Nehemiah
12
- These were the priests and Levites who returned
with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
- Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
- Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
- Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
- Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
- Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
- Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These
were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.
- The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel,
Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who, together with his associates, was
in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
- Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood
opposite them in the services.
- Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim
the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,
- Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan
the father of Jaddua.
- In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads
of the priestly families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah;
- of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan;
- of Malluch's, Jonathan; of Shecaniah's,
Joseph;
- of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's, Helkai;
- of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam;
- of Abijah's, Zicri; of Miniamin's and of
Moadiah's, Piltai;
- of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan;
- of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi;
- of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber;
- of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel.
- The family heads of the Levites in the days
of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests,
were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian.
- The family heads among the descendants of
Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of
the annals.
- And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah,
Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite
them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other,
as prescribed by David the man of God.
- Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam,
Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.
- They served in the days of Joiakim son of
Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Neemiah the governor and of
Ezra the priest and scribe.
- At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem,
the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem
to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the
music of cymbals, harps and lyres.
- The singers also were brought together from
the region around Jerusalem -- from the villages of the Netophathites,
- from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba
and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
- When the priests and Levites had purified
themselves ceremonially, they purified the people, the gates and the wall.
- I had the leaders of Judah go up on top
of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed
on top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.
- Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed
them,
- along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
- Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
- as well as some priests with trumpets, and
also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah,
the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
- and his associates -- Shemaiah, Azarel,
Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani -- with musical instruments
prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.
- At the Fountain Gate they continued directly
up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above
the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
- The second choir proceeded in the opposite
direction. I followed them on top of the wall, together with half the people
-- past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
- over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate,
the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as
the Sheep Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.
- The two choirs that gave thanks then took
their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,
- as well as the priests -- Eliakim, Maaseiah,
Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets --
- and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi,
Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of
Jezrahiah.
- And on that day they offered great sacrifices,
rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also
rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
- At that time men were appointed to be in
charge of the storerooms for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes. From
the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions
required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased
with the ministering priests and Levites.
- They performed the service of their God
and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers,
according to the commands of David and his son Solomon.
- For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,
there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving
to God.
- So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Neemiah,
all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers.
They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set
aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.
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