Nehemiah 12

1 This is a list of the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

These were the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, and Meremoth.

4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

There were Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in Jeshua's time.

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his fellow Levites was in charge of the songs of praise.

The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was in charge of the thanksgiving songs, along with his associates.

9 Two other Levites, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them in the service.

Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them during the service.

10 Jeshua 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,

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

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

12 In Joiakim's time, these were the family leaders of the priests: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

In the days of Joiakim these were the priests, the leaders of the families: Meraiah was the leader of Seraiah, Hananiah was the leader of Jeremiah,

13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Meshullam was the leader of Ezra, Jehohanan was the leader of Amariah,

14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

Jonathan was the leader of Malluk, and Joseph was the leader of Shebaniah.

15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

Adna was the leader of Harim, Helkai the leader of Meremoth,

16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

Zechariah was the leader of Iddo, Meshullam was the leader of Ginnethon, and

17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai;

Zichri was the leader of Abijah. ... of Miniamin. Piltai was the leader of Moadiah.

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

Shammua was the leader of Bilgah, Jehonathan was the leader of Shemaiah,

19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

Mattenai was the leader of Joiarib, Uzzi was the leader of Jedaiah,

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Kallai was the leader of Sallu, Eber was the leader of Amok,

21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

Hashabiah was the leader of Hilkiah, and Nethanel was the leader of Jedaiah.

22 The family leaders of the Levites in the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, in addition to those of the priests, were recorded during the reign of Darius the Persian.

In the days of Eliashib, the Levites Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were recorded as the heads of families, and the priests were recorded during the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 As for the genealogy of the sons of Levi, the family leaders up to the time of Johanan, son of Eliashib, were listed in the Book of the Records.

The descendants of Levi, their leaders of families were recorded in the book of the annals up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24 The Levite leaders were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, son of Kadmiel, together with their fellow Levites, who stood opposite them, each section giving praise and thanks and responding to one another, as arranged by David, the man of God.

The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and to give thanks, responding section by section, in obedience to the command of David, the man of God.

25 They were joined by Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storehouses at the gates.

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storerooms by the gates.

26 They served in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

27 In order to dedicate the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were called from everywhere they were living to come to Jerusalem and celebrate with joy the dedication with songs of praise and thanks, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the people sought out the Levites wherever they lived, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanksgivings and singing with cymbals, harps, and with lyres.

28 The singers were also brought in from the area around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

The fellowship of singers gathered together from the district around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.

29 as well as from Beth-gilgal and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.

They also came from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.

30 Once the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

The priests and the Levites purified themselves, and then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on the wall, and arranged two large choirs that to give thanks. One group went to right along the wall to the Refuse Gate.

Then I had the leaders of Judah go up to the top of the wall, and I appointed two large choirs who gave thanks. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate.

32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

and after them went Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 as well as some of the priests with trumpets, and Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

and some of the priests' sons with trumpets, and Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zaccur son of Asaph.

36 and his fellow priests, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, along with the musical instruments as required by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them.

There also were Zechariah's relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe was in front of them.

37 At the Fountain Gate they headed straight up by the stairs of the city of David, where the wall goes uphill, above the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east.

By the Fountain Gate they went straight up on the stairs of the city of David, by the stairway to the wall above David's palace, to the Water Gate on the east.

38 The other choir group went in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on the wall passing the Tower of the Ovens, on to the Broad Wall,

The other choir of those who gave thanks went in the other direction. I followed them on the wall with half the people, above the Tower of Ovens, to the Broad Wall,

39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Guard Gate.

and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate, and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

40 Both thanksgiving choirs then took their places in God's Temple. I followed with the group of leaders that was with me,

So both choirs of those who gave thanks took their place in the house of God, and I also took my place with half of the officials with me.

41 along with the priests blowing their trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah.

Then the priests took their place: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the trumpets,

42 Then came the singers Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the choirs sang, directed by Jezrahiah.

and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the singers made themselves heard and Jezrahiah was their leader.

43 Many sacrifices were offered that day, celebrating that God had brought them so much happiness, tremendous happiness. The women and children also celebrated, and the sounds of joy in Jerusalem could be heard far away.

They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. Also the women and the children rejoiced. So the joy of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

44 On the same day men were put in charge over the storerooms that contained the offerings, the first part of the crops, and tithes. What was allocated by the Law for the priests and Levites was brought into these storerooms from the fields around the towns, because all the people of Judah were happy for the service of the priests and Levites.

On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the law for the priests and for the Levites. Each was assigned to work the fields near the towns. For Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who were standing before them.

45 They were responsible for the worship of their God and for the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, following the instructions of David and his son Solomon.

They performed the service of their God, and the service of purification, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers, in keeping with the command of David and of Solomon his son.

46 For long ago, back in the time of David and Asaph, directors had been appointed for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors of singers, and there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47 So in the time of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, everyone in Israel provided the daily food allowances for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also made sure to provide for the other Levites, and the Levites gave a share of this to the descendants of Aaron.

In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers. They set aside the portion that was for the Levites, and the Levites set aside a portion for the descendants of Aaron.