CHAPTER 12
Now these
are the priests
and Levites
who
went up
with
Zerubbabel
son
of Shealtiel
and with Jeshua:
Seraiah,
Jeremiah,
Ezra,
Sallu,
Amok,
Hilkiah,
and Jedaiah.
These
were the leaders
of the priests
and their associates
in the days
of Jeshua.
The Levites were
Jeshua,
Binnui,
Kadmiel,
Sherebiah,
Judah,
and Mattaniah,
who,
with his associates,
led
the songs of thanksgiving.
Jeshua
was the father of
Joiakim,
Joiakim
was the father of
Eliashib,
Eliashib
was the father of Joiada,
In the days
of Joiakim,
these were
the heads
of the priestly
families:
of the family of Seraiah,
Meraiah;
of Jeremiah,
Hananiah;
In the days
of Eliashib,
Joiada,
Johanan,
and Jaddua,
the heads
of the families
of the Levites
and priests
were recorded
during
the reign of
Darius
the Persian.
As for the descendants
of Levi,
the family
heads
up to
the days
of Johanan
son
of Eliashib
were recorded
in
the Book
of the Chronicles.
The leaders
of the Levites
were Hashabiah,
Sherebiah,
and Jeshua
son
of Kadmiel,
along with their associates,
who stood across from them
to give praise
and thanksgiving
as one section
alternated with
the other,
as prescribed
by David
the man
of God.
Mattaniah,
Bakbukiah,
Obadiah,
Meshullam,
Talmon,
and Akkub
were gatekeepers
who guarded
the storerooms
at the gates.
They
served in the days
of Joiakim
son
of Jeshua,
the son
of Jozadak,
and in the days
of Nehemiah
the governor
and Ezra
the priest
and scribe.
At the dedication
of the wall
of Jerusalem,
the Levites
were sought out
from all
their homes
and brought
to Jerusalem
to celebrate
the joyous
dedication
with thanksgiving
and singing,
accompanied by cymbals,
harps,
and lyres.
The singers were also
assembled
from
the region
around
Jerusalem,
from
the villages
of the Netophathites,
from Beth-gilgal,
and from the fields
of Geba
and Azmaveth,
for
they
had built
villages
for themselves
all around
Jerusalem.
After the priests
and Levites
had purified themselves,
they purified
the people,
the gates,
and the wall.
Then I brought the leaders
of Judah
up
on the wall,
and I appointed
two
great
thanksgiving choirs.
One was to proceed
along
the top of the wall
to the right,
toward the Dung
Gate.
and some of the priests
with trumpets,
and also Zechariah
son
of Jonathan,
the son
of Shemaiah,
the son
of Mattaniah,
the son
of Micaiah,
the son
of Zaccur,
the son
of Asaph,
and his associates—
Shemaiah,
Azarel,
Milalai,
Gilalai,
Maai,
Nethanel,
Judah,
and Hanani—
with the musical
instruments
prescribed by David
the man
of God.
Ezra
the scribe
led the procession.
At
the Fountain
Gate
they climbed
the steps
of the City
of David
on the ascent
to the wall
and passed above
the house
of David
to
the Water
Gate
on the east.
The second
thanksgiving choir
proceeded
to the left,
and I
followed
it with half
the people
along the top
of the wall,
past
the Tower
of the Ovens
to
the Broad
Wall,
over
the Gate
of Ephraim,
the Jeshanah Gate,
the Fish
Gate,
the Tower
of Hananel,
and the Tower
of the Hundred,
as far
as the Sheep
Gate.
And they stopped
at the Gate
of the Guard.
The two
thanksgiving choirs
then stood
in the house
of God,
as did I,
along with the half
of the officials
accompanying me,
as well as the priests
with their trumpets—
Eliakim,
Maaseiah,
Miniamin,
Micaiah,
Elioenai,
Zechariah,
and Hananiah—
and also Maaseiah,
Shemaiah,
Eleazar,
Uzzi,
Jehohanan,
Malchijah,
Elam,
and Ezer.
Then the choirs
sang out
under the direction
of Jezrahiah.
On that
day
they offered
great
sacrifices,
rejoicing
because
God
had given them great
joy.
The women
and children
also
rejoiced,
so that the joy
of Jerusalem
was heard
from afar.
And on that same
day
men
were appointed
over
the rooms
that housed the supplies,
contributions,
firstfruits,
and tithes.
The portions specified by
the Law
for the priests
and Levites
were gathered
into these storerooms
from the fields
of the villages,
because
Judah
rejoiced
over
the priests
and Levites
who were serving.
They performed
the service
of their God
and the service
of purification,
along with the singers
and gatekeepers,
as David
and his son
Solomon
had prescribed.
For
long ago,
in the days
of David
and Asaph,
there were directors
for the singers
and for the songs
of praise
and thanksgiving
to God.
So in the days
of Zerubbabel
and Nehemiah,
all
Israel
contributed
the daily portions
for the singers
and gatekeepers.
They also set aside
daily
portions
for the Levites,
and the Levites
set aside
daily portions for the descendants
of Aaron.