Preoţii şi leviţii repatriaţi

12 Preoţii şi leviţii care s-au întors împreună cu Zerub-Babel, fiul lui Şealtiel, şi cu Iosua au fost următorii:

Seraia, Ieremia, Ezra,

Amaria, Maluh, Hatuş,

Şecania, Rehum, Meremot,

Ido, Ghinton[a], Abia,

Miyamin[b], Maadia, Bilga,

Şemaia, Ioiarib, Iedaia,

Salu, Amok, Hilchia şi Iedaia.

Aceştia au fost căpetenii ale preoţilor şi ale rudelor lor pe vremea lui Iosua.

Dintre leviţi –

Iosua, Binui, Kadmiel,

Şerebia, Iuda, Matania, care, împreună cu rudele sale, era responsabil cu cântările de laudă,

precum şi Bakbuchia şi Uni, rudele lor, care îşi împlineau slujbele alături de ei.

10 Lui Iosua i s-a născut Ioiachim,

lui Ioiachim i s-a născut Eliaşib,

lui Eliaşib i s-a născut Ioiada,

11 lui Ioiada i s-a născut Ionatan,

lui Ionatan i s-a născut Iadua.

12 Pe vremea lui Ioiachim, căpeteniile familiilor preoţeşti au fost următoarele:

pentru Seraia – Meraia;

pentru Ieremia – Hanania;

13 pentru Ezra – Meşulam;

pentru Amaria – Iehohanan;

14 pentru Maluh – Ionatan;

pentru Şecania[c] – Iosif;

15 pentru Harim – Adna;

pentru Meremot[d] – Helkai;

16 pentru Ido – Zaharia;

pentru Ghinton – Meşulam;

17 pentru Abia – Zicri;

pentru Miniamin şi Moadia – Piltai;

18 pentru Bilga – Şamua;

pentru Şemaia – Iehonatan;

19 pentru Ioiarib – Matnai;

pentru Iedaia – Uzi;

20 pentru Salai – Kalai;

pentru Amok – Eber;

21 pentru Hilchia – Haşabia;

pentru Iedaia – Netanel.

22 Căpeteniile familiilor leviţilor şi ale preoţilor de pe vremea lui Eliaşib, a lui Ioiada, a lui Iohanan şi a lui Iadua, au fost înscrise în timpul domniei lui Darius persanul[e]. 23 Căpeteniile familiilor urmaşilor lui Levi au fost înscrise în „Cartea cronicilor“ până pe vremea lui Iohanan, fiul lui Eliaşib. 24 Căpeteniile levitice Haşabia, Şerebia şi Iosua, fiul lui Kadmiel, împreună cu rudele lor, stând unii în dreptul celorlalţi, erau responsabili să aducă laudă şi mulţumire Domnului, aşa cum poruncise David, omul lui Dumnezeu. 25 Matania, Bakbuchia, Obadia, Meşulam, Talmon şi Akub erau paznicii care aveau în grijă magaziile de la porţi. 26 Aceştia au trăit pe vremea lui Ioiachim, fiul lui Iosua, fiul lui Ioţadak, a guvernatorului Neemia şi a preotului şi cărturarului Ezra.

Consacrarea Ierusalimului reconstruit

27 La consacrarea zidurilor Ierusalimului, leviţii au fost chemaţi din toate locurile unde se aflau, ca să vină la Ierusalim şi să celebreze consacrarea cu bucurie, cu mulţumire şi cu cântece de chimval, de harfă[f] şi de liră. 28 S-au adunat cântăreţii din zonele dimprejurul Ierusalimului, cei din satele netofatiţilor, 29 cei din Bet-Ghilgal şi cei din ţinutul Ghevei şi Azmavetului, căci cântăreţii îşi construiseră aşezări împrejurul Ierusalimului. 30 Preoţii şi leviţii s-au curăţit, după care au curăţit poporul, porţile şi zidul Ierusalimului.

31 I-am pus pe conducătorii lui Iuda să se suie pe zid şi am organizat două coruri mari. Cel dintâi alai a pornit în partea dreaptă, luând-o pe zid către Poarta Gunoiului.

