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Nehemiah 12 :: New Living Translation (NLT)

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A History of the Priests and Levites
(cf. Ezr 2:36–40 )
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:1 - Here is the list of the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest:
Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:2 - Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:3 - Shecaniah, Harim,[fn] Meremoth,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:4 - Iddo, Ginnethon,[fn] Abijah,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:5 - Miniamin, Moadiah,[fn] Bilgah,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:6 - Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:7 - Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:8 - The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:9 - Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:10 - Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim.
Joiakim was the father of Eliashib.
Eliashib was the father of Joiada.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:11 - Joiada was the father of Johanan.[fn]
Johanan was the father of Jaddua.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:12 - Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows:
Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah.
Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:13 - Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra.
Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:14 - Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch.[fn]
Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:15 - Adna was leader of the family of Harim.
Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:16 - Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo.
Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:17 - Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah.
There was also a[fn] leader of the family of Miniamin.
Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:18 - Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah.
Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:19 - Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib.
Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:20 - Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu.[fn]
Eber was leader of the family of Amok.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:21 - Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah.
Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:22 - A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian.[fn]
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:23 - A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in The Book of History down to the days of Johanan, the grandson[fn] of Eliashib.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:24 - These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui,[fn] Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:25 - This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah.
Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:26 - These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak,[fn] and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
Dedication of Jerusalem’s Wall
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:27 - For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:28 - The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:29 - They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:30 - The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:31 - I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward[fn] along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:32 - Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:33 - along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:34 - Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:35 - Then came some priests who played trumpets, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:36 - And Zechariah’s colleagues were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:37 - At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:38 - The second choir giving thanks went northward[fn] around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:39 - then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate,[fn] past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:40 - The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:41 - We went together with the trumpet-playing priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah—
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:42 - and the singers—Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:43 - Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.
Provisions for Temple Worship
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:44 - On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the offerings, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect from the fields outside the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For all the people of Judah took joy in the priests and Levites and their work.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:45 - They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as commanded by David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:46 - The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph.
Unchecked Copy BoxNeh 12:47 - So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.
NLT Footnotes
Hebrew Rehum; compare 7:42; 12:15; Ezra 2:39.
As in some Hebrew manuscripts and Latin Vulgate (see also 12:16); most Hebrew manuscripts read Ginnethoi.
Hebrew Mijamin, Maadiah; compare 12:17.
Hebrew Jonathan; compare 12:22.
As in Greek version (see also 10:4; 12:2); Hebrew reads Malluchi.
As in many Hebrew manuscripts, some Greek manuscripts, and Syriac version (see also 12:3); most Hebrew manuscripts read Shebaniah.
As in some Greek manuscripts (see also 12:3); Hebrew reads Meraioth.
Hebrew lacks the name of this family leader.
Hebrew Sallai; compare 12:7.
Darius the Persian is probably Darius II, who reigned 423–404 B.C., or possibly Darius III, who reigned 336–331 B.C.
Hebrew descendant; compare 12:10-11.
Hebrew son of (i.e., ben), which should probably be read here as the proper name Binnui; compare Ezra 3:9 and the note there.
Hebrew Jozadak, a variant spelling of Jehozadak.
Hebrew to the right.
Hebrew to the left.
Or the Mishneh Gate, or the Jeshanah Gate.
NLT

Holy Bible, New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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