Nehemiah 12
1 And these [are] the priests and the Levites who they came up with Zerubbabel [the] son of Shealtiel and Jeshua 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 Ginnethoi Abijah.
Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5 Mijamin Moadiah Bilgah.
Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah and Joiarib Jedaiah.
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu Amok Hilkiah Jedaiah these [were] [the] leaders of the priests and brothers their in [the] days of Jeshua.
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 Jeshua Binnui Kadmiel Sherebiah Judah Mattaniah [were] over songs of thanksgiving he and brothers his.
[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 Bakbukiah (and Unni *Q(K)*) brothers their [were] to before them to duties.
Bakbukiah, Unni, and other descendants of Levi formed a choir that stood opposite the other group [and sang in reply to them].
10 And Jeshua he fathered Joiakim and Joiakim he fathered Eliashib and Eliashib 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 he fathered Jonathan and Jonathan he fathered Jaddua.
who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.
12 And in [the] days of Joiakim they were priests [the] leaders of the fathers 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 Mellichu *Q(K)*) 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 *Q(K)*) Zechariah of Ginnethon Meshullam.
Zechariah, from [the clan of] Iddo; Meshullam, from [the clan of] Ginnethon;
17 Of Abijah Zikri of Miniamin 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 Jonathan.
Shammua, from [the clan of] Bilgah; Jehonathan, from [the clan of] Shemaiah;
19 And 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 Levites in [the] days of Eliashib Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua [were] recorded leaders of fathers and the priests on [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] descendants of Levi [the] leaders of the fathers [were] recorded on [the] scroll of [the] matters of the days and until [the] days of Johanan [the] son of Eliashib.
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 And [the] leaders of the Levites [were] Hashabiah Sherebiah and Jeshua [the] son of Kadmiel and brothers their [were] to before them to praise to give thanks by [the] commandment of David [the] man of God division corresponding to division.
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 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah Obadiah Meshullam Talmon Akkub keeping [were] gatekeepers guard at [the] storerooms of 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 Joiakim [the] son of Jeshua [the] son of Jozadak and in [the] days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest the 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 people sought the Levites from all places their to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate dedication and joy and with thanksgivings and with song cymbals lyres and with 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 they gathered [the] sons of the singers and from the district around Jerusalem and from [the] villages of [the] Netophathite[s].
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 Beth Gilgal and from [the] fields of Geba and Azmaveth for villages they had built for themselves the singers 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 And they purified themselves the priests and the Levites 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 caused to go up [the] leaders of Judah from on to the wall and I appointed! two thanksgiving choirs large and processions to the right from on to the wall to [the] gate of the dung.
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 he went behind them Hoshaiah and [the] half of [the] leaders of Judah.
Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.
33 And Azariah Ezra and 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 and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah.
35 And some of [the] sons of the priests with trumpets Zechariah [the] 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 brothers his Shemaiah and Azarel Milalai Gilalai Maai Nethanel and Judah Hanani with [the] instruments of song of David [the] man of God and Ezra the scribe [was] before 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 And over [the] gate of the spring and before themselves they went up on [the] steps of [the] city of David at the ascent to the wall from above to [the] house of David and to [the] gate of the water 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 And the thanksgiving choir second [was] the [one which] was going to [the] front and I [was] behind it and [the] half of the people from on to the wall from above to [the] tower of the ovens and to the wall broad.
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 from over to [the] gate of Ephraim and over [the] gate of Jeshanah and over [the] gate of the fish and [the] tower of Hananel and [the] tower of the hundred and to [the] gate of the sheep and they stopped at [the] gate of the guard.
[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 they took their stand [the] two the thanksgiving choirs in [the] house of God and I and [the] half of the officials 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 Eliakim Maaseiah Miniamin Micaiah Elioenai Zechariah Hananiah with trumpets.
My group included these priests who were [all blowing] trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah,
42 And Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malkijah and Elam and Ezer and they caused to hear the singers and Izrahiah [was] the overseer.
[another] Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, whose leader was Jezrahiah, sang loudly.
43 And they sacrificed on the day that sacrifices great and they rejoiced for God he had made rejoice them joy great and also the women and the children they rejoiced and it was heard [the] rejoicing of Jerusalem from a distance.
[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 And they were appointed on the day that men over the rooms for the stores for the contributions for the first [fruit] and for the tithes to gather in them to [the] fields of the cities [the] portions of the law for the priests and for the Levites for [the] joy of Judah [was] on the priests and on the Levites who were standing.
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] service of God their and [the] service of purification and the singers and the gatekeepers according to [the] command of David Solomon son his.
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 antiquity ([the] leaders of *Q(K)*) the singers and [the] song of praise and thanksgiving 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 Zerubbabel and in [the] days of Nehemiah [were] giving [the] portions of the singers and the gatekeepers [the] matter of a day in day its and [were] setting apart for the Levites and the Levites [were] setting apart for [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].
