Nehemiah 12
12The following is a list of the priests and Levites who returned from exile with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with the High Priest Joshua:H3548H3881H5927H2216H1121H7597H3442H8304H3414H58302Priests: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,H568H4409H24073Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,H7935H7348H48224Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,H5714H1599H295Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,H4326H4573H10836Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,H8098H3114H30487Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These men were leaders among all their fellow priests in the days of Joshua.H5543H5987H2518H3048H7218H3548H251H3117H34428Levites: The following were in charge of the singing of hymns of thanksgiving: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah.H3881H3442H1131H6934H8274H3063H4983H1960H2519The following formed the choir that sang the responses: Bakbukiah, Unno, and their fellow Levites.H1229H6042H251H493110Joshua was the father of Joiakim; Joiakim was the father of Eliashib; Eliashib was the father of Joiada;H3442H3205H3113H3113H3205H475H475H3205H311111Joiada was the father of Jonathan; and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.H3111H3205H3129H3129H3205H303712When Joiakim was High Priest, the following priests were the heads of the priestly clans: [Priest: Clan] Meraiah: Seraiah, Hananiah: Jeremiah,H3117H3113H3548H7218H1H8304H4811H3414H260813Meshullam: Ezra, Jehohanan: Amariah,H5830H4918H568H307614Jonathan: Malluchi, Joseph: Shebaniah,H4409H3129H7645H313015Adna: Harim, Helkai: Meraioth,H2766H5733H4812H251716Zechariah: Iddo, Meshullam: Ginnethon,H5714H2148H1599H491817Zichri: Abijah, ...: Miniamin, Piltai: Moadiah,H29H2147H4509H4153H640818Shammua: Bilgah, Jehonathan: Shemaiah,H1083H8051H8098H308319Mattenai: Joiarib, Uzzi: Jedaiah,H3114H4982H3048H581320Kallai: Sallai, Eber: Amok,H5543H7040H5987H567721Hashabiah: Hilkiah, Nethanel: Jedaiah.H2518H2811H3048H541722A record was kept of the heads of the Levite families and of the priestly families during the lifetimes of the following High Priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, and Jaddua. This record was finished when Darius was emperor of Persia.H3881H3117H475H3111H3110H3037H3789H7218H1H3548H4438H1867H654223The heads of the Levite families, however, were recorded in the official records only until the time of Jonathan, the grandson of Eliashib.H1121H3878H7218H1H3789H5612H1697H3117H3110H1121H47524Under the direction of Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel, the Levites were organized into groups. Two groups at a time praised God responsively and gave thanks to him, in accordance with the instructions given by King David, the man of God.H7218H3881H2811H8274H3442H1121H6934H251H1984H3034H4687H1732H376H430H4929H5980H492925The following Temple guards were in charge of guarding the storerooms by the gates to the Temple: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.H4983H1229H5662H4918H2929H6126H7778H8104H4929H624H817926These people lived during the time of Joiakim, the son of Joshua and grandson of Jehozadak, and the time of Nehemiah the governor, and the time of Ezra, the priest who was a scholar of the Law.H3117H3113H1121H3442H1121H3136H3117H5166H6346H5830H3548H560827When the city wall of Jerusalem was dedicated, the Levites were brought in from wherever they were living, so that they could join in celebrating the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals and harps.H2598H2346H3389H1245H3881H4725H935H3389H6213H2598H8057H8426H7892H4700H5035H365828The Levite families of singers gathered from the area where they had settled around Jerusalem and from the towns around Netophah,H1121H7891H622H3603H5439H3389H2691H520029and from Bethgilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth.H1004H1537H1019H7704H1387H5820H7891H1129H2691H5439H338930The priests and the Levites performed ritual purification for themselves, the people, the gates, and the city wall.H3548H3881H2891H2891H5971H8179H234631I assembled the leaders of Judah on top of the wall and put them in charge of two large groups to march around the city, giving thanks to God. The first group went to the right on top of the wall toward the Rubbish Gate.H5927H8269H3063H2346H5975H8147H1419H8426H8418H3225H2346H830H817932Hoshaiah marched behind the singers, followed by half the leaders of Judah.H310H3212H1955H2677H8269H306333The following priests, blowing trumpets, marched next:H5838H5830H491834Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,H3063H1144H8098H341435Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Next came Zechariah, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Shemaiah. (His ancestors also included Mattaniah, Micaiah, and Zaccur, of the clan of Asaph.)H3548H1121H2689H2148H1121H3129H1121H8098H1121H4983H1121H4320H1121H2139H1121H62336He was followed by other members of his clan - Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani - all of whom carried musical instruments of the kind played by King David, the man of God. Ezra the scholar led this group in the procession.H251H8098H5832H4450H1562H4597H5417H3063H2607H7892H3627H1732H376H430H5830H5608H644037At the Fountain Gate they went up the steps that led to David's City, past David's palace, and back to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.H5869H8179H5927H4609H5892H1732H4608H2346H1004H1732H4325H8179H421738The other group of those who gave thanks went to the left along the top of the wall, and I followed with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,H8145H8426H1980H4136H310H2677H5971H2346H4026H8574H7342H234639and from there we went past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. We ended our march near the gate to the Temple.H8179H669H3465H8179H1709H8179H4026H2606H4026H3968H6629H8179H5975H4307H817940So both the groups that were giving thanks to God reached the Temple area. In addition to the leaders who were with me,H5975H8147H8426H1004H430H2677H546141my group included the following priests, blowing trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah;H3548H471H4641H4509H4320H454H2148H2608H268942and they were followed by Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, led by Jezrahiah, sang at the top of their voices.H4641H8098H499H5813H3076H4441H5867H5829H7891H8085H3156H649643That day many sacrifices were offered, and the people were full of joy because God had made them very happy. The women and the children joined in the celebration, and the noise they all made could be heard for miles.H3117H2076H1419H2077H8055H430H8055H1419H8057H802H3206H8055H8057H3389H8085H735044At that time men were put in charge of the storerooms where contributions for the Temple were kept, including the tithes and the first grain and fruit that ripened each year. These men were responsible for collecting from the farms near the various cities the contributions for the priests and the Levites which the Law required. All the people of Judah were pleased with the priests and the Levites,H3117H582H6485H5393H214H8641H7225H4643H3664H7704H5892H4521H8451H3548H3881H3063H8057H3548H3881H597545because they performed the ceremonies of purification and the other rituals that God had commanded. The Temple musicians and the Temple guards also performed their duties in accordance with the regulations made by King David and his son Solomon.H7891H7778H8104H4931H430H4931H2893H4687H1732H8010H112146From the time of King David and the musician Asaph long ago, the musicians have led songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.H3117H1732H623H6924H7218H7891H7892H8416H3034H43047In the time of Zerubbabel and also in the time of Nehemiah, all the people of Israel gave daily gifts for the support of the Temple musicians and the Temple guards. The people gave a sacred offering to the Levites, and the Levites gave the required portion to the priests.H3478H3117H2216H3117H5166H5414H4521H7891H7778H3117H1697H6942H3881H3881H6942H1121H175
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