Nehemiah 11-12

New International Version

The New Residents of Jerusalem^(A)

11 Now the leaders of the people settled in Jerusalem. The rest of the people cast lots to bring one out of every ten of them to live in Jerusalem,^(B) the holy city,^(C) while the remaining nine were to stay in their own towns.^(D) ²The people commended all who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

³These are the provincial leaders who settled in Jerusalem (now some Israelites, priests, Levites, temple servants and descendants of Solomon’s servants lived in the towns of Judah, each on their own property in the various towns,^(E) ⁴while other people from both Judah and Benjamin^(F) lived in Jerusalem):^(G)

From the descendants of Judah:

Athaiah son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, a descendant of Perez; ⁵and Maaseiah son of Baruch, the son of Kol-Hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, a descendant of Shelah. ⁶The descendants of Perez who lived in Jerusalem totaled 468 men of standing.

⁷From the descendants of Benjamin:

Sallu son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah, ⁸and his followers, Gabbai and Sallai—928 men. ⁹Joel son of Zikri was their chief officer, and Judah son of Hassenuah was over the New Quarter of the city.

¹⁰From the priests:

Jedaiah; the son of Joiarib; Jakin; ¹¹Seraiah^(H) son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub,^(I) the official in charge of the house of God, ¹²and their associates, who carried on work for the temple—822 men; Adaiah son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malkijah, ¹³and his associates, who were heads of families—242 men; Amashsai son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer, ¹⁴and his^[a] associates, who were men of standing—128. Their chief officer was Zabdiel son of Haggedolim.

¹⁵From the Levites:

Shemaiah son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni; ¹⁶Shabbethai^(J) and Jozabad,^(K) two of the heads of the Levites, who had charge of the outside work of the house of God; ¹⁷Mattaniah^(L) son of Mika, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph,^(M) the director who led in thanksgiving and prayer; Bakbukiah, second among his associates; and Abda son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.^(N) ¹⁸The Levites in the holy city^(O) totaled 284.

¹⁹The gatekeepers:

Akkub, Talmon and their associates, who kept watch at the gates—172 men.

²⁰The rest of the Israelites, with the priests and Levites, were in all the towns of Judah, each on their ancestral property.

²¹The temple servants^(P) lived on the hill of Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of them.

²²The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah,^(Q) the son of Mika. Uzzi was one of Asaph’s descendants, who were the musicians responsible for the service of the house of God. ²³The musicians^(R) were under the king’s orders, which regulated their daily activity.

²⁴Pethahiah son of Meshezabel, one of the descendants of Zerah^(S) son of Judah, was the king’s agent in all affairs relating to the people.

²⁵As for the villages with their fields, some of the people of Judah lived in Kiriath Arba^(T) and its surrounding settlements, in Dibon^(U) and its settlements, in Jekabzeel and its villages, ²⁶in Jeshua, in Moladah,^(V) in Beth Pelet,^(W) ²⁷in Hazar Shual,^(X) in Beersheba^(Y) and its settlements, ²⁸in Ziklag,^(Z) in Mekonah and its settlements, ²⁹in En Rimmon, in Zorah,^(AA) in Jarmuth,^(AB) ³⁰Zanoah,^(AC) Adullam^(AD) and their villages, in Lachish^(AE) and its fields, and in Azekah^(AF) and its settlements. So they were living all the way from Beersheba^(AG) to the Valley of Hinnom.

³¹The descendants of the Benjamites from Geba^(AH) lived in Mikmash,^(AI) Aija, Bethel^(AJ) and its settlements, ³²in Anathoth,^(AK) Nob^(AL) and Ananiah, ³³in Hazor,^(AM) Ramah^(AN) and Gittaim,^(AO) ³⁴in Hadid, Zeboim^(AP) and Neballat, ³⁵in Lod and Ono,^(AQ) and in Ge Harashim.

³⁶Some of the divisions of the Levites of Judah settled in Benjamin.

Priests and Levites

12 These were the priests^(AR) and Levites^(AS) who returned with Zerubbabel^(AT) son of Shealtiel^(AU) and with Joshua:^(AV)

Seraiah,^(AW) Jeremiah, Ezra,

²Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

³Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

⁴Iddo,^(AX) Ginnethon,^[b] Abijah,^(AY)

⁵Mijamin,^[c] Moadiah, Bilgah,

⁶Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,^(AZ)

⁷Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.

