Nehemiah 12

The Priests and Levites

1 Now these are the *Ezra 2:1, 2; 7:7priests and the Levites who came up with *Neh. 7:7; Matt. 1:12, 13Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: *Neh. 10:2–8Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, *Luke 1:5Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.

These were the heads of the priests and their brethren in the days of *Ezra 3:2; Hag. 1:1; Zech. 3:1Jeshua.

8 Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah *Neh. 11:17wholed the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren. 9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.

10 Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada, 11 Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the *Neh. 7:70, 71; 8:13; 11:13heads of the fathers’ houseswere: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of Melichu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; 15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; 16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 17 of Abijah, Zichri; theson of Minjamin; 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; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 During the reign of Darius the Persian, a record wasalsokept of the Levites and priests whohadbeen*1 Chr. 24:6heads of their fathers’ houses in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua. 23 The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’ houses until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, were written in the book of the *1 Chr. 9:14–22chronicles.

24 And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to *Neh. 11:17praise and give thanks, *Ezra 3:11group alternating with group, *1 Chr. 23—26according to the command of David the man of God. 25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates. 26 These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah *Neh. 8:9the governor, and of Ezra the priest, *Ezra 7:6, 11the scribe.

Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

27 Now at *Deut. 20:5; Neh. 7:1; Ps. 30:titlethe dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, *1 Chr. 25:6; 2 Chr. 5:13; 7:6both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the *1 Chr. 9:16villages of the Netophathites, 29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. 30 Then the priests and Levites *Ezra 6:20; Neh. 13:22, 30purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. *Neh. 12:38One went to the right hand on the wall *Neh. 2:13; 3:13toward the Refuse Gate. 32 After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33 and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 and some of the priests’ sons *Num. 10:2, 8with trumpets—Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with *1 Chr. 23:5the musical *2 Chr. 29:26, 27instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 *Neh. 2:14; 3:15By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up *Neh. 3:15the stairs of the *2 Sam. 5:7–9City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as *Neh. 3:26; 8:1, 3, 16the Water Gate eastward.

38 *Neh. 12:31The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the *Neh. 3:11Tower of the Ovens as far as *Neh. 3:8the Broad Wall, 39 *2 Kin. 14:13; Neh. 8:16and above the Gate of Ephraim, above *Neh. 3:6the Old Gate, above *Neh. 3:3the Fish Gate, *Neh. 3:1the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred, as far as *Neh. 3:32the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by *Jer. 32:2the Gate of the Prison.

40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me; 41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42 also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard *Ezra 3:13afar off.

Temple Responsibilities

44 *2 Chr. 31:11, 12; Neh. 13:5, 12, 13And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the *Neh. 10:37–39tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who ministered. 45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, *1 Chr. 25; 26according to the command of David and Solomon his son. 46 For in the days of David *1 Chr. 25:1; 2 Chr. 29:30and Asaph of old therewere chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for *Neh. 11:23each day. *Num. 18:21, 24They also consecrated holythings for the Levites, *Num. 18:26and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.