Nehemiah 12

1 Now these are the priests and the Levites, that went up with Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue: Saraia, Jeremias, Esdras,

[Many] priests and [other] descendants of Levi returned (from Babylonia/to Jerusalem) with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. They included Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amaria, Melluch, Hattus,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Sebenias, Rheum, Merimuth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Addo, Genthon, Abia,

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miamin, Madia, Belga,

Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

6 Semeia, and Joiarib, Idaia, Sellum, Amoc, Helcias,

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Idaia. These were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren in the days of Josue.

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. All those men were leaders of the priests during the time that Jeshua [was the Supreme Priest].

8 And the Levites, Jesua, Bennui, Cedmihel, Sarebia, Juda, Mathanias, they and their brethren were over the hymns:

[Some of the other] descendants of Levi who returned were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. They were in charge of singing songs to thank [God].

9 And Becbecia, and Hanni, and their brethren every one in his office.

Bakbukiah, Unni, and other descendants of Levi formed a choir that stood opposite the other group [and sang in reply to them].

10 And Josue beget Joacim, and Joacim beget Eliasib, and Eliasib beget Joiada,

Jeshua [who was the Supreme Priest] was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,

11 And Joiada beget Jonathan, and Jonathan beget Jeddoa.

who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.

12 And in the days of Joacim the priests and heads of the families were: Of Saraia, Maraia: of Jeremias, Hanania:

When Joiakim was the Supreme Priest, these were the leaders of the clans of priests: Meraiah, from [the clan of] Seraiah; Hananiah, from [the clan of] Jeremiah;

13 Of Esdras, Mosollam: and of Amaria, Johanan:

Meshullam, from [the clan of] Ezra; Jehohanan, from [the clan of] Amariah;

14 Of Milicho, Jonathan: of Sebenia, Joseph:

Jonathan, from [the clan of] Malluch; Joseph, from [the clan of] Shecaniah;

15 Of Haram, Edna: of Maraioth, Helci:

Adna, from [the clan of] Harim; Helkai, from [the clan of] Meremoth/Maraioth;

16 Of Adaia, Zacharia: of Genthon, Mosollam:

Zechariah, from [the clan of] Iddo; Meshullam, from [the clan of] Ginnethon;

17 Of Abia, Zechri: of Miamin and Moadia, Phelti:

Zicri, from [the clan of] Abijah. There was also a leader from [the clan of] Miniamin; Piltai, from [the clan of] Moadiah;

18 Of Belga, Sammua of Semaia, Jonathan:

Shammua, from [the clan of] Bilgah; Jehonathan, from [the clan of] Shemaiah;

19 Of Joiarib, Mathanai: of Jodaia, Azzi:

Mattenai, from [the clan of] Joiarib; Uzzi, from [the clan of] Jedaiah;

20 Of Sellai, Celai: of Amoc, Heber:

Kallai, from [the clan of] Sallu/Sallai; Eber, from [the clan of] Amok;

21 Of Helcias, Hasebia: of Idaia, Nathanael.

Hashabiah, from [the clan of] Hilkiah; and Nethanel, from [the clan of] Jedaiah.

22 The Levites the chiefs of the families in the days of Eliasib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jeddoa, were recorded, and the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

During the years that Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua [were Supreme Priests], they (wrote/kept a list of) the names of the clans who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was the king of Persia, they stopped writing that list.

23 The sons of Levi, heads of the families were written in the book of Chronicles, even unto the days of Jonathan the son of Eliasib.

They wrote the names of the leaders of the clans who were descendants of Levi in the Book of Events [in Israel], but they stopped writing those names when Eliashib’s grandson Johanan [was the Supreme Priest].

24 Now the chief of the Levites were Hasebia, Serebia, and Josue the son of Cedmihel: and their brethren by their courses, to praise and to give thanks according to the commandment of David the man of God, and to wait equally in order.

These are the leaders of the clans [who are] descendants of Levi: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel and others who were divided into two groups. The two groups faced each other, one group replying to the other, during the time that they praised and thanked God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God well, had instructed.

25 Mathania, and Becbecia, Obedia, and Mosollam, Telmon, Accub, were keepers of the gates and of the entrances before the gates.

These singers included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. The men who guarded the storerooms close to the gates [of the temple] were Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.

26 These were in the days of Joacim the son of Josue, the son of Josedec, and in the days of Nehemias the governor, and of Esdras the priest and scribe.

