Nehemiah 12 AMPC

1. NOW THESE are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with 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 their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

8. And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his brethren, was over the thanksgiving [choirs].

9. Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood opposite them according to their offices.

10. And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim of Eliashib, Eliashib of Joiada,

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

12. And in the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers' houses: 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 and 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, the heads of fathers' houses were recorded, as well as the priests, until the reign of Darius the Persian.

23. The sons of Levi, heads of fathers' houses, were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24. And the chiefs of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their brethren opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, as David, God's man, commanded, [one] watch [singing] in response to [the men in the opposite] watch.

25. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers guarding at the storehouses of the gates.

26. These were in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

27. And for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites in all their places to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres.

28. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the plain and circuit around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

29. And also from Beth-gilgal and the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.

30. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, the people, the gates, and the wall.

31. Then I brought the princes of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great companies of them who gave thanks and went in procession. One went to the right upon the wall toward the Dung Gate.

32. And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the princes of Judah,

33. And Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34. Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35. And certain of the priests' sons with trumpets, and 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. And his kinsmen–Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani–with the musical instruments of David, God's man. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

37. At the Fountain Gate they went up straight ahead by the stairs of the City of David at the wall's ascent above David's house to the Water Gate on the east.

38. The other company of those who gave thanks went to the left; I followed with half of the people upon the wall, above the Tower of the Furnaces to the Broad Wall,

39. And above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Old Gate and by the Fish Gate and by the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of Hammeah, even to the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

40. So the two companies of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I, and the half of the officials 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. And the singers sang and made themselves heard, with Jezrahiah as leader.

43. Also that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women also and the children rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

44. On that day men were appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by law for the priests and the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served [faithfully].

45. And they performed the due service of their God and of the purification; so did the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had commanded.

46. For in the days of David and Asaph of old, there was a chief of singers and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and [later] of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart what was for the Levites, and the Levites set apart what was for the sons of Aaron [the priests].