Nehemiah 12

A History of the Priests and Levites

12Here is the list of the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,H3548H3881H5927H2216H1121H7597H3442H8304H3414H58302Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,H568H4409H24073Shecaniah, Harim

, Meremoth,H7935H7348H48224Iddo, Ginnethon

, Abijah,H5714H1599H295Miniamin, Moadiah

, Bilgah,H4326H4573H10836Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,H8098H3114H30487Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.H5543H5987H2518H3048H7218H3548H251H3117H34428The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.H3881H3442H1131H6934H8274H3063H4983H1960H2519Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service.H1229H6042H251H493110Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada.H3442H3205H3113H3113H3205H475H475H3205H311111Joiada was the father of Johanan

. Johanan was the father of Jaddua.H3111H3205H3129H3129H3205H303712Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows: Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah. Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah.H3117H3113H3548H7218H1H8304H4811H3414H260813Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra. Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah.H5830H4918H568H307614Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch①. Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah②./ ①As in Greek version (see also 10.4; 12.2); Hebrew reads Malluchi. ②As in many Hebrew manuscripts, some Greek manuscripts, and Syriac version (see also 12.3); most Hebrew manuscripts read ShebaniahH4409H3129H7645H313015Adna was leader of the family of Harim. Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth

.H2766H5733H4812H251716Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo. Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon.H5714H2148H1599H491817Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah. There was also a

leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah.H29H2147H4509H4153H640818Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah. Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah.H1083H8051H8098H308319Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib. Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah.H3114H4982H3048H581320Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu

. Eber was leader of the family of Amok.H5543H7040H5987H567721Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah. Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah.H2518H2811H3048H541722A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian

.H3881H3117H475H3111H3110H3037H3789H7218H1H3548H4438H1867H654223A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in The Book of History down to the days of Johanan, the grandson

of Eliashib.H1121H3878H7218H1H3789H5612H1697H3117H3110H1121H47524These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui

, Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God.H7218H3881H2811H8274H3442H1121H6934H251H1984H3034H4687H1732H376H430H4929H5980H492925This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates.H4983H1229H5662H4918H2929H6126H7778H8104H4929H624H817926These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak

, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.H3117H3113H1121H3442H1121H3136H3117H5166H6346H5830H3548H5608

Dedication of Jerusalem’s Wall

27For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.H2598H2346H3389H1245H3881H4725H935H3389H6213H2598H8057H8426H7892H4700H5035H365828The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.H1121H7891H622H3603H5439H3389H2691H520029They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem.H1004H1537H1019H7704H1387H5820H7891H1129H2691H5439H338930The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.H3548H3881H2891H2891H5971H8179H234631I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward

along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate.H5927H8269H3063H2346H5975H8147H1419H8426H8418H3225H2346H830H817932Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,H310H3212H1955H2677H8269H306333along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,H5838H5830H491834Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.H3063H1144H8098H341435Then came some priests who played trumpets, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.H3548H1121H2689H2148H1121H3129H1121H8098H1121H4983H1121H4320H1121H2139H1121H62336And Zechariah's colleagues were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession.H251H8098H5832H4450H1562H4597H5417H3063H2607H7892H3627H1732H376H430H5830H5608H644037At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east.H5869H8179H5927H4609H5892H1732H4608H2346H1004H1732H4325H8179H421738The second choir giving thanks went northward

around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,H8145H8426H1980H4136H310H2677H5971H2346H4026H8574H7342H234639then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate

, past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate.H8179H669H3465H8179H1709H8179H4026H2606H4026H3968H6629H8179H5975H4307H817940The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me.H5975H8147H8426H1004H430H2677H546141We went together with the trumpet-playing priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—H3548H471H4641H4509H4320H454H2148H2608H268942and the singers—Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director.H4641H8098H499H5813H3076H4441H5867H5829H7891H8085H3156H649643Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.H3117H2076H1419H2077H8055H430H8055H1419H8057H802H3206H8055H8057H3389H8085H7350

Provisions for Temple Worship

44On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the offerings, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect from the fields outside the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For all the people of Judah took joy in the priests and Levites and their work.H3117H582H6485H5393H214H8641H7225H4643H3664H7704H5892H4521H8451H3548H3881H3063H8057H3548H3881H597545They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as commanded by David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers.H7891H7778H8104H4931H430H4931H2893H4687H1732H8010H112146The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph.H3117H1732H623H6924H7218H7891H7892H8416H3034H43047So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.H3478H3117H2216H3117H5166H5414H4521H7891H7778H3117H1697H6942H3881H3881H6942H1121H175