Nehemiah 12
Holman Christian Standard Bible  Par ▾ 

1Thesea are the priests and Levitesb who went up with Zerubbabelc son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua:

Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4Iddo,d Ginnethoi, Abijah,e

5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,f

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah.

These were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.g

8The Levites:

Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel,

Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniahh —

he and his relatives were in charge of the praise songs.

9Bakbukiah, Unni,i and their relatives stood opposite them in the services.

10Jeshua fathered Joiakim,

Joiakim fathered Eliashib,

Eliashibj fathered Joiada,

11Joiada fathered Jonathan,

and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.k

12In the days of Joiakim, the leaders of the priestly families were:

Meraiahof Seraiah,

Hananiahof Jeremiah,

13Meshullamof Ezra,

Jehohananof Amariah,

14Jonathanof Malluchi,

Josephof Shebaniah,

15Adnaof Harim,

Helkaiof Meraioth,

16Zechariahof Iddo,

Meshullamof Ginnethon,

17Zichriof Abijah,

Piltaiof Moadiah, of Miniamin,

18Shammuaof Bilgah,

Jehonathanof Shemaiah,

19Mattenaiof Joiarib,

Uzziof Jedaiah,

20Kallaiof Sallai,

Eberof Amok,

21Hashabiahof Hilkiah,

and Nethanelof Jedaiah.

22In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the leaders of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded while Darius the Persian ruled. 23Levi’s descendants, the leaders of families, were recorded in the Book of the Historical Recordsl during the days of Johanan son of Eliashib. 24The leaders of the Levites — Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their relatives opposite them — gave praise and thanks, division by division, as David the man of God had prescribed.m 25This included Mattaniah,n Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.o 26These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governorp and Ezra the priest and scribe.q

Dedication of the Wall

27At the dedication of the wallr of Jerusalem, they sent for the Levites wherever they lived and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.s 28The singers gathered from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,t 29from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.u

31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large processions that gave thanks. One went to the right on the wall, toward the Dung Gate.v 32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed, 33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35and 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 followed 36as well as his relatives — Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God.w Ezra the scribex went in front of them. 37At the Fountain Gatey they climbed the steps of the city of Davidz on the ascent of the wall and went above the house of David to the Water Gateaa on the east.

38The second thanksgiving procession went to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovensab to the Broad Wall,ac 39above the Gate of Ephraim,ad and by the Old Gate,ae the Fish Gate,af the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate.ag They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.ah 40The two thanksgiving processions stood in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials accompanying me, 41as well as the priests:

Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin,

Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah,

and Hananiah, with trumpets;

42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar,

Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer.

Then the singers sang, with Jezrahiah as the leader. 43On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy.ai The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away.aj

Support of the Levites’ Ministry

44On that same day men were placed in charge of the roomsak that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tenths.al The legally required portions for the priests and Levitesam were gathered from the village fields, because Judah was grateful to the priests and Levites who were serving.an 45They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers,ao as David and his son Solomon had prescribed.ap 46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,aq there were leadersar of the singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.as 47So in the days of Zerubbabelat and Nehemiah,au all Israel contributed the daily portionsav for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portionsaw for the descendants of Aaron.


Footnotes:
a. 12:1-7 Neh 12:12-21
b. 12:1 Ezr 2:1-2; 7:7
c. 12:1 Ezr 3:2
d. 12:4 Neh 12:16; Zch 1:1
e. 12:4 1Ch 24:10
f. 12:6 1Ch 24:7
g. 12:7 Ezr 2:2; 3:2
h. 12:8 Neh 11:17
i. 12:9 Alt Hb tradition reads Unno
j. 12:10 Neh 3:20
k. 12:10-11 These men were high priests.
l. 12:23 1Ch 9:14-22
m. 12:24 1Ch 16:4; 23:30; 2Ch 29:25
n. 12:25 Neh 11:17
o. 12:25 1Ch 26:15,17; Ezr 2:42; Neh 11:19
p. 12:26 Neh 5:14; 10:1
q. 12:26 Neh 8:1-2,9
r. 12:27 Ezr 6:16
s. 12:27 1Ch 15:16
t. 12:28 1Ch 2:54; 9:16
u. 12:30 Neh 13:22,30
v. 12:31 Neh 2:13
w. 12:36 1Ch 15:16,19-21; 2Ch 8:14; Neh 12:24
x. 12:36 Neh 8:1,4
y. 12:37 Neh 2:14
z. 12:37 Neh 3:15
aa. 12:37 Neh 3:26; 8:1
ab. 12:38 Neh 3:11
ac. 12:38 Neh 3:8
ad. 12:39 2Kg 14:13; Neh 8:16
ae. 12:39 Neh 3:6
af. 12:39 Neh 3:3
ag. 12:39 Neh 3:1; Jn 5:2
ah. 12:39 Neh 3:25
ai. 12:43 Ezr 6:16-17,22
aj. 12:43 Ezr 3:13
ak. 12:44 Neh 13:4,13
al. 12:44 Neh 10:37-39
am. 12:44 Neh 7:39-43
an. 12:44 Dt 18:8
ao. 12:45 Neh 7:44-45
ap. 12:45 2Ch 8:14
aq. 12:46 2Ch 29:30
ar. 12:46 Alt Hb tradition reads there was a leader
as. 12:46 1Ch 9:33
at. 12:47 Neh 7:7; Hg 1:1
au. 12:47 Neh 1:1; 5:14
av. 12:47 Neh 11:23
aw. 12:47 Nm 18:21
Nehemiah 11
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