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

These are the religious leaders and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua. There were 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, and Joiarib, Jedaiah.

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

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

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

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

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

9 A lso Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were over against them according to their offices.

Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood beside them in their work.

10 J eshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,

Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada.

11 a nd Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

Joiada was the father of Jonathan. Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

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

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

13 o f Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Meshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah,

14 o f Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

Jonathan of Malluchi, Joseph of Shebaniah,

15 o f Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

Adna of Harim, Helkai of Meraioth,

16 o f Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

Zechariah of Iddo, Meshullam of Ginnethon,

17 o f Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

Zichri of Abijah, Piltai of Moadiah of Miniamin,

18 o f Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

Shammua of Bilgah, Jehonathan of Shemaiah,

19 a nd of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

Mattenai of Joiarib, Uzzi of Jedaiah,

20 o f Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Kallai of Sallai, Eber of Amok,

21 o f Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

Hashabiah of Hilkiah, and Nethanel of Jedaiah.

22 A s 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.

As 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.

23 T he 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.

The 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.

24 T he 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.

The 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.

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

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

26 T hese 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.

These 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

27 A t 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.

At 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.

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

So the sons of the singers were gathered from the land around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Nethophathites,

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

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

30 T he priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

The religious leaders and the Levites made themselves holy, and they made the people, the gates, and the wall holy.

31 T hen 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;

Then 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.

32 a nd after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

33 a nd Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34 J udah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

35 a nd 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;

and 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,

36 a nd 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.

and 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.

37 B y 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.

At 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.

38 T he 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,

The 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.

39 a nd 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.

They 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

43 T hey 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.

On 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.

44 O n 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.

On 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.

45 T hey 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.

They 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.

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

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

47 A ll 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.

So 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.