The Priests and Levites Who Returned 1 UST These are{ the names of} the priests and Levites who returned{ from Babylonia} with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and with Joshua{ the Supreme Priest}. The priests included Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, BSB BSB: Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 UST Amariah, Malluk, Hattush, BSB BSB: Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 UST Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, BSB BSB: Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 UST Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, BSB BSB: Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5 UST Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, BSB BSB: Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 UST Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah, BSB BSB: Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 UST Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. All those men were leaders of the priests, their associates, during the time when Joshua{ was the Supreme Priest}. BSB BSB: Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.
8 UST The Levites{ who returned} included Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his associates led{ the people in singing songs} to thank{ God}. BSB BSB: The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.
9 UST Their associates Bakbukiah and Unni{ stood} opposite them during the worship services{ and led a choir that sang responses}. BSB BSB: Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services.
10 UST Joshua{ the Supreme Priest} was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. BSB BSB: Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada,
11 UST Joiada was the father of Jonathan. Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. BSB BSB: Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 UST When Joiakim was{ the Supreme Priest}, these priests were the leaders of their clans. Meraiah was the leader of the clan of Seraiah. Hananiah was the leader of the clan of Jeremiah. BSB BSB: In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 UST Meshullam was{ the leader of the clan} of Ezra. Jehohanan was{ the leader of the clan} of Amariah. BSB BSB: of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 UST Jonathan was{ the leader of the clan} of Malluchi. Joseph was{ the leader of the clan} of Shecaniah. BSB BSB: of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 UST Adna was{ the leader of the clan} of Harim. Helkai was{ the leader of the clan} of Meraioth. BSB BSB: of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16 UST Zechariah was{ the leader of the clan} of Iddo. Meshullam was{ the leader of the clan} of Ginnethon. BSB BSB: of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 UST Zichri was{ the leader of the clan} of Abijah. Piltai was{ the leader of the clan} of Miniamin and{ the clan} of Moadiah. BSB BSB: of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 UST Shammua was{ the leader of the clan} of Bilgah. Jehonathan was{ the leader of the clan} of Shemaiah. BSB BSB: of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan;
19 UST Mattenai was{ the leader of the clan} of Joiarib. Uzzi was{ the leader of the clan} of Jedaiah. BSB BSB: of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 UST Kallai was the{ leader of the clan} of Sallai. Eber was{ the leader of the clan} of Amok. BSB BSB: of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 UST Hashabiah was{ the leader of the clan} of Hilkiah. Nethanel was{ the leader of the clan} of Jedaiah. BSB BSB: of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
23 UST { Scribes} recorded{ the names of} the clan leaders of the Levites in their record books up until the time when Johanan the descendant of Eliashib was{ the Supreme Priest}. BSB BSB: 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.
24 UST Hashabiah, Serebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel were Levite leaders{ who directed one choir}. Their associates{ stood} opposite them{ directing another choir}. The singers praised{ God} and gave thanks{ to him}, with one group facing the other. This was what King David, the man who served God faithfully, had instructed. BSB BSB: 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.
25 UST Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers. They{ stood} guard at the storerooms near the gates. BSB BSB: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.
26 UST They did that{ work} during the time when Joiakim, the son of Jeshua and grandson of Jozadak, was{ the Supreme Priest}. They did it{ again} during the time when Nehemiah{ served} as governor and Ezra{ served} as priest and scribe. BSB BSB: 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.
The Dedication of the Wall 27 UST When{ we} dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the Levites from all the places{ where} they were{ living}. We brought them to Jerusalem to assist in dedicating the wall by rejoicing and giving thanks and by singing{ accompanied by} cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments. BSB BSB: 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.
28 UST We summoned the Levites who{ were used to} singing{ together}. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas where they had settled around the city. They also came from places around{ the village of} Netophah{ southeast of Jerusalem}. BSB BSB: The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,
29 UST They also came from{ three places northeast of} Jerusalem, Beth- Gilgal and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth.{ We summoned} those singers because they had built villages to live in near Jerusalem. BSB BSB: from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
30 UST The priests and Levites performed rituals to make themselves acceptable{ to God}. Then they performed{ similar} rituals to purify the other people, the gates, and the wall. BSB BSB: After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 UST Then I gathered the leaders of Judah together on top of the wall. I assigned them{ to lead} two large groups that would march{ around the city} on top of the wall, thanking{ God}.{ As they faced the city, one group} walked to the right toward the Rubbish Gate. BSB BSB: 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.
32 UST Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah marched behind that group. BSB BSB: Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed,
33 UST { The people who marched with that group} included Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, BSB BSB: along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 UST Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. BSB BSB: Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35 UST Some descendants of the priests{ also marched with that group} playing musical instruments. They included Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph. BSB BSB: 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,
36 UST Some associates{ of Zechariah} also{ marched and played musical instruments}. They included Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing{ the same kinds of} musical instruments that King David, the man who served God faithfully,{ had told the Levite musicians to play many years previously}. Ezra the scribe{ marched} in front of this group. BSB BSB: 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.
37 UST When the people in this group reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps that were in front of them to{ the area known as} the City of David. Then they went along the top of the wall past the location of the{ royal} palace of David, and then to the Water Gate, on the east{ side of the temple}. BSB BSB: 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.
38 UST The other group of those 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. BSB BSB: 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,
39 UST From there{ we marched} past the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near a gate that{ leads into the temple area}. BSB BSB: 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.
40 UST Both of the groups{ reached} the temple{ as they were singing and} giving thanks. They stood{ in their places there}. I was there with the half of the city officials who had come with me. BSB BSB: The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me,
41 UST { My group} included the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah. All of them were blowing trumpets. BSB BSB: as well as the priests with their trumpets—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—
42 UST { Others who were blowing trumpets} included Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah who was their leader. BSB BSB: and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah.
43 UST The people offered many sacrifices that day. They{ all} rejoiced because God had made them very happy. The women and the children rejoiced along with the men, so the sound of the celebration in Jerusalem was so loud that people far away could hear it. BSB BSB: 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.
Provisions for Temple Worship 44 UST On that day{ we} appointed men to be in charge of the storerooms. That was where{ the priests} kept the money and the food and the grain and the tithes.{ The people} brought these things from the fields near the cities into the storerooms for the priests and the Levites, as Moses had commanded in the law.{ The people of} Judah did all this because they were so happy about the priests and the Levites serving{ in the temple}. BSB BSB: 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.
45 UST The priests and the Levites served God by performing rituals to purify things. The singers and the gatekeepers also{ did their work} as King David and his son Solomon had declared they should. BSB BSB: 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.
46 UST { We did all this} because that was how it was in the days of old, when David was{ king} and Asaph was{ in charge of the temple musicians}. There was someone to lead the singers, and they sang songs to praise and thank God. BSB BSB: 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.
47 UST During the time when Zerubbabel was{ the governor}, the people all contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed each day. They did the same during the time when Nehemiah was{ the governor}. They gave a tenth{ of their crops} to the Levites, and the Levites gave a tenth{ of that} to the priests, who were descendants of Aaron,{ the first Supreme Priest}. BSB BSB: 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.
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