Nehemiah 12:44-46
New Catholic Bible
44 Offerings for Priests and Levites.[a] On that occasion men were appointed to take charge of the chambers that had been set aside for the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, and to collect in them those portions required by the law for the priests and the Levites from the fields belonging to them. For all Judah rejoiced in its officiating priests and Levites, 45 since they, along with the singers and gatekeepers, performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as ordained according to the rules laid down by David and his son Solomon.
46 For since ancient times, from the days of David and Asaph long ago, there had been leaders for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 12:44 In the view of the Chronicler, the acknowledged royal officials, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, are the pioneers of a time of perfection in which the rights and dignity of the Levites are respected and the law is strictly observed. The author once again emphasizes the role of the Levites against the overly exclusive claims of the priests, who were more favorable to the Samaritans, though the latter had meanwhile become schismatics.
