Nehemiah 12

Revised Geneva Translation

12 These also 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, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

⁷ Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren, in the days of Jeshua.

⁸ And the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah (who was over the thanksgivings, he and his brethren).

⁹ And Bakbukiah and Unni and their brethren were around them in the watches.

¹⁰ And Jeshua begat Joiakim. Joiakim also begat Eliashib. And Eliashib begat Joiada.

¹¹ And Joiada begat Jonathan. And Jonathan begat Jaddua.

¹² And in the days of Joiakim, these were the chief fathers of the Priests: Seraiah was under Meraiah, under Jeremiah, Hananiah,

¹³ under Ezra, Meshullam, under Amariah, Jehohanan,

¹⁴ under Melichu, Jonathan, under Shebaniah, Joseph,

¹⁵ under Harim, Adna, under Maraioth, Helkai,

¹⁶ under Iddo, Zechariah, under Ginnethon, Meshullam,

¹⁷ under Abijah, Zichri, under Minjamin, and under Moadiah, Piltai,

¹⁸ under Bilgah, Shammua, under Shemaiah, Jehonathan,

¹⁹ under Joiarib, Mattenai, under Jedaiah, Uzzi,

²⁰ under Sallai, Kallai, under Amok, Eber,

²¹ under Hilkiah, Hashabiah, under Jedaiah, Nethanel.

²² In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the chief fathers of the Levites and the priests were written.

²³ The sons of Levi (the chief fathers) were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.

²⁴ And the chief of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, and their brethren around them, to give praise and thanks, according to the ordinances of David the man of God, guard post opposite guard post.

²⁵ Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were porters, keeping the guard post at the thresholds 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 captain, and of Ezra the Priest and scribe.

²⁷ And in the dedication of the wall at Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to keep the dedication and gladness, both with thanksgivings and with songs, cymbals, viols, and with harps.

²⁸ Then, the singers gathered themselves together, both from the plain country around Jerusalem and from the villages of Netophathi

²⁹ and from the House of Gilgal and out of the countries of Geba and Azmaveth. For the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.

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

³¹ And I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall and appointed two great companies to give thanks. And one went on the right side of the wall toward the dung gate.

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

³³ and Azariah, Ezra and Meshullam,

³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah.

³⁵ And of the priests’ sons with trumpets were Zechariah, the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur and the son of Asaph.

³⁶ And his brethren were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

³⁷ And they went up to the gate of the fountain, opposite the stairs of the City of David, at the going up of the wall, beyond the house of David, to the Water Gate, eastward.

³⁸ And the second company of those who gave thanks went on the other side, and I after them. And half of the people were upon the wall, and upon the tower of the furnaces (up to the broad wall),

³⁹ and upon the gate of Ephraim, and upon the Old Gate, and upon the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of Meah, up to the Sheep Gate. And they stood in the gate of the guard post.

⁴⁰ So stood the two companies (of those who gave thanks) and I and half of the rulers with me, in the House of God,

⁴¹ as well as the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah—with trumpets.

⁴² And Maaseiah and Shemaiah and Eleazar and Uzzi and Jehohanan and Malchijah and Elam and Ezer and the singers sang loud, having Jezrahiah (who was the overseer).

⁴³ And that same day, they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced; for God had given them great joy, so that both the women and the children were joyful. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.

⁴⁴ Also at the same time, men were appointed over the chambers of the store for the offerings, (for the firstfruits and for the tithes) to gather the portions of the Law into them from the fields of the cities, for the priests and the Levites. For Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who served.

⁴⁵ And both the singers and the Levites kept guard of their God, and guard of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and Solomon his son.

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

⁴⁷ And in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel gave portions to the singers and gatekeepers, every day its portion. And they gave the holy things to the Levites. And the Levites gave the holy things to the sons of Aaron.