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 kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

8And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was 2in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers. 9Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them 3in their service divisions. 10Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, 11Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered 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 4Malluchi, 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; and 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. 24And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, 5to praise and give thanks, 6as prescribed by David the man of God, 7division corresponding to division. 25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at 8the storerooms of the gates. 26These men served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of 9Nehemiah the governor and 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 could celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving and with songs 10to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28So the sons of the singers were assembled from the territory around Jerusalem, and from 11the villages of the Netophathites, 29from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30The priests and the Levites 12purified 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 large 13choirs, 1415the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward 16the Dung 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 kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, 17with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37At 18the Fountain Gate they went directly up 19the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall, above the house of David to 20the Water Gate on the east.

3821The second 22choir proceeded to the 23left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, 24above the Tower of Furnaces, to 25the Broad Wall, 39and above 26the Gate of Ephraim, by 27the Ancient Gate, by the 28Fish Gate, 29the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at 30the Gate of the Guard. 40Then the two choirs took their positions 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 31sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, 43and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because 32God had given them great joy, and the women and children rejoiced as well, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.

44On that day 33men were also appointed over the chambers for the supplies, 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 the Levites who 34served. 45For they performed the 35worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers 36in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon. 46For in the days of David and 37Asaph, in ancient times, there were 3839leaders of the singers, songs of praise and songs of thanksgiving to God. 47So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers 40as each day required, and they 4142set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites 43set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.