32 În urma leviţilor mergeau Hoşaia cu jumătate dintre conducătorii lui Iuda, 33 Azaria, Ezra, Meşulam, 34 Iuda, Beniamin, Şemaia şi Ieremia. 35 Mai erau unii dintre preoţi cu trâmbiţele lor, precum şi Zaharia, fiul lui Ionatan, fiul lui Şemaia, fiul lui Matania, fiul lui Micaia, fiul lui Zacur, fiul lui Asaf, 36 însoţit de Şemaia, de Azarel, de Milalai, de Ghilalai, de Maai, de Netanel, de Iuda şi de Hanani, – rudele lui –, care aveau instrumentele muzicale rânduite de David, omul lui Dumnezeu. Cărturarul Ezra era în fruntea acestora. 37 Când au ajuns la Poarta Izvorului, au mers înainte, urcând pe treptele Cetăţii lui David, apoi pe ridicătura zidului, pe deasupra palatului lui David, până la Poarta Apelor, spre răsărit.

38 Al doilea cor a pornit în partea stângă, iar eu împreună cu cealaltă jumătate din popor am mers după leviţi pe zid. Am continuat pe deasupra Turnului Cuptoarelor, până la Zidul cel Lat, 39 apoi pe deasupra Porţii lui Efraim, pe deasupra Porţii Vechi, pe deasupra Porţii Peştilor, a Turnului lui Hananel, a Turnului celor O Sută, pe deasupra Porţii Oilor şi ne-am oprit la Poarta Temniţei. 40 Cele două coruri s-au oprit la Templul lui Dumnezeu şi odată cu acestea şi eu, însoţit de jumătate dintre dregători. 41 Preoţii Eliachim, Maaseia, Miniamin, Micaia, Elioenai, Zaharia şi Hanania erau cu trâmbiţele. 42 Cântăreţii Maaseia, Şemaia, Elazar, Uzi, Iehohanan, Malchia, Elam şi Ezer şi-au făcut auzite vocile sub conducerea lui Iezrahia. 43 În ziua aceea s-au adus foarte multe jertfe şi s-au bucurat cu toţii, căci Dumnezeu le dăduse o mare bucurie. Chiar şi femeile, şi copiii se bucurau împreună cu ei, iar vuietul veseliei din Ierusalim putea fi auzit de departe.

44 În ziua aceea, au fost numiţi nişte bărbaţi responsabili cu odăile care erau folosite drept cămări pentru darurile de bunăvoie, pentru primele roade şi pentru zeciuieli, ca să adune în ele, de pe ogoarele cetăţilor, părţile stabilite de Lege pentru preoţi şi pentru leviţi, căci bucuria celor din Iuda se datora faptului că preoţii şi leviţii erau la locul lor, 45 împlinind slujba lui Dumnezeu şi slujba curăţirii. Tot aşa făceau şi cântăreţii, şi portarii, potrivit cu cele poruncite de David şi de fiul său Solomon. 46 Căci odinioară, pe vremea lui David şi a lui Asaf, erau căpetenii care supravegheau cântăreţii şi cântările de laudă şi de mulţumire pentru Domnul. 47 Toţi cei din Israel, de pe vremea lui Zerub-Babel şi a lui Neemia, au dat zilnic părţile cuvenite cântăreţilor şi portarilor. Ei au pus deoparte şi ceea ce era pentru leviţi, iar leviţii au pus deoparte ceea ce era pentru urmaşii lui Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. Neemia 12:4 Multe mss TM, VUL (vezi şi 12:16); cele mai multe mss TM: Ghintoi
  2. Neemia 12:5 O variantă a lui Miniamin
  3. Neemia 12:14 Foarte multe mss TM, câteva mss LXX, Siriacă (vezi şi 12:3); cele mai multe mss TM: Şebania
  4. Neemia 12:15 Câteva mss LXX (vezi şi 12:3); TM: Meraiot
  5. Neemia 12:22 Fie Darius II Nothus (423-404 î.Cr.), fie Darius III Codamannus (336-331 î.Cr.)
  6. Neemia 12:27 Ebr.: nevel, instrument cu coarde asemănător lirei, având 12 coarde şi un ton grav

Chapter 12

Priests and Levites at the Time of Zerubbabel. (A)The following are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the priestly heads and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah, who, together with his kinsmen, was in charge of the thanksgiving hymns, while Bakbukiah and Unno and their kinsmen ministered opposite them by turns.

High Priests. 10 [a]Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib the father of Joiada; 11 Joiada the father of Johanan, and Johanan the father of Jaddua.