These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.

⁸The Levites were Jeshua,^(BA) Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah,^(BB) who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. ⁹Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.

¹⁰Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,^(BC) Eliashib the father of Joiada, ¹¹Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.

¹²In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families:

of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah;

of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;

¹³of Ezra’s, Meshullam;

of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;

¹⁴of Malluk’s, Jonathan;

of Shekaniah’s,^[d] Joseph;

¹⁵of Harim’s, Adna;

of Meremoth’s,^[e] Helkai;

¹⁶of Iddo’s,^(BD) Zechariah;

of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;

¹⁷of Abijah’s,^(BE) Zikri;

of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;

¹⁸of Bilgah’s, Shammua;

of Shemaiah’s, Jehonathan;

¹⁹of Joiarib’s, Mattenai;

of Jedaiah’s, Uzzi;

²⁰of Sallu’s, Kallai;

of Amok’s, Eber;

²¹of Hilkiah’s, Hashabiah;

of Jedaiah’s, Nethanel.

²²The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, as well as those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. ²³The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. ²⁴And the leaders of the Levites^(BF) were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.^(BG)

²⁵Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. ²⁶They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷At the dedication^(BH) of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals,^(BI) harps and lyres.^(BJ) ²⁸The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^(BK) ²⁹from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,^(BL) the gates and the wall.

³¹I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of^[f] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of^[g] the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.^(BM) ³²Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, ³³along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴Judah, Benjamin,^(BN) Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵as well as some priests with trumpets,^(BO) and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments^(BP) prescribed by David the man of God.^(BQ) Ezra^(BR) the teacher of the Law led the procession. ³⁷At the Fountain Gate^(BS) they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate^(BT) on the east.

³⁸The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of^[h] the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens^(BU) to the Broad Wall,^(BV) ³⁹over the Gate of Ephraim,^(BW) the Jeshanah^[i] Gate,^(BX) the Fish Gate,^(BY) the Tower of Hananel^(BZ) and the Tower of the Hundred,^(CA) as far as the Sheep Gate.^(CB) At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials, ⁴¹as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their trumpets— ⁴²and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

⁴⁴At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms^(CC) for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.^(CD) From the fields around the towns they were to bring into the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.^(CE) ⁴⁵They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David^(CF) and his son Solomon.^(CG) ⁴⁶For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,^(CH) there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise^(CI) and thanksgiving to God. ⁴⁷So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.^(CJ)

Footnotes

Nehemiah 11:14 Most Septuagint manuscripts; Hebrew their
Nehemiah 12:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most Hebrew manuscripts Ginnethoi
Nehemiah 12:5 A variant of Miniamin
Nehemiah 12:14 Very many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also verse 3); most Hebrew manuscripts Shebaniah’s
Nehemiah 12:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 3); Hebrew Meraioth’s
Nehemiah 12:31 Or go alongside
Nehemiah 12:31 Or proceed alongside
Nehemiah 12:38 Or them alongside
Nehemiah 12:39 Or Old

Psalm 89

New International Version

Psalm 89^[a]

A maskil^[b] of Ethan the Ezrahite.

¹I will sing^(A) of the Lord’s great love forever;
    with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known^(B)
    through all generations.
²I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
    that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself.^(C)
³You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one,
    I have sworn to David my servant,
⁴‘I will establish your line forever
    and make your throne firm through all generations.’”^[c]^(D)

⁵The heavens^(E) praise your wonders, Lord,
    your faithfulness too, in the assembly^(F) of the holy ones.
⁶For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord?
    Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings?^(G)
⁷In the council^(H) of the holy ones^(I) God is greatly feared;
    he is more awesome than all who surround him.^(J)
⁸Who is like you,^(K) Lord God Almighty?^(L)
    You, Lord, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

⁹You rule over the surging sea;
    when its waves mount up, you still them.^(M)
¹⁰You crushed Rahab^(N) like one of the slain;
    with your strong arm you scattered^(O) your enemies.
¹¹The heavens are yours,^(P) and yours also the earth;^(Q)
    you founded the world and all that is in it.^(R)
¹²You created the north and the south;
    Tabor^(S) and Hermon^(T) sing for joy^(U) at your name.
¹³Your arm is endowed with power;
    your hand is strong, your right hand exalted.^(V)

