rejoiced: so that the [shout of] joy of Jerusalem was heard even at a great distance off.

44 And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.

And there were appointed at that day certain men as superintendents over the chambers for the treasuries, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions according to the law for the priests and the Levites; for Judah had joy on the priests and on the Levites that stood there,

45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.

And kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and as singers and gatekeepers, according to the command of David, [and] of Solomon his son.

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

For in the days of David and Assaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

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

And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeeper, what was required for every day on its day; and they sanctified things for the Levites: and the Levites sanctified [the portion due] for the children of Aaron.