Nehemiah 12

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

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,

2 Amaryah, Malluch, Chattush,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shechanyah, Rechum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 'Iddo, Ginnethoy, Abiyah,

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miyamin, Ma'adyah, Bilgah,

Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shema'yah, and Joyarib, Jed'ayah,

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, 'Amok, Chilkiyah, Jed'ayah. These were the chiefs 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 relatives in Jeshua's time.

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

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

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

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

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

Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,

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

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

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

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

13 Of 'Ezra, Meshullam; of Amaryah, Jehochanan;

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 Of Mellchu, Jonathan; of Shebanyah, Joseph;

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 Of Charim, 'Adna; of Merayoth, Chelkai;

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 Of 'Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

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

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

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

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

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

of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

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

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

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

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 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.

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.

23 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.

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.

24 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.

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.

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

They were joined by Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storehouses at the gates.

26 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.

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.

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 celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

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.

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

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

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

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.

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

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

31 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;

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.

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

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

33 And 'Azaryah, 'Ezra, and Meshullam,

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35 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;

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 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.

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.

37 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.

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.

38 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;

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,

39 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.

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.

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

Both thanksgiving choirs then took their places in God's Temple. I followed with the group of leaders that was with me,

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

along with the priests blowing their trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah.

42 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.

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

43 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.

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.

44 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,

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.

45 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.

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.

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

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.

47 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.

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.