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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,2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.9 Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brethren, were over against them according to their offices.10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, and Joiakim begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,11 and Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ houses: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;19 and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ houses; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.23 The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ houses, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.24 And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch.25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the watch at the store-houses of 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.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.28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites;29 also from Beth-gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies that gave thanks and went in procession; whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:32 and after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,33 and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,35 and certain of the priests’ sons 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 his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.37 And by 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 unto the water gate eastward.38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, upon the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even unto the broad wall,39 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 Hammeah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in 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;41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with 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.43 And they offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.44 And on that day were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.45 And they kept the charge of their God, and the charge of the purification, and so did the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto 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, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

Nehemiah 12

The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem

1 These are the priests and Levites who returnedt with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,4 Iddo, Ginnethon,s Abijah,5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaderst of the priests and their colleaguest in the days of Jeshua.
8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his colleaguest was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

9 Bakbukiah and Unni,s their colleagues, stood opposite them in the services.
10 Jeshua was the father oft Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada,

11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;14 of Malluch,s Jonathan; of Shecaniah,s Joseph;15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth,s Helkai;16 of Iddo,s Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin andt of Moadiah, Piltai;18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;20 of Sallu,s Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 As for the Levites,t in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua the heads of families were recorded, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian.23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chroniclest as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their colleagues, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks, one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified byt David the man of God.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates.

26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe.t

The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem,s they sought out the Levites from all the places they livedt to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.28 The singerst were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem.

30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceeds on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate.32 Going after them were Hoshaiah, half the leaders of Judah,33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,35 some of the priestst with trumpets, 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 colleagues – Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani – with musical instruments oft David the man of God. (Ezra the scribe led them.)t

37 They went over the Fountain Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east.
38 The second choir was proceedings in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate,t the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stoppedt at the Gate of the Guard.
40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stationst in the temple of God. I did also, along with half the officials with me,41 and the priests – Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets –42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs sang loudlyt under the direction of Jezrahiah.

43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.
44 On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, first fruits, and tithes, to gather into them froms the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for the people of Judaht took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering.t45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David ands his son Solomon.46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directorst for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need.t They also set asidet the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.