Nehemiah 12

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

These were the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, and Meremoth.

4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

There were Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These [were] the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

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

8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah, [which was] over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was in charge of the thanksgiving songs, along with his associates.

9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [were] over against them in the watches.

Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them during the service.

10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

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

11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

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

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

In the days of Joiakim these were the priests, the leaders of the families: Meraiah was the leader of Seraiah, Hananiah was the leader of Jeremiah,

13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Meshullam was the leader of Ezra, Jehohanan was the leader of Amariah,

14 Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

Jonathan was the leader of Malluk, and Joseph was the leader of Shebaniah.

15 Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

Adna was the leader of Harim, Helkai the leader of Meremoth,

16 Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

Zechariah was the leader of Iddo, Meshullam was the leader of Ginnethon, and

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

Zichri was the leader of Abijah. ... of Miniamin. Piltai was the leader of Moadiah.

18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

Shammua was the leader of Bilgah, Jehonathan was the leader of Shemaiah,

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

Mattenai was the leader of Joiarib, Uzzi was the leader of Jedaiah,

20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Kallai was the leader of Sallu, Eber was the leader of Amok,

21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

Hashabiah was the leader of Hilkiah, and Nethanel was the leader of Jedaiah.

22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, [were] recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.

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

23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, [were] written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

The descendants of Levi, their leaders of families were recorded in the book of the annals up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise [and] to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and to give thanks, responding section by section, in obedience to the command of David, the man of God.

25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, [were] porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storerooms by the gates.

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.

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

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the people sought out the Levites wherever they lived, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanksgivings and singing with cymbals, harps, and with lyres.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

The fellowship of singers gathered together from the district around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.

29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

They also came from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.

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

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

31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great [companies of them that gave] thanks, [whereof one] went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

Then I had the leaders of Judah go up to the top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs who gave thanks. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate.

32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

and after them went Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 And [certain] of the priests’ sons with trumpets; [namely], Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

and some of the priests' sons 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 brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

There also were Zechariah's relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe was in front of them.

37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.

By the Fountain Gate they went straight up on the stairs of the city of David, by the stairway to the wall above David's palace, to the Water Gate on the east.

38 And the other [company of them that gave] thanks went over against [them], and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

The other choir of those who gave thanks went in the other direction. I followed them on the wall with half the people, above the Tower of Ovens, to the Broad Wall,

39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

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.

40 So stood the two [companies of them that gave] thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

So both choirs of those who gave thanks took their place in the house of God, and I also took my place with half of the officials with me.

41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, [and] Hananiah, with trumpets;

Then the priests took their place: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the trumpets,

42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah [their] overseer.

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the singers made themselves heard and Jezrahiah was their leader.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. Also the women and the children rejoiced. So the joy of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites. Each was assigned to work the fields near the towns. For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who were standing before them.

45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, [and] of Solomon his son.

They performed the service of their God, and the service of purification, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers, in keeping with the command of David and of Solomon his son.

46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old [there were] chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

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

47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified [holy things] unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified [them] unto the children of Aaron.

In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers. They set aside the portion that was for the Levites, and the Levites set aside a portion for the descendants of Aaron.