Nehemiah 12

The AIT Bible

Priests and Levites of the Return

1Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

3Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

8And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving songs, he and his kinsmen.

9And Bakbukiah and Unni, their kinsmen, stood opposite them in watch-divisions.

10Now Jeshua fathered Joiakim, and Joiakim fathered Eliashib, and Eliashib fathered Joiada,

11and Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

12And in the days of Joiakim, the priests, heads of the fathers’ houses, were: for Seraiah, Meraiah; for Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13for Ezra, Meshullam; for Amariah, Jehohanan;

14for Malluki, Jonathan; for Shebaniah, Joseph;

15for Harim, Adna; for Meraioth, Helkai;

16for Iddo, Zechariah; for Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17for Abijah, Zikri; for Miniamin, for Moadiah, Piltai;

18for Bilgah, Shammua; for Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19and for Joiarib, Mattenai; for Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20for Sallai, Kallai; for Amok, Eber;

21for Hilkiah, Hashabiah; for Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were recorded as heads of the fathers’ houses, and so were the priests, until the reign of Darius the Persian.

23The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’ houses, were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles, down to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their kinsmen opposite them, to praise and give thanks according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch corresponding to watch.

25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates.

26These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest, the scribe.

Dedication of Jerusalem's Wall

27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all their places to bring them to Jerusalem, to hold the dedication with joy, and with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

28And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both from the surrounding district of Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

29and from Beth-gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

31Then I brought up the officials of Judah upon the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs and processions. One went to the right upon the wall, toward the Dung Gate.

32After them went Hoshaiah and half the officials of Judah,

33and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

36and his kinsmen: Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.

37By the Fountain Gate they went straight up before them on the stairs of the City of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, as far as the Water Gate on the east.

38The second thanksgiving choir went to the left, and I followed after it with half the people, upon the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall,

39and above the Gate of Ephraim, past the Old Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard.

40So the two thanksgiving choirs took their stand in the house of God, and I with half the officials with me,

41and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets,

42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang out, with Jezrahiah as their leader.

43And they offered great sacrifices on that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.

Provisions for Temple Service

44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who were serving.

45And they kept the charge of their God and the charge of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and of Solomon his son.

46For in the days of David and Asaph, long ago, there were leaders of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47And all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, as each day required; and they set apart the consecrated portions for the Levites, and the Levites set apart portions for the sons of Aaron.

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