Nehemiah 12
Lexham English Bible
The Leaders and Servants in Jerusalem
12 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Jehoiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These are the heads of the priests and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah and his brothers who were in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 And Bakbukiah, Unno, their brothers stood opposite them during service. 10 Jeshua fathered Jehoiakim; Jehoiakim fathered Eliashib; Eliashib fathered Jehoiada; 11 Jehoiada fathered Jehonathan; Jehonathan fathered Jaddua.
12 Now in the days of Jehoiakim the priests and the heads of the families[a] were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of Melichu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; 16 of Adaia, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin; of Moadiah, Piltai; 18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 of Jehoiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 of Sallu, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 In the days of Eliashib, Jehoiada, Jehohanan, and Jaddua the Levites were recorded as heads of the families.[b] So these were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The descendants[c] of Levi and the heads of the families[d] were recorded in the scroll of the Annals until the days of Jehohanan son of Eliashib. 24 And the heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers opposite them, to praise and to give thanks by the command of David the man of God, section alongside section. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storerooms of the gates. 26 These were in the days of Jehoiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.
Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites from all of their places in order to bring them to Jerusalem to do the dedication with joy, thanksgivings, song and cymbals, stringed instruments and lyres. 28 The singers[e] were gathered from the circuit all around Jerusalem and from the villages of Netophathite, 29 from Beth Gilgal, from the field of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers built for themselves villages all around Jerusalem. 30 And the priests and the Levites purified themselves and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 Then I brought the commanders of Judah up on to the wall. I appointed two great choirs; one went in a procession to the right on the wall to the Dung Gate. 32 After them went Hoshaiah, half of the commanders of Judah, 33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and the priests[f] with trumpets; Zechariah son of Jehonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; 36 and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani with the instruments of the songs of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate opposite them they went up the steps of the city of David, at the assent to the wall, over the house of David, and up to the Water Gate to the east.
38 Then the second choir went the opposite way. I followed after them with half of the people on the wall, from over the Tower of the Ovens up to the Wide Wall 39 and over the Gate of Ephraim, at the Old Gate, at the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, and to the Sheep Gate. And they stopped and stood at the Gate of the Guard. 40 So the two choirs stood in the house of God, and I and half of the prefects with me; 41 and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with the trumpets; 42 Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jizrahiah the chief officer. 43 They offered on that day great sacrifices and rejoiced because God brought great joy to them. And the women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
Celebration at the Temple
44 On that day men were appointed for the storehouse rooms, the offerings, the first fruits, and the tithes, in order to gather in them from the fields of the cities the requirements of the law[g] for the priests and Levites; for the joy of Judah was upon the priests and Levites standing there. 45 They kept the responsibility of their God and the responsibility of cleansing, and the singers and gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David and Asaph from ancient times there was the head of the singers and a song of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 So all of Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily food portions of the singers and gatekeepers. And they set apart that which was for the Levites, and the Levites set apart that which was for the descendants[h] of Aaron.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 12:12 Literally “fathers”
- Nehemiah 12:22 Literally “fathers”
- Nehemiah 12:23 Or “sons”
- Nehemiah 12:23 Literally “fathers”
- Nehemiah 12:28 Literally “sons of the singers”
- Nehemiah 12:35 Literally “sons of the priests”
- Nehemiah 12:44 Hebrew torah
- Nehemiah 12:47 Or “sons”
Nehemiah 12
Legacy Standard Bible
Priests and Levites Come Up with Zerubbabel
12 Now these are (A)the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:
Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
These were the heads of the priests and their [a]relatives in the days of Jeshua.
8 The Levites were
Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was over of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.
9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them (B)in keeping their responsibilities.
10 Jeshua [b]became the father of Joiakim,
and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib,
and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,
11 and Joiada became the father of Jonathan,
and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.
12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers’ households were:
of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of [c]Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
The Heads of the Levites
22 As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of fathers’ households were written down; the priests were also in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers’ households, were written down in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, (C)to praise and give thanks, by the commandment of David the man of God, (D)watch by watch.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at (E)the storerooms of the gates.
26 These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of (F)Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
Dedication of the Wall
27 Now 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 (G)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28 So the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from (H)the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites (I)cleansed themselves; they also cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.
The Choirs in the House of God
31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I had two great choirs of thanksgiving stand, [d](J)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward (K)the Dung Gate.
32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,
33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35 and 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,
36 and his [e]relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, (L)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.
37 At (M)the Spring Gate they went directly up (N)the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to (O)the Water Gate on the east.
38 (P)The second [f]choir proceeded to the [g]left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, (Q)above the Tower of Furnaces, to (R)the Broad Wall, 39 and above (S)the Gate of Ephraim, by (T)the Old Gate, by the (U)Fish Gate, (V)the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stood at (W)the Gate of the Guard. 40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests:
Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;
42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer.
And the singers made their voices heard, with Jezrahiah their overseer, 43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and were glad because (X)God had given them great gladness, even the women and children were glad, so that the gladness of Jerusalem was heard from afar.
44 On that day (Y)men 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 was glad over the priests and Levites who stood to minister. 45 And they kept their responsibility given by their God and the responsibility of cleansing, together with the singers and the gatekeepers, (Z)according to the commandment of David and his son Solomon. 46 For in the days of David and (AA)Asaph, in ancient times, there were [h](AB)chiefs of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God. 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were giving the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers (AC)as each day required, and (AD)set apart the holy portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the holy portion for the sons of Aaron.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 12:7 Lit brothers
- Nehemiah 12:10 Lit begot, so through v 12
- Nehemiah 12:14 In Neh 12:2, Malluch
- Nehemiah 12:31 Heb and processions to the right
- Nehemiah 12:36 Lit brothers
- Nehemiah 12:38 Lit thanksgiving choir
- Nehemiah 12:38 Lit front
- Nehemiah 12:46 Lit heads
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