Nehemiah 12

1 This is a list of the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

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

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in Jeshua's time.

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

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his fellow Levites was in charge of the songs of praise.

[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 Two other Levites, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them in the service.

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

10 Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of 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 who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.

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

12 In Joiakim's time, these were the family leaders of the priests: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

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 Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

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

14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

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

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

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

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

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

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

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

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

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

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

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

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

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

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

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

22 The family leaders of the Levites in the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, in addition to those of the priests, were recorded during 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 As for the genealogy of the sons of Levi, the family leaders up to the time of Johanan, son of Eliashib, were listed in the Book of the Records.

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 The Levite leaders were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, son of Kadmiel, together with their fellow Levites, who stood opposite them, each section giving praise and thanks and responding to one another, as arranged by David, the man of God.

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 They were joined by Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storehouses at 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 They served in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra 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 In order to dedicate the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were called from everywhere they were living to come to Jerusalem and celebrate with joy the dedication with songs of praise and thanks, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

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 The singers were also brought in from the area around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

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 as well as from Beth-gilgal and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves all around 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 Once the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, 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 I had the leaders of Judah go up on the wall, and arranged two large choirs that to give thanks. One group went to right along the wall to the Refuse 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 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

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

33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

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

36 and his fellow priests, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, along with the musical instruments as required by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them.

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 At the Fountain Gate they headed straight up by the stairs of the city of David, where the wall goes uphill, above the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east.

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 The other choir group went in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on the wall passing the Tower of the Ovens, on 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 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Guard 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 Both thanksgiving choirs then took their places in God's Temple. I followed with the group of leaders that was 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 along with the priests blowing their trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah.

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

42 Then came the singers Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the choirs sang, directed by Jezrahiah.

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

43 Many sacrifices were offered that day, celebrating that God had brought them so much happiness, tremendous happiness. The women and children also celebrated, and the sounds of joy in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

[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 On the same day men were put in charge over the storerooms that contained the offerings, the first part of the crops, and tithes. What was allocated by the Law for the priests and Levites was brought into these storerooms from the fields around the towns, because all the people of Judah were happy for the service of the priests and Levites.

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 They were responsible for the worship of their God and for the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, following the instructions of David and his son Solomon.

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 long ago, back in the time of David and Asaph, directors had been appointed for the singers and for the songs of praise and 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 So in the time of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, everyone in Israel provided the daily food allowances for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also made sure to provide for the other Levites, and the Levites gave a share of this to the descendants 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].