Nehemiah 12

1 and these [the] priest and [the] Levi which to ascend: rise with Zerubbabel son: child Shealtiel and Jeshua Seraiah Jeremiah Ezra

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,

2 Amariah Malluch Hattush

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 Shecaniah Rehum Meremoth

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 Iddo Ginnethon Abijah

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

5 Mijamin Maadiah Bilgah

Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah and Joiarib Jedaiah

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7 Sallu Amok Hilkiah Jedaiah these head: leader [the] priest and brother: male-relative their in/on/with day Jeshua

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

8 and [the] Levi Jeshua Binnui Kadmiel Sherebiah Judah Mattaniah upon praise he/she/it and brother: male-relative his

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

9 and Bakbukiah (and Unni *QK) brother: male-relative their to/for before them to/for charge

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

10 and Jeshua to beget [obj] Joiakim and Joiakim to beget [obj] Eliashib and Eliashib [obj] Joiada

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

11 and Joiada to beget [obj] Jonathan and Jonathan to beget [obj] Jaddua

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

12 and in/on/with day Joiakim to be priest head: leader [the] father to/for Seraiah Meraiah to/for Jeremiah Hananiah

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

13 to/for Ezra Meshullam to/for Amariah Jehohanan

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 (to/for Mallichi *QK) Jonathan to/for Shebaniah Joseph

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 to/for Harim Adna to/for Meraioth Helkai

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 (to/for Iddo *QK) Zechariah to/for Ginnethon Meshullam

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 to/for Abijah Zichri to/for Miniamin to/for Moadiah Piltai

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

18 to/for Bilgah Shammua to/for Shemaiah Jehonathan

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19 and to/for Joiarib Mattenai to/for Jedaiah Uzzi

of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 to/for Sallai Kallai to/for Amok Eber

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 to/for Hilkiah Hashabiah to/for Jedaiah Nethanel

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 [the] Levi in/on/with day Eliashib Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua to write head: leader father and [the] priest upon royalty Darius [the] Persian

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.

23 son: descendant/people Levi head: leader [the] father to write upon scroll: book Chronicles [the] day and till day Johanan son: child Eliashib

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.

24 and head: leader [the] Levi Hashabiah Sherebiah and Jeshua son: child Kadmiel and brother: male-relative their to/for before them to/for to boast: praise to/for to give thanks in/on/with commandment David man [the] God custody to/for close custody

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.

25 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah Obadiah Meshullam Talmon Akkub to keep: guard gatekeeper custody in/on/with storehouse [the] gate

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

26 these in/on/with day Joiakim son: child Jeshua son: child Jozadak and in/on/with day Nehemiah [the] governor and Ezra [the] priest [the] secretary

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.

27 and in/on/with dedication wall Jerusalem to seek [obj] [the] Levi from all place their to/for to come (in): bring them to/for Jerusalem to/for to make: do dedication and joy and in/on/with thanksgiving and in/on/with song cymbal harp and in/on/with lyre

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.

28 and to gather son: descendant/people [the] to sing and from [the] talent around Jerusalem and from village Netophathite

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

29 and from Beth-gilgal [the] Beth-gilgal and from land: country Geba and Azmaveth for village to build to/for them [the] to sing around Jerusalem

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.

30 and be pure [the] priest and [the] Levi and be pure [obj] [the] people and [obj] [the] gate and [obj] [the] wall

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

31 and to ascend: establish [obj] ruler Judah from upon to/for wall and to stand: appoint [emph?] two thanksgiving great: large and procession to/for right: south from upon to/for wall to/for gate [the] Dung (Gate)

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.

32 and to go: follow after them Hoshaiah and half ruler Judah

Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

33 and Azariah Ezra and Meshullam

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 Judah and Benjamin and Shemaiah and Jeremiah

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35 and from son: descendant/people [the] priest in/on/with trumpet Zechariah son: child Jonathan son: child Shemaiah son: child Mattaniah son: child Micaiah son: child Zaccur son: child Asaph

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,

36 and brother: male-relative his Shemaiah and Azarel Milalai Gilalai Maai Nethanel and Judah Hanani in/on/with article/utensil song David man [the] God and Ezra [the] secretary to/for face: before their

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.

37 and upon gate [the] Fountain (Gate) and before them to ascend: rise upon step city David in/on/with ascent to/for wall from upon to/for house: home David and till gate [the] Water (Gate) east

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.

38 and [the] thanksgiving [the] second [the] to go: walk to/for opposite and I after her and half [the] people from upon to/for [the] (Broad) Wall from upon to/for tower [the] (Tower of) the Ovens and till [the] (Broad) Wall [the] Broad

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,

39 and from upon to/for gate Ephraim (Gate) and upon gate [the] (Gate of) Yeshanah and upon gate [the] Fish (Gate) and (Hananel) Tower (Tower of) Hananel and (Hananel) Tower [the] (Tower of) the Hundred and till gate [the] Sheep (Gate) and to stand: stand in/on/with gate [the] (Gate of the) Guard

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.

40 and to stand: stand two [the] thanksgiving in/on/with house: temple [the] God and I and half [the] ruler with me

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

41 and [the] priest Eliakim Maaseiah Miniamin Micaiah Elioenai Zechariah Hananiah in/on/with trumpet

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

42 and Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer and to hear: proclaim [the] to sing and Jezrahiah [the] overseer

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

43 and to sacrifice in/on/with day [the] he/she/it sacrifice great: large and to rejoice for [the] God to rejoice them joy great: large and also [the] woman and [the] youth to rejoice and to hear: hear joy Jerusalem from distant

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.

44 and to reckon: overseer in/on/with day [the] he/she/it human upon [the] chamber to/for treasure to/for contribution to/for first: beginning and to/for tithe to/for to gather in/on/with them to/for land: country [the] city portion [the] instruction to/for priest and to/for Levi for joy Judah upon [the] priest and upon [the] Levi [the] to stand: appoint

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.

45 and to keep: obey charge God their and charge [the] purifying and [the] to sing and [the] gatekeeper like/as commandment David Solomon son: child his

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.

46 for in/on/with day David and Asaph from front: old (head: leader *QK) [the] to sing and song praise and to give thanks to/for God

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.

47 and all Israel in/on/with day Zerubbabel and in/on/with day Nehemiah to give: give portion [the] to sing and [the] gatekeeper word: because day: daily in/on/with day: daily his and to consecrate: dedicate to/for Levi and [the] Levi to consecrate: dedicate to/for son: descendant/people Aaron

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.