They did that work during the time that Joiakim, who was the son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, [was the Supreme Priest, ] and I was the governor, and Ezra was the priest who knew the Jewish laws very well.

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, and to keep the dedication, and to rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, and psalteries and harps.

When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi [who help the priests] from the nearby places where they [were living]. We asked them to [join with us to] celebrate when we dedicated the wall. We wanted them to sing songs to thank [Yahweh] and make music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.

28 And the sons of the singing men were gathered together out of the plain country about Jerusalem, and out of the villages of Nethuphati,

We summoned the descendants of Levi who habitually sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas [where they had settled], and from places around Netophah [town southeast of Jerusalem],

29 And from the house of Galgal, and from the countries of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singing men had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem.

and from three places [northeast of Jerusalem]—Beth Gilgal [city] and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Those singers had built villages to live in near Jerusalem.

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

[When they came to Jerusalem], the priests and [other] descendants of Levi [who help the priests] performed rituals to cause themselves to be acceptable to God, and then they performed similar rituals to purify the [other] people, the gates, and the wall.

31 And I made the princes of Juda go up upon the wall, and I appointed two great choirs to give praise. And they went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dunghill gate.

Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city [on top of the wall], thanking God. [As they faced the city, ] one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.

32 And after them went Osaias, and half of the princes of Juda,

Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.

33 And Azarias, Esdras, and Mosollam,

Behind them marched a group of priests who were blowing trumpets. They were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Next came Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.

34 Judas, and Benjamin, and Semeia, and Jeremias.

35 And of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zacharias the son of Jonathan. the son of Semeia, the son of Mathania; the son of Michaia, the son of Zechur, the son of Asaph,

36 And his brethren Semeia, and Azareel Malalai, Galalai, Maai, Nathanael, and Judas, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God: and Esdras the scribe before them at the fountain gate.

Behind them marched other members of Zechariah’s clan: Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played [many years previously]. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.

37 And they went up over against them by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall of the house of David, and to the water gate eastward:

When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to David’s City, past his palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side [of the city].

38 And the second choir of them that gave thanks went on the opposite side, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, and upon the tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,

The other group of those who were thanking [Yahweh] marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. [We marched] past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.

39 And above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Emath, and even to the flock gate: and they stood still in the watch gate.

[From there we marched] past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.

40 And the two choirs of them that gave praise stood still at the house of God, and I and the half of the magistrates with me.

Both the groups reached the temple while they were thanking God. They stood in their places there. The leaders who were with me [also stood with me in our places].

41 And the priests, Eliachim, Maasia, Miamin, Michea, Elioenai, Zacharia, Hanania with trumpets,

My group included these priests who were [all blowing] trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah,

42 And Maasia, and Semeia, and Eleazar, and Azzi, and Johanan, and Melchia, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sung loud, and Jezraia was their overseer:

[another] Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, whose leader was Jezrahiah, sang loudly.

43 And they sacrificed on that day great sacrifices, and they rejoiced: for God had made them joyful with great joy: their wives also and their children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

[After we went outside the temple, ] we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.

44 They appointed also in that day men over the storehouses of the treasure, for the libations, and for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, that the rulers of the city might bring them in by them in honour of thanksgiving, for the priests and Levites: for Juda was joyful in the priests and Levites that assisted.

On that day, men were appointed {they appointed men} to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people contributed [for the temple]. They also kept there [the other things that the people contributed—] the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. Those men collected those things from the fields/farms near the cities, and [took them to Jerusalem and] gave them to the priests and the [other] descendants of Levi, as [Moses had said in his] laws that they should do. All the Israeli people were happy about the work that the priests and the descendants of Levi did,

45 And they kept the watch of their God, and the observance of expiation, and the singing men, and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

because they performed the rituals to purify things, and the other rituals that God had commanded. The musicians in the temple also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.

46 For in the days of David and Asaph from the beginning there were chief singers appointed, to praise with canticles, and give thanks to God.

Ever since the time that David had been the king and Asaph had been his chief musician, the musicians had led the people while they sang songs to praise and thank God.

47 And all Israel, in the days of Zorobabel, and in the days of Nehemias gave portions to the singing men, and to the porters, day by day, and they sanctified the Levites, and the Levites sanctified the sons of Aaron.

During the years that Zerubbabel and I governed the Israeli people, they all contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed each day. They gave (a tithe/10%) of their crops to the descendants of Levi [who helped the priests], and those descendants of Levi gave (a tithe/10%) of that to [the priests, who were] descendants of Aaron [the first Supreme Priest].