1 T hese are the religious leaders and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua. There were Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Now these are the priests and the Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2 A mariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3 S hecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4 I ddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

5 M ijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 S hemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.

7 S allu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the religious leaders and their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brothers in the days of Jeshua.

8 T he Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brothers was over the songs of giving thanks.

Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

9 B akbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood beside them in their work.

Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were over against them according to their offices.

10 J eshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada.

Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,

11 J oiada was the father of Jonathan. Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

12 I n the days of Joiakim the religious leader, these were the heads of the family groups: Meraiah of Seraiah, Hananiah of Jeremiah,

In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ households: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

13 M eshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah,

of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 J onathan of Malluchi, Joseph of Shebaniah,

of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15 A dna of Harim, Helkai of Meraioth,

of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16 Z echariah of Iddo, Meshullam of Ginnethon,

of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17 Z ichri of Abijah, Piltai of Moadiah of Miniamin,

of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

18 S hammua of Bilgah, Jehonathan of Shemaiah,

of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19 M attenai of Joiarib, Uzzi of Jedaiah,

and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20 K allai of Sallai, Eber of Amok,

of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21 H ashabiah of Hilkiah, and Nethanel of Jedaiah.

of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22 A s for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the heads of the family groups were written down. So were the religious leaders in the rule of Darius the Persian.

As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

23 T he sons of Levi, the heads of the family groups, were written down in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ households, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

24 T he heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers beside them. Each group praised and gave thanks, as David the man of God had told them.

The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers over against them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch.

25 M attaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gate-keepers. They watched at the store-houses of the gates.

Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates.

26 T hese men worked in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the ruler and of Ezra the religious leader and writer. Nehemiah Sets Apart the Jerusalem Wall for God

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

27 A t the special time to praise God for the wall of Jerusalem, they looked for all the Levites in the places where they lived and brought them to Jerusalem so they might join them at this special time with happiness. They sang songs of thanks and other songs as timbrels and harps were played.

At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks, and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps.

28 S o the sons of the singers were gathered from the land around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Nethophathites,

The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites;

29 f rom Beth-gilgal, and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth. For the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

also from Beth Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built them villages around Jerusalem.

30 T he religious leaders and the Levites made themselves holy, and they made the people, the gates, and the wall holy.

The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

31 T hen I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall. And I picked two large groups of singers to give thanks. One group was to go to the right on top of the wall to the Waste Gate.

Then I brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession. One went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate;

32 H oshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

and after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

33 w ith Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

34 J udah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35 a nd some of the sons of the religious leaders blowing horns. Then followed Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph;

36 a nd his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the objects that David the man of God had made for playing music. And Ezra the writer went before them.

and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.

37 A t the Well Gate they went straight up the steps of the city of David, by the steps of the wall above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward.

38 T he second group went to the left. I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Stoves, to the Wide Wall.

The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, on the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even to the wide wall,

39 T hey went above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old 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 Watchmen.

and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.

40 T hen the two groups stood in the house of God. So did I and half of the leaders with me,

So stood the two companies of those who gave thanks in God’s house, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;

41 a nd the religious leaders, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the horns,

and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

42 a nd Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader.

and Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

43 O n that day they gave many good gifts and were glad because God had given them great joy. Even the women and children were filled with joy, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.

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

44 O n that day men were chosen for the work of the store-rooms for the gifts, the first-fruits, and the tenth part for the Lord. They were to gather into them from the fields near the towns what was to be given by the Law to the religious leaders and Levites. For Judah was filled with joy because of the religious leaders and Levites who did the work.

On that day were men appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited.

45 T hey did the work of their God and the work of making everything clean from sin, together with the singers and the gate-keepers. They did as David and his son Solomon had told them.

They performed the duty of their God, and the duty of the purification, and so did the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

46 F or in the days of David and Asaph, long ago, there were leaders of the singers, and songs of praise and thanks to God.

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

47 S o all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave what was to be given to the singers and gate-keepers each day. They set apart what was for the Levites. And the Levites set apart what was for the sons of Aaron.

All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day required: and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.