Nehemiah, 12

1. Now these [are] the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

1. These are the priests and the Levites who came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and with the High Priest Jeshua:

2. Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

2. Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

3. Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

3. Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Harim, Meremoth,

4. Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

4. Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijai,

5. Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

5. Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6. Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

6. Shemaiah; also: Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7. Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These [were] the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

7. These were the heads of the priests and of their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

8. Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, [and] Mattaniah, [which was] over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

8. And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah - the latter with his kinsmen, directed the hymns of thanksgiving

9. Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, [were] over against them in the watches.

9. while Bakbukiah, Unno and their kinsmen in their respective groups formed an alternate choir.

10. And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

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

11. And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

11. Joiada father of Johanan, and Johanan father of Jaddua.

12. And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

12. In the days when Joiakim was High Priest the heads of the priestly clans were: clan of

13. Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

13. Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14. Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

14. of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15. Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

15. of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai;

16. Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

16. of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

17. Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

17. of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, and of Moadiah, Piltai;

18. Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

18. of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

19. And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

19. also: of Joiaarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

20. Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

20. of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21. Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

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

22. The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, [were] recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.

22. In the days of the High Priests Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of the priestly families were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles up to the reign of Darius the Persian.

23. The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, [were] written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

23. The sons of Levi.

24. And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise [and] to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

24. The heads of the Levite families were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles, but only up to the time of Johanan, grandson of Eliashib. The heads of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel; and their kinsmen forming an alternate choir for the hymns of praise and thanksgiving, in accordance with the instructions of David the man of God, in alternating groups.

25. Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, [were] porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.

25. Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers and stood guard at the storehouses near the gates.

26. 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.

26. These lived in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, grandson of Jozadak and in the days of Nehemiah, the governor and of Ezra, priest and scholar of the Law.

27. And 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 thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

27. When the wall of Jerusalem was inaugurated, the Levites were summoned from all the places where they lived and they came to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving, with the music of cymbals and zithers.

28. And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

28. The singers from the neighboring regions and from the villages of Netophath,

29. Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

29. Beth-gilgal and the districts of Bega and Azmaveth gathered together in Jerusalem, because the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

30. And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

30. The priests and the Levites purified themselves, and then purified the people, the gates and the wall.

31. Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great [companies of them that gave] thanks, [whereof one] went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

31. I then ordered the leaders of Judah to stand on top of the wall and I organized two grand choirs. The first advanced on top of the wall in the southern part, facing the Gate of the Garbage Dump;

32. And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

32. behind them went Hoshaiah and half the leaders of the Jews,

33. And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

33. and also Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

34. Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

34. Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah,

35. And [certain] of the priests' sons with trumpets; [namely], Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

35. the priests and then the musicians with the trumpets came: Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,

36. And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

36. with his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, Hanani, carrying the musical instruments of David, the man of God. Ezra, the teacher of the Law, went in front of them.

37. And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.

37. They went straight on up to the Fountain Gate, near the steps of the City of David, along the top of the wall of the house of David, as far as the Water Gate, on the east.

38. And the other [company of them that gave] thanks went over against [them], and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

38. The second choir marched to the left: I followed it with half the leaders of the people along the top of the wall, passing through the Tower of the Furnaces and as far as the Wide Wall,

39. And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

39. over the Gate of Ephraim, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, as far as the Sheep Gate, and we stopped at the Watch Gate.

40. So stood the two [companies of them that gave] thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

40. Then the two choirs took their places in the House of God. Half of the counselors

41. And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, [and] Hananiah, with trumpets;

41. and the priests Eliakim,

42. And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah [their] overseer.

42. Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, who were carrying the trumpets, were at my side, together with Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. The singers chanted their songs under the direction of Jezrahiah.

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

43. Great sacrifices were offered that day and the people rejoiced, for God had bestowed great joy on them; the women and the children also participated in the feast. And the shouts of joy of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

44. And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

44. At that time, supervisors were appointed to guard the storage rooms where the contributions, the firstfruits and the tithes were kept. They were to store in them the portions from the different cities of the territory required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For the people of Judah rejoiced to see the priests and Levites doing their duty.

45. And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, [and] of Solomon his son.

45. They performed the liturgy of their God and the ceremonies of purification with the singers and the gatekeepers, as commanded by David and his son Solomon.

46. For in the days of David and Asaph of old [there were] chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

46. For from the beginning, from the days of David and Asaph, there had been song leaders and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

47. And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified [holy things] unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified [them] unto the children of Aaron.

47. The whole of Israel, in the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, gave the singers and the gatekeepers what was necessary for each day. The sacred objects were entrusted to the Levites, and what was for the sons of Aaron was given to them.