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The Book of Nehemiah

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- Chapter 12 -

The priests and Levites

1
Now these are the priests and the Levites who ascended with Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4
Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5
Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6
Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah.
7
These were the leaders of the priests and of their brothers, in the days of Jeshua.
8
And the Levites, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah, they and their brothers were over the hymns,
9
with Bakbukiah, as well as Hannai, and their brothers, each one in his office.
10
Now Jeshua conceived Joiakim, and Joiakim conceived Eliashib, and Eliashib conceived Joiada,
11
and Joiada conceived Jonathan, and Jonathan conceived Jaddua.
12
And in the days of Joiakim, the priests and the leaders of the families were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13
of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14
of Maluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15
of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16
of Adaiah, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17
of Abijah, Zichri; of Mijamin and Moadiah, Piltai;
18
of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20
of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21
of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22
The Levites, in the days of Eliashib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, and the priests, were written according to the leaders of the families, during the reign of Darius the Persian.
23
The sons of Levi, according to the leaders of the families, were written in the book of the words of those days, even to the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.
24
Now the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, and their brothers, in their turns, so that they would praise and confess, according to the precept of David, the man of God. And they served equally and in order.
25
Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were keepers of the gates and of the vestibules before the gates.
26
These were in the days of Joiakim, the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor, and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.

Nehemiah dedicates the wall

27
Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites from all their places, so that they might bring them to Jerusalem, and so that they might keep the dedication, and rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, psalteries, and lyres.
28
Now the sons of the singing men were gathered from the plains surrounding Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophati,
29
and from the house of Gilgal, and from the regions of Geba and Azmaveth. For the singing men had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
30
And the priests and the Levites were cleansed, and they cleansed the people, and the gates, and the wall.
31
Then I caused the leaders of Judah to ascend the wall, and I appointed two great choirs to give praise. And they went to the right upon the wall, toward the dung gate.
32
And after them went Hoshaiah, and one half part of the leadership of Judah,
33
and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.
34
And some of the sons of the priests went forth with trumpets: Zachariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph.
35
And his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, and Hanani, went forth with the canticles of David, the man of God. And Ezra, the scribe, was before them at the fountain gate.
36
And opposite them, they ascended by the steps of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall above the house of David, and as far as the water gate to the east.
37
And the second choir of those who gave thanks went forth on the opposite side, and I went after them, and one half part of the people were upon the wall, and upon the tower of the furnaces, as far as the widest wall,
38
and above the gate of Ephraim, and above the ancient gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hamath, and as far as the flock gate. And they stood still at the watch gate.
39
And the two choirs of those who gave praise stood still at the house of God, with myself and one half part of the magistrates who were with me.
40
And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Mijamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, went forth with trumpets,
41
with Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers were singing clearly, and Jezrahiah was their foremost leader.
42
And on that day, they immolated great sacrifices, and they rejoiced. For God had caused them to rejoice with great joy. And their wives and children also were glad. And the rejoicing of Jerusalem was heard from far away.
43
On that day also, they enrolled men over the storehouses of the treasury, for the libations, and for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, so that the leaders of the city might bring these in, by them, with proper thanksgiving, for the priests and the Levites. For Judah was rejoicing in the priests and the Levites who were assisting.

Tasks of the temple

44
And they kept the vigil of their God, and the vigil of expiation, with the singing men and the gatekeepers, in accord with the precept of David, and of Solomon, his son.
45
For in the days of David and Asaph, from the beginning, there were leaders appointed over the singers, to give praise in verses, and to confess to God.
46
And all of Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave portions to the singing men and to the gatekeepers, for each day, and they sanctified the Levites, and the Levites sanctified the sons of Aaron.(a)

Footnotes

(a)12:46 Sanctified:That is, they gave them that which by the law was set aside, and sanctified for their use.(Challoner)

The priests and Levites

1
Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4
Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
5
Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7
Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.
8
Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving songs, he and his brothers.
9
Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were close to them according to their offices.
10
Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,
11
and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.
12
In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ households: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13
of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14
of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15
of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
16
of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17
of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
18
of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19
of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20
of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21
of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22
As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.
23
The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ households, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
24
The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers close to them, to praise and give thanks according to the commandment of David the man of God, section next to section.
25
Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.
26
These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Nehemiah dedicates the wall

27
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps.
28
The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;
29
also from Beth Gilgal and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.
30
The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31
Then I brought the princes of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession. One went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate;
32
and after them went Hoshaiah, with half of the princes of Judah,
33
and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,
34
Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35
and some of the priestssons with trumpets: 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;
36
and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.
37
By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.
38
The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people on the wall above the tower of the furnaces, even to the wide wall,
39
and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate; and they stood still in the gate of the guard.
40
So the two companies of those who gave thanks in God’s house stood, and I and the half of the rulers with me;
41
and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;
42
and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.
43
They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far away.

Tasks of the temple

44
On that day, men were appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them according to the fields of the cities the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who served.
45
They performed the duty of their God and the duty of the purification, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and of Solomon his son.
46
For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47
All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.