Nehemiah 12

The Priests and Levites Who Returned

1Now theseH428 are the priestsH3548 and LevitesH3881 whoH834 went upH5927 withH5973 ZerubbabelH2216 sonH1121 of ShealtielH7597 and with JeshuaH3442:

SeraiahH8304, JeremiahH3414, EzraH5830, 2AmariahH568, MalluchH4409,1 HattushH2407, 3ShecaniahH7935, RehumH7348,2 MeremothH4822, 4IddoH5714, GinnethonH1599,3 AbijahH29, 5MijaminH4326,4 MaadiahH4573,5 BilgahH1083,6 6ShemaiahH8098, JoiaribH3114, JedaiahH3048, 7SalluH5543, AmokH5987, HilkiahH2518, and JedaiahH3048. TheseH428 were the leadersH7218 of the priestsH3548 and their associatesH251 in the daysH3117 of JeshuaH3442.

8The LevitesH3881 were JeshuaH3442, BinnuiH1131, KadmielH6934, SherebiahH8274, JudahH3063, and MattaniahH4983, whoH1931, with his associatesH251, ledH5921 the songs of thanksgivingH1960. 9BakbukiahH1229 and UnniH6042, their associatesH251, stood across from themH5048 in the servicesH4931.

10JeshuaH3442 was the father ofH3205 JoiakimH3113, JoiakimH3113 was the father ofH3205 EliashibH475, EliashibH475 was the father of JoiadaH3111, 11JoiadaH3111 was the father ofH3205 JonathanH3129,7 and JonathanH3129 was the father ofH3205 JadduaH3037.

12In the daysH3117 of JoiakimH3113, these wereH1961 the headsH7218 of the priestlyH3548 familiesH1:

of the family of SeraiahH8304, MeraiahH4811; of JeremiahH3414, HananiahH2608; 13of EzraH5830, MeshullamH4918; of AmariahH568, JehohananH3076; 14of MalluchiH4409,8 JonathanH3129; of ShebaniahH7645,9 JosephH3130; 15of HarimH2766, AdnaH5733; of MeraiothH4812,10 HelkaiH2517; 16of IddoH5718, ZechariahH2148; of GinnethonH1599, MeshullamH4918; 17of AbijahH29, ZichriH2147; of MiniaminH4509 and of MoadiahH4153,11 PiltaiH6408; 18of BilgahH1083, ShammuaH8051; of ShemaiahH8098, JonathanH3083; 19of JoiaribH3114, MattenaiH4982; of JedaiahH3048, UzziH5813; 20of SallaiH5543,12 KallaiH7040; of AmokH5987, EberH5677; 21of HilkiahH2518, HashabiahH2811; and of JedaiahH3048, NethanelH5417.

22In the daysH3117 of EliashibH475, JoiadaH3111, JohananH3110,13 and JadduaH3037, duringH5921 the reign ofH4438 DariusH1867 the PersianH6542, the headsH7218 of the familiesH1 of the LevitesH3881 and priestsH3548 were recordedH3789.

23As for the descendantsH1121 of LeviH3878, the familyH1 headsH7218 up toH5704 the daysH3117 of JohananH3110 sonH1121 of EliashibH475 were recordedH3789 inH5921 the BookH5612 of the ChroniclesH1697H3117.14 24The leadersH7218 of the LevitesH3881 were HashabiahH2811, SherebiahH8274, and JeshuaH3442 sonH1121 of KadmielH6934,15 along with their associatesH251, who stood across from themH5048 to give praiseH1984 and thanksgivingH3034 as one sectionH4929 alternated withH5980 the otherH4929, as prescribedH4687 by DavidH1732 the manH376 of GodH430.

25MattaniahH4983, BakbukiahH1229, ObadiahH5662, MeshullamH4918, TalmonH2929, and AkkubH6126 were gatekeepersH7778 who guardedH8104H4929 the storeroomsH624 at the gatesH8179. 26TheyH428 served in the daysH3117 of JoiakimH3113 sonH1121 of JeshuaH3442, the sonH1121 of JozadakH3136,16 and in the daysH3117 of NehemiahH5166 the governorH6346 and EzraH5830 the priestH3548 and scribeH5608.

The Dedication of the Wall

27At the dedicationH2598 of the wallH2346 of JerusalemH3389, the LevitesH3881 were sought outH1245 from allH3605 their homesH4725 and broughtH935 to JerusalemH3389 to celebrateH6213 the joyousH8057 dedicationH2598 with thanksgivingH8426 and singingH7892, accompanied by cymbalsH4700, harpsH5035, and lyresH3658. 28The singers were alsoH1121H7891 assembledH622 fromH4480 the regionH3603 aroundH5439 JerusalemH3389, fromH4480 the villagesH2691 of the NetophathitesH5200, 29from Beth-gilgalH1019, and from the fieldsH7704 of GebaH1387 and AzmavethH5820, forH3588 they had builtH1129 villagesH2691 for themselves aroundH5439 JerusalemH3389. 30After the priestsH3548 and LevitesH3881 had purified themselvesH2891, they purifiedH2891 the peopleH5971, the gatesH8179, and the wallH2346.