¹⁴Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne;^(W)
    love and faithfulness go before you.^(X)
¹⁵Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
    who walk^(Y) in the light^(Z) of your presence, Lord.
¹⁶They rejoice in your name^(AA) all day long;
    they celebrate your righteousness.
¹⁷For you are their glory and strength,^(AB)
    and by your favor you exalt our horn.^[d]^(AC)
¹⁸Indeed, our shield^[e]^(AD) belongs to the Lord,
    our king^(AE) to the Holy One of Israel.

¹⁹Once you spoke in a vision,
    to your faithful people you said:
“I have bestowed strength on a warrior;
    I have raised up a young man from among the people.
²⁰I have found David^(AF) my servant;^(AG)
    with my sacred oil^(AH) I have anointed^(AI) him.
²¹My hand will sustain him;
    surely my arm will strengthen him.^(AJ)
²²The enemy will not get the better of him;^(AK)
    the wicked will not oppress^(AL) him.
²³I will crush his foes before him^(AM)
    and strike down his adversaries.^(AN)
²⁴My faithful love will be with him,^(AO)
    and through my name his horn^[f] will be exalted.
²⁵I will set his hand over the sea,
    his right hand over the rivers.^(AP)
²⁶He will call out to me, ‘You are my Father,^(AQ)
    my God, the Rock^(AR) my Savior.’^(AS)
²⁷And I will appoint him to be my firstborn,^(AT)
    the most exalted^(AU) of the kings^(AV) of the earth.
²⁸I will maintain my love to him forever,
    and my covenant with him will never fail.^(AW)
²⁹I will establish his line forever,
    his throne as long as the heavens endure.^(AX)

³⁰“If his sons forsake my law
    and do not follow my statutes,
³¹if they violate my decrees
    and fail to keep my commands,
³²I will punish their sin with the rod,
    their iniquity with flogging;^(AY)
³³but I will not take my love from him,^(AZ)
    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.
³⁴I will not violate my covenant
    or alter what my lips have uttered.^(BA)
³⁵Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—
    and I will not lie to David—
³⁶that his line will continue forever
    and his throne endure before me like the sun;^(BB)
³⁷it will be established forever like the moon,
    the faithful witness in the sky.”^(BC)

³⁸But you have rejected,^(BD) you have spurned,
    you have been very angry with your anointed one.
³⁹You have renounced the covenant with your servant
    and have defiled his crown in the dust.^(BE)
⁴⁰You have broken through all his walls^(BF)
    and reduced his strongholds^(BG) to ruins.
⁴¹All who pass by have plundered^(BH) him;
    he has become the scorn of his neighbors.^(BI)
⁴²You have exalted the right hand of his foes;
    you have made all his enemies rejoice.^(BJ)
⁴³Indeed, you have turned back the edge of his sword
    and have not supported him in battle.^(BK)
⁴⁴You have put an end to his splendor
    and cast his throne to the ground.
⁴⁵You have cut short^(BL) the days of his youth;
    you have covered him with a mantle of shame.^(BM)

⁴⁶How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever?
    How long will your wrath burn like fire?^(BN)
⁴⁷Remember how fleeting is my life.^(BO)
    For what futility you have created all humanity!
⁴⁸Who can live and not see death,
    or who can escape the power of the grave?^(BP)
⁴⁹Lord, where is your former great love,
    which in your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰Remember, Lord, how your servant has^[g] been mocked,^(BQ)
    how I bear in my heart the taunts of all the nations,
⁵¹the taunts with which your enemies, Lord, have mocked,
    with which they have mocked every step of your anointed one.^(BR)

⁵²Praise be to the Lord forever!
Amen and Amen.^(BS)

Footnotes

Psalm 89:1 In Hebrew texts 89:1-52 is numbered 89:2-53.
Psalm 89:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
Psalm 89:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 37, 45 and 48.
Psalm 89:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one.
Psalm 89:18 Or sovereign
Psalm 89:24 Horn here symbolizes strength.
Psalm 89:50 Or your servants have