Nehemiah 12 (UDB)

1These are the names of the priests and descendants of Levi that returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest. They included Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. All those men were leaders of the priests and their associates during the time that Jeshua was the leader of all the priests.Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

8Here is a list of the descendants of Levi who returned: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his brothers led the people in singing songs to thank God.The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.

9Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, formed a choir that stood across from the other group when they sang.Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.

10Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada,

11who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

12When Joiakim was the leader of all the priests, these were the leaders of the families of priests: Meraiah, of the family of Seraiah, Hananiah, of the family of Jeremiah,In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13Meshullam, of the family of Ezra, Jehohanan, of the family of Amariah,of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14Jonathan, of the family of Malluk, Joseph, of the family of Shecaniah.of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15More leaders were Adna, of the family of Harim, Helkai, of the family of Meremoth,of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16Zechariah, of the family of Iddo, Meshullam, of the family of Ginnethon,of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17Zicri, of the family of Abijah. There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai, of the family of Moadiah.of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;

18Shammua, of the family of Bilgah, Jehonathan, of the family of Shemaiah,of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;

19Mattenai, of the family of Joiarib, Uzzi, of the family of Jedaiah,of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20Kallai, of the family of Sallu, Eber, of the family of Amok,of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21Hashabiah, of the family of Hilkiah, and Nethanel, of the family of Jedaiah.of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22During time when Eliashib led the Levites, this is a list of them all: Elisahib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were the leaders of all the priests. They wrote the names of the families who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was king of Persia, the priests were responsible for recording the names of those who were the heads of families.In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

23They wrote the names of the leaders of the families who were descendants of Levi in the book of the annals until the time that Eliashib's grandson Johanan was the leader of all the priests.As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles.

24These were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers who stood across from them to praise and give thanks to God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God, had instructed them.The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.

25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers. They stood guard at the storerooms close to the gates of the temple.Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

26They did that work during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, during the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest. Ezra also knew the Jewish laws very well.They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

27When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi from the places around Israel where they lived, so they could come to celebrate the dedication of the wall. They would sing songs to thank God and many of them made music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

28We summoned the descendants of Levi who constantly sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas where they had settled, and from places around Netophah, southeast of Jerusalem.The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

29They came also from three places northeast of Jerusalem, Beth Gilgal and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Near Jerusalem the singers built villages where they lived.from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

30The priests and descendants of Levi performed rituals to make them clean in God's eyes, and they did the same for all the people, and even for the gates of the city and finally, for the wall.After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city on top of the wall, thanking God. As they faced the city, one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

32Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed,

33Those who followed after them were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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

35and some of the priests' sons who played their trumpets, including Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

36Behind them marched other members of Zechariah's family, including Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played many years previously. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession.

37When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to the city of David, past the location of David's palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

38The other choir who were singing and thanking Yahweh marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

39From there we marched past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

40Both the groups reached the house of God as they were singing and thanking him. They stood in their places there. I and the leaders who were with me also stood in our places.The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me,

41My group included the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets.as well as the priests with their trumpets—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—

42There was another named Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah who was their leader.and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.

43After we went outside the temple, we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

44On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people gave for the temple. They also were in charge of the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. They also brought into the storerooms a part of the harvest from the fields for the priests and the descendants of Levi. This was done because the people of Judah were so happy to have servants serving in the house of Yahweh.And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving.

45The priests and Levites were serving Yahweh in their rituals to purify things, and the musicians in the temple and the gatekeepers also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.

46Ever since the time of David and Asaph, there have been directors of the singers, and they sang songs to praise and thank God.For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47During the years of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, all Israel contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed every day. They set aside what the Levites needed to live on, and the Levites set aside for the descendants of Aaron, the first leader of all the priests, what they needed.So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron.

Nehemiah 12

The Priests and Levites Who Returned

The Dedication of the Wall

Provisions for Temple Worship

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Nehemiah 12

The Priests and Levites Who Returned

The Dedication of the Wall

Provisions for Temple Worship

You’ve read Nehemiah 12

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