Nehemiah 12

Priests and Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem with Zerubbabel

1Now these are 1the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their 2kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

8The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was 3in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers. 9Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them 4in their service divisions. 10Jeshua 5became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim 6became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib 7became the father of Joiada, 11and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

12Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers’ households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14of 8Malluchi, 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.

The Chief Levites

22As for the Levites, the heads of fathers’ households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers’ households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 24The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, 9to praise and give thanks, 10as prescribed by David the man of God, 11division corresponding to division. 25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at 12the storehouses of the gates. 26These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of 13Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Dedication of the Wall

27Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs 14to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from 15the villages of the Netophathites, 29from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30The priests and the Levites 16purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

Procedures for the Temple

31Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great 17choirs, 1819the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward 20the Refuse Gate. 32Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, 33with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and 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, 36and his 21kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, 22with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37At 23the Fountain Gate they went directly up 24the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to 25the Water Gate on the east.

3826The second 27choir proceeded to the 28left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, 29above the Tower of Furnaces, to 30the Broad Wall, 39and above 31the Gate of Ephraim, by 32the Old Gate, by the 33Fish Gate, 34the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at 35the Gate of the Guard. 40Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets; 42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers 36sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, 43and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because 37God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

44On that day 38men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who 39served. 45For they performed the 40worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers 41in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon. 46For in the days of David and 42Asaph, in ancient times, there were 4344leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. 47So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers 45as each day required, and 46set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.