Priests and Levites
1
These were the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel
and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4
Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5
Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
6
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7
Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests
andtheir associates in the days of Jeshua.
8
The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kademiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah,
who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thansgiving,
9
Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.
10
Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,
Eliashib the father of Joiada,
11
Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua,
12
In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly famlies
of Serauah's family, Meraiah; ofJeremiah's, Hananiah;
13
of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's Jehohanan;
14
of Mall,uch's, Jonathan; of Shecaniah's, Joseph;
15
of Harim's, Adna; of Meremoth's, Helkai;
16
of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam;
17
of Abijah's, Zkcri; of Minjamin's and of Moadiah's, Piltai;
18
of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shammua's, Jehonathan;
19
of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi,
20
of Sallu's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber;
21
of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel.
22
The family heads of the Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua,
as well as of those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian.
23
The family heads of among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan
son of Eliashib was recoreded in the book of the annals.
24
And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel,
and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgving,
one section responding to the other. as prescribed by David the man of God.
25
Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkuh were gatekeepers
who guarded the the storerooms at the gates.
26
They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak,
and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out
from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully
the dedication with songs of thanksgiving ad with the music of cymbals,
harps and lyres.
28
The singers also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem -
from the villages of the Netophathites,
29
from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth,
for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
30
When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially,
the people, the gates andthe wall.
31
I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of the wall. I also assigned two large choirs
to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of the wall to te right, toward the Dung Gate.
32
Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,
33
along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34
Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,
35
as well as some priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan,
the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur,
the son of Asaph,
36
and his associates - Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah
and Hanani - with musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God.
Ezra the scribe led the procession.
37
At the Fountain Gate they continued directly up the steps of the City of David
on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate
on the east.
38
The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them
on top of the wall, together with the half the people - past the Tower of the Ovens
to the Broad Wall,
39
over the Gate of Ephraim, the Johanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of the Hundred,
as far as the Sheeo Gate. At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.
40
The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God,
so did I, together with half the officials,
41
as well as the priests - Eliakim, Maasweiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai,
Zechariah, and Hananiah withtheir trumpets,
42
and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah,
Elam and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.
43
And on that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them
great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, The sound of rejoicing in Jerusalem
could be heard far away.
44
At that time men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the contributions,
firstfruits and tithes. From the fields around the towns they were to bring into
the storerooms the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites,
for Judah was pleased with the ministering priests and Levites.
45
They performed the service of their God and the service of purification,
as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David
and his son Solomon.
46
For long ago, in the says of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers
and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47
So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions
for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites,
and the Levites set aside the portion forthe descendantsof Aaron.
