1These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Joshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,2Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,3Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,4Iddo, Ginnethon,[1] Abijah,5Mijamin,[2] Moadiah, Bilgah,6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.8The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.9Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.10Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,11Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.12In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;13of Ezra’s, Meshullam; of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;14of Malluk’s, Jonathan; of Shekaniah’s,[3] Joseph;15of Harim’s, Adna; of Meremoth’s,[4] Helkai;16of Iddo’s, Zechariah; of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;17of Abijah’s, Zikri; of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;18of Bilgah’s, Shammua; of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;19of Joiarib’s, Mattenai; of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;20of Sallu’s, Kallai; of Amok’s, Eber;21of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.22The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian.23The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals.24And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.26They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.
Dedication of the wall of Jerusalem
27At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps and lyres.28The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem – from the villages of the Netophathites,29from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.30When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.31I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of[5] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of[6] the wall to the right, towards the Dung Gate.32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,35as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph,36and his associates – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani – with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the teacher of the Law led the procession.37At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate on the east.38The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of[7] the wall, together with half the people – past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,39over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah[8] Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.40The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,41as well as the priests – Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets –42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.43And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.44At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.45They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.47So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
Nehemiah 12
English Standard Version
Priests and Levites
1These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, (1Ch 3:19; Ezr 2:1; Ezr 3:2; Ne 10:2; Ne 12:12; Ne 12:47)2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.8And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. (2Ch 5:13; Ne 11:17; Ne 12:24)9And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brothers stood opposite them in the service. (Ne 12:24)10And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,11Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.12And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; (Ne 12:26)13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;14of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;15of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;17of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;18of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;19of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.22In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.23As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. (1Ch 9:14)24And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch. (2Ch 5:13; Ezr 2:40; Ezr 3:11; Ne 10:9; Ne 11:17; Ne 12:9; Ne 12:36)25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates. (1Ch 26:15)26These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe. (Ne 8:9)
Dedication of the Wall
27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. (Nu 7:10; 1Ch 15:16)28And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;29also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall. (Ne 13:22; Ne 13:30)31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate. (Ne 2:13; Ne 3:13; Ne 12:38)32And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,33and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,35and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; (1Ch 15:24)36and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. (1Ch 23:5; Ne 12:24)37At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east. (Ne 2:14; Ne 3:15; Ne 3:26; Ne 8:1; Ne 8:3; Ne 8:16)38The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall, (Ne 3:8; Ne 3:11; Ne 12:31)39and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah,[1] and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard. (Ne 3:1; Ne 3:3; Ne 3:6; Ne 3:25; Ne 8:16)40So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me;41and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; (1Ch 15:24)42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader.43And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.
Service at the Temple
44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered. (2Ch 31:11; Ne 13:5; Ne 13:12)45And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.46For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs[2] of praise and thanksgiving to God. (1Ch 25:1; 2Ch 29:30)47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron. (Nu 18:21; Nu 18:24; Nu 18:26; 2Ch 31:16; Ne 11:23)