Nehemiah 12

1 And these [are] the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

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

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah; these [are] heads of the priests and of their brothers 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 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah, he [is] over the thanksgiving, and his brothers,

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

9 and Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, [are] opposite them in charges.

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

10 And Jeshua has begotten Joiakim, and Joiakim has begotten Eliashib, and Eliashib has begotten Joiada,

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

11 and Joiada has begotten Jonathan, and Jonathan has begotten Jaddua.

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

12 And in the days of Joiakim have been priests, heads of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

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

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

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

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

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

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

of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 The Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, are written, heads of fathers, and of the priests, in the kingdom of Darius the Persian.

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.

23 Sons of Levi, heads of the fathers, are written on the scroll of the Chronicles even until the days of Johanan son of Eliashib;

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.

24 and heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers, [are] opposite them, to give praise, to give thanks, by command of David the man of God, charge close by charge.

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.

25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, [are] gatekeepers, keeping watch in the gatherings of the gates.

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

26 These [are] in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, 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, the son of Jozadak, and in the days 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 make the dedication even with gladness, and with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps;

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.

28 and sons of the singers are gathered together even from the circuit around Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi,

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

29 and from the house of Gilgal, and from fields of Geba and Azmaveth, the singers have built for villages for themselves around Jerusalem;

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

30 and the priests and the Levites are cleansed, and they cleanse the people, and the gates, and the wall.

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

31 And I bring up the heads of Judah on the wall, and appoint two great thanksgiving companies and processions. At the right, on the wall, to the Refuse Gate;

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.

32 and after them goes Hoshaiah, and half of the heads of Judah,

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed,

33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 and of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Michaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

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,

36 and his brothers Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with instruments of song of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe [is] before them;

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.

37 and by the Fountain Gate and in front of them, they have gone up by the steps of the City of David, at the going up of the wall beyond the house of David, and to the Water Gate eastward.

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.

38 And the second thanksgiving company that is going opposite, and I after it, and half of the people on the wall from beyond the Tower of the Furnaces and to the broad wall,

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,

39 and from beyond the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, and to the Sheep Gate—and they have stood at the Prison Gate.

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.

40 And the two thanksgiving companies stand in the house of God, and I and half of the prefects with me,

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

41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, with trumpets,

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

42 and Masseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer, and the singers sound, and Jezrahiah the inspector;

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

43 and they sacrifice on that day great sacrifices and rejoice, for God has made them rejoice [with] great joy, and also, the women and the children have rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem is heard—to a distance.

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.

44 And certain are appointed on that day over the chambers for treasures, for raised-offerings, for first-fruits, and for tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for priests, and for Levites, for the joy of Judah [is] over the priests, and over the Levites, who are standing up.

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.

45 And the singers and the gatekeepers keep the charge of their God, even the charge of the cleansing—according to the command of David [and] his son Solomon,

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.

46 for in the days of David and Asaph of old [were] heads of the singers, and a song of praise and thanksgiving to God.

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.

47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, are giving the portions of the singers, and of the gatekeepers, the matter of a day in its day, and are sanctifying to the Levites, and the Levites are sanctifying to the sons of Aaron.

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.