Priests and Levites Under Joiakim. 12 (B)In the days of Joiakim these were the priestly family heads: for Seraiah, Meraiah; for Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 for Ezra, Meshullam; for Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 for Malluchi, Jonathan; for Shebaniah, Joseph; 15 for Harim, Adna; for Meremoth, Helkai; 16 for Iddo, Zechariah; for Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 for Abijah, Zichri; for Miamin,…; for Moadiah, Piltai; 18 for Bilgah, Shammua; for Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19 and for Joiarib, Mattenai; for Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20 for Sallu, Kallai; for Amok, Eber; 21 for Hilkiah, Hashabiah; for Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 In the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the heads of ancestral houses of the priests were written down in the Book of Chronicles, up until the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The sons of Levi: the family heads were written down in the Book of Chronicles, up until the time of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.

24 (C)The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel. Their kinsmen who stood opposite them to sing praises and thanksgiving in fulfillment of the command of David, the man of God, one section opposite the other, 25 (D)were Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah.

Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers. They guarded the storerooms at the gates.

26 All these lived in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak (and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest-scribe).

Dedication of the Wall. 27 [b]At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out wherever they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate a joyful dedication with thanksgiving hymns and the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The levitical singers gathered together from the region about Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth-gilgal, and from the plains of Geba and Azmaveth (for the singers had built themselves settlements about Jerusalem). 30 The priests and Levites first purified themselves, then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 I had the administrators of Judah go up on the wall, and I arranged two great choirs. The first of these proceeded to the right, along the top of the wall, in the direction of the Dung Gate, 32 followed by Hoshaiah and half the administrators of Judah, 33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 priests with the trumpets, and also Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, 36 and his kinsmen Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe was at their head. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight up by the steps of the City of David and continued along the top of the wall above the house of David until they came to the Water Gate on the east.

38 The second choir proceeded to the left, followed by myself and the other half of the administrators, along the top of the wall past the Oven Tower as far as the Broad Wall, 39 then past the Ephraim Gate to the Mishneh Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Hundred Tower, as far as the Sheep Gate. They came to a halt at the Prison Gate.

40 Both choirs took up a position in the house of God; I, too, and half the magistrates with me, 41 together with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, with the trumpets, 42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers were heard under the leadership of Jezrahiah. 43 Great sacrifices were offered on that day, and they rejoiced, for God had given them cause for great rejoicing. The women and the children joined in, and the rejoicing at Jerusalem could be heard from far off.

44 [c](E)At that time men were appointed over the chambers set aside for stores, offerings, first fruits, and tithes; in them they were to collect from the fields of the various cities the portions legally assigned to the priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced in its appointed priests and Levites 45 who carried out the ministry of their God and the ministry of purification (as did the singers and the gatekeepers) in accordance with the prescriptions of David and Solomon, his son. 46 (F)For in the days of David and Asaph, long ago, there were leaders of singers for songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 (G)All Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the singers and the gatekeepers their portions, according to their daily needs. They made their consecrated offering to the Levites, and the Levites made theirs to the descendants of Aaron.

Footnotes

  1. 12:10–11 Jeshua was the high priest when Zerubbabel was governor, in the last decades of the sixth century B.C. (Hg 1:1, 12, 14; 2:2, 4). He was the grandfather of Eliashib, the high priest early in Nehemiah’s governorship (445–433 B.C.; Neh 3:1, 20, 21) and perhaps later. Eliashib, the grandfather of Johanan, was a grown man, if not yet a high priest, at the time of Ezra, ca. 400 B.C. (Ezr 10:6; and note). According to Josephus (Ant. 11:120–183), whose testimony here is doubtful, Jaddua, son of Johanan, died as an old man about the time that Alexander the Great died, 323 B.C. If, as seems probable, this list of the postexilic high priests, at least as far as Johanan, comes from the author himself (cf. Neh 12:23) and not from a later scribe, it is of prime importance for dating the author’s work in the first decades of the fourth century B.C.
  2. 12:27–43 The dedication of the wall of Jerusalem took place, no doubt, soon after the restoration of the wall and its gates had been completed. This section, therefore, is best read after Neh 6:15.
  3. 12:44–47 This account of the provisions made for the Temple services is a composition either of the author or of a later scribe. The gloss mentioning Nehemiah is not in the Septuagint.

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

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.

10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 Of Melicu, 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 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

22 The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

24 And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.

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

27 And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

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

31 Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35 And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets; namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

36 And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

37 And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.

38 And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

39 And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

45 And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

47 And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.