Nehemiah 11:1-12:26

New Century Version

New People Move into Jerusalem

11 The leaders of Israel lived in Jerusalem. But the rest of the people threw lots to choose one person out of every ten to come and live in Jerusalem, the holy city. The other nine could stay in their own cities. ² The people blessed those who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³ These are the area leaders who lived in Jerusalem. (Some people lived on their own land in the cities of Judah. These included Israelites, priests, Levites, Temple servants, and descendants of Solomon’s servants. ⁴ Others from the families of Judah and Benjamin lived in Jerusalem.)

These are the descendants of Judah who moved into Jerusalem. There was Athaiah son of Uzziah. (Uzziah was the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah. Amariah was the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel. Mahalalel was a descendant of Perez.) ⁵ There was also Masseiah son of Baruch. (Baruch was the son of Col-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah. Hazaiah was the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib. Joiarib was the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah.) ⁶ All the descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men. They were soldiers.

⁷ These are descendants of Benjamin who moved into Jerusalem. There was Sallu son of Meshullam. (Meshullam was the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah. Pedaiah was the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah. Maaseiah was the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah.) ⁸ Following him were Gabbai and Sallai, for a total of 928 men. ⁹ Joel son of Zicri was appointed over them, and Judah son of Hassenuah was second in charge of the new area of the city.

¹⁰ These are the priests who moved into Jerusalem. There was Jedaiah son of Joiarib, Jakin, ¹¹ and Seraiah son of Hilkiah, the supervisor in the Temple. (Hilkiah was the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok. Zadok was the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub.) ¹² And there were others with them who did the work for the Temple. All together there were 822 men. Also there was Adaiah son of Jeroham. (Jeroham was the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi. Amzi was the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur. Pashhur was the son of Malkijah.) ¹³ And there were family heads with him. All together there were 242 men. Also there was Amashsai son of Azarel. (Azarel was the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth. Meshillemoth was the son of Immer.) ¹⁴ And there were brave men with Amashsai. All together there were 128 men. Zabdiel son of Haggedolim was appointed over them.

¹⁵ These are the Levites who moved into Jerusalem. There was Shemaiah son of Hasshub. (Hasshub was the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah. Hashabiah was the son of Bunni.) ¹⁶ And there were Shabbethai and Jozabad, two of the leaders of the Levites who were in charge of the work outside the Temple. ¹⁷ There was Mattaniah son of Mica. (Mica was the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph.) Mattaniah was the director who led the people in thanksgiving and prayer. There was Bakbukiah, who was second in charge over his fellow Levites. And there was Abda son of Shammua. (Shammua was the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.) ¹⁸ All together 284 Levites lived in the holy city of Jerusalem.

¹⁹ The gatekeepers who moved into Jerusalem were Akkub, Talmon, and others with them. There was a total of 172 men who guarded the city gates.

²⁰ The other Israelites, priests, and Levites lived on their own land in all the cities of Judah.

²¹ The Temple servants lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

²² Uzzi son of Bani was appointed over the Levites in Jerusalem. (Bani was the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah. Mattaniah was the son of Mica.) Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the Temple. ²³ The singers were under the king’s orders, which regulated them day by day.

²⁴ Pethahiah son of Meshezabel was the king’s spokesman. (Meshezabel was a descendant of Zerah, the son of Judah.)

²⁵ Some of the people of Judah lived in villages with their surrounding fields. They lived in Kiriath Arba and its surroundings, in Dibon and its surroundings, in Jekabzeel and its surroundings, ²⁶ in Jeshua, Moladah, Beth Pelet, ²⁷ Hazar Shual, Beersheba and its surroundings, ²⁸ in Ziklag and Meconah and its surroundings, ²⁹ in En Rimmon, Zorah, Jarmuth, ³⁰ Zanoah, Adullam and their villages, in Lachish and the fields around it, and in Azekah and its surroundings. So they settled from Beersheba all the way to the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹ The descendants of the Benjaminites from Geba lived in Micmash, Aija, Bethel and its surroundings, ³² in Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah, ³³ Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim, ³⁴ Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat, ³⁵ Lod, Ono, and in the Valley of the Craftsmen.

³⁶ Some groups of the Levites from Judah settled in the land of Benjamin.

Priests and Levites

12 These are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua. There were Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, ² Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, ³ Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, ⁴ Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, ⁵ Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, ⁶ Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, ⁷ Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. They were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.

⁸ The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his relatives were in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. ⁹ Bakbukiah and Unni, their relatives, stood across from them in the services.

¹⁰ Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. ¹¹ Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

¹² In the days of Joiakim, these priests were the leaders of the families of priests: Meraiah, from Seraiah’s family; Hananiah, from Jeremiah’s family; ¹³ Meshullam, from Ezra’s family; Jehohanan, from Amariah’s family; ¹⁴ Jonathan, from Malluch’s family; Joseph, from Shecaniah’s family; ¹⁵ Adna, from Harim’s family; Helkai, from Meremoth’s family; ¹⁶ Zechariah, from Iddo’s family; Meshullam, from Ginnethon’s family; ¹⁷ Zicri, from Abijah’s family; Piltai, from Miniamin’s and Moadiah’s families; ¹⁸ Shammua, from Bilgah’s family; Jehonathan, from Shemaiah’s family; ¹⁹ Mattenai, from Joiarib’s family; Uzzi, from Jedaiah’s family; ²⁰ Kallai, from Sallu’s family; Eber, from Amok’s family; ²¹ Hashabiah, from Hilkiah’s family; and Nethanel, from Jedaiah’s family.

²² The leaders of the families of the Levites and the priests were written down in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, while Darius the Persian was king. ²³ The family leaders among the Levites were written down in the history book, but only up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib. ²⁴ The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their relatives. Their relatives stood across from them and gave praise and thanksgiving to God. One group answered the other group, as David, the man of God, had commanded.

²⁵ These were the gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms next to the gates: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub. ²⁶ They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak. They also served in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and teacher.