31Then I brought the leadersH8269 of JudahH3063 upH5927 onH5921 the wallH2346, and I appointedH5975 twoH8147 greatH1419 thanksgivingH8426 choirs. One was to proceedH8418 along the topH5921 of the wallH234617 to the rightH3225, toward the DungH830 GateH8179. 32HoshaiahH1955 and halfH2677 the leadersH8269 of JudahH3063 followedH1980H310, 33along with AzariahH5838, EzraH5830, MeshullamH4918, 34JudahH3063, BenjaminH1144, ShemaiahH8098, JeremiahH3414, 35and some of the priestsH3548H1121 with trumpetsH2689, and also ZechariahH2148 sonH1121 of JonathanH3129, the sonH1121 of ShemaiahH8098, the sonH1121 of MattaniahH4983, the sonH1121 of MicaiahH4320,18 the sonH1121 of ZaccurH2139, the sonH1121 of AsaphH623, 36and his associatesH251—ShemaiahH8098, AzarelH5832, MilalaiH4450, GilalaiH1562, MaaiH4597, NethanelH5417, JudahH3063, and HananiH2607—with the musicalH7892 instrumentsH3627 prescribed by DavidH1732 the manH376 of GodH430. EzraH5830 the scribeH5608 led the processionH6440. 37AtH5921 the FountainH5869H5048 GateH8179 they went directly upH5927H5921 the stepsH4609 of the CityH5892 of DavidH1732 on the ascentH4608 to the wallH2346 and passed aboveH5921 the houseH1004 of DavidH1732 toH5704 the WaterH4325 GateH8179 on the eastH4217.

38The secondH8145 thanksgivingH8426 choir proceededH1980 to the leftH4136, and IH589 followedH310 it with halfH2677 the peopleH5971 along the topH5921 of the wallH2346, pastH5921 the TowerH4026 of the OvensH8574 toH5704 the BroadH7342 WallH2346, 39overH5921 the GateH8179 of EphraimH669, the JeshanahH3466 GateH8179H5921,19 the FishH1709 GateH8179, the TowerH4026 of HananelH2606, and the TowerH4026 of the HundredH3968, as farH5704 as the SheepH6629 GateH8179. And they stoppedH5975 at the GateH8179 of the GuardH4307.

40The twoH8147 thanksgivingH8426 choirs then stoodH5975 in the houseH1004 of GodH430, as did IH589, along with the halfH2677 of the officialsH5461 accompanying meH5973, 41as well as the priestsH3548 with their trumpetsH2689—EliakimH471, MaaseiahH4641, MiniaminH4509, MicaiahH4320, ElioenaiH454, ZechariahH2148, and HananiahH2608— 42and also MaaseiahH4641, ShemaiahH8098, EleazarH499, UzziH5813, JehohananH3076, MalchijahH4441, ElamH5867, and EzerH5829. Then the choirsH7891 sang outH8085 under the directionH6496 of JezrahiahH3156.

43On thatH1931 dayH3117 they offeredH2076 greatH1419 sacrificesH2077, rejoicingH8055 becauseH3588 GodH430 had given them greatH1419 joyH8055H8057. The womenH802 and childrenH3206 alsoH1571 rejoicedH8055, so that the joyH8057 of JerusalemH3389 was heardH8085 from afarH7350.

Provisions for Temple Worship

44And on that sameH1931 dayH3117 menH582 were appointedH6485 overH5921 the roomsH5393 that housed the suppliesH214, contributionsH8641, firstfruitsH7225, and tithesH4643. The portions specified byH4521 the LawH8451 for the priestsH3548 and LevitesH3881 were gatheredH3664 into these storerooms from the fieldsH7704 of the villagesH5892, becauseH3588 JudahH3063 rejoicedH8057 overH5921 the priestsH3548H5921 and LevitesH3881 who were servingH5975.

45They performedH8104 the serviceH4931 of their GodH430 and the serviceH4931 of purificationH2893, along with the singersH7891 and gatekeepersH7778, as DavidH1732 and his sonH1121 SolomonH8010 had prescribedH4687. 46ForH3588 long agoH6924, in the daysH3117 of DavidH1732 and AsaphH623, there were directorsH7218 for the singersH7891 and for the songsH7892 of praiseH8416 and thanksgivingH3034 to GodH430.

47So in the daysH3117 of ZerubbabelH2216 andH3117 NehemiahH5166, allH3605 IsraelH3478 contributedH5414 the daily portionsH4521 for the singersH7891 and gatekeepersH7778. They also set asideH6942 dailyH3117 portionsH1697 for the LevitesH3881, and the LevitesH3881 set asideH6942 daily portions for the descendantsH1121 of AaronH175.