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Nehemiah 12
Evangelical Heritage Version
Nehemiah 12
Evangelical Heritage Version
Legitimate Servants for the Temple
12 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua:
Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,
3 Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
5 Mijamin, Ma’adiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
These were the heads of the priests and their relatives in the days of Jeshua.
8 These are the Levites:
Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah,
Mattaniah (he and his relatives were in charge of songs of thanksgiving),
9 and Bakbukiah and Unni (their relatives were stationed opposite them for the services).
The Succession of Priests
10 Now Jeshua was the father of Joiakim,
and Joiakim was the father of Eliashib,
and Eliashib was the father of Joiada,
11 and Joiada was the father of Jonathan,
and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests who were the heads of the families were as follows:
the head of Seraiah’s family was Meraiah
of Jeremiah’s: Hananiah
13 of Ezra’s: Meshullam
of Amariah’s: Jehohanan
14 of Malluk’s: Jonathan
of Shebaniah’s: Joseph
15 of Harim’s: Adna
of Meraioth’s: Helkai
16 of Iddo’s: Zechariah
of Ginnethon’s: Meshullam
17 of Abijah’s: Zikri
of Miniamin’s, of Moadiah’s: Piltai
18 of Bilgah’s: Shammua
of Shemaiah’s: Jehonathan
19 and of Joiarib’s: Mattenai
of Jedaiah’s: Uzzi
20 of Sallai’s: Kallai
of Amok’s: Eber
21 of Hilkiah’s: Hashabiah
of Jedaiah’s: Nethanel.
22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded by the heads of families,[a] as were the priests, until the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The descendants of Levi who were heads of families were recorded in the book of the chronicles, down to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.
24 The heads of the Levites were as follows:
Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel and his relatives, who stood opposite them to praise and to give thanks according to the command of David the man of God, one division corresponding to another.
25 Mattaniah and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storerooms at the gates. 26 These men served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and Ezra the priest, the scribe.
The Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27 Now for the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites had been invited from all their places, in order to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyful dedication with both thanksgiving hymns and with songs using cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The singers had been gathered both from the district around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 from Beth Gilgal, and from the countryside of Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 The priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 I brought the officers of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs and two groups for the procession.
One group proceeded south on top of the west wall toward the Dung Gate. 32 Behind them went Hoshaiah and half of the officers of Judah, 33 also Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, 34 Judah and Benjamin, and Shemaiah and Jeremiah, 35 as well as some of the priests with trumpets, namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his relatives Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Ma’ai, Nethanel, and Judah, and Hanani with the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them. 37 From the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps to the City of David, by the ascent to the wall which was above David’s house and over the Water Gate on the east.[b]
38 The second thanksgiving choir was assigned to go in the opposite direction. Both I and half of the people were behind it on top of the wall. They went over the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 and over the Ephraim Gate (that is, over the Old Gate), and over the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, and up to the Sheep Gate, and they stood at the Guard’s Gate.
40 The two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, as did I and half of the officials with me, 41 as well as the priests: Eliakim, Ma’aseiah, Miniamin, Mikaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with trumpets, 42 and Ma’aseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, and Malkijah, and Elam, and Ezer. Then the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader. 43 That day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The joy of Jerusalem was heard a long way away.
44 That day men were appointed as supervisors over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, in order to gather the portions required by the Law for the priests and the Levites from the fields[c] of the towns, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who carried out their duties. 45 They and the singers and the gatekeepers continued the service of their God and the service of purification, according to the command of David and his son Solomon, 46 because formerly in the days of David and Asaph, Asaph was the head of the singers and of songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel continued to give the required portions for the singers and the gatekeepers daily. They would set apart that portion which was for the Levites, and the Levites would set apart that portion which was for the descendants of Aaron.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 12:22 Literally the heads of fathers
- Nehemiah 12:37 The precise meaning of this part of the route is uncertain.
- Nehemiah 12:44 The Hebrew text has on the basis of the fields.
Nehemiah 12
New International Version
Nehemiah 12
New International Version
Priests and Levites
12 These were the priests(A) and Levites(B) who returned with Zerubbabel(C) son of Shealtiel(D) and with Joshua:(E)
Seraiah,(F) Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,
3 Shekaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo,(G) Ginnethon,[a] Abijah,(H)
5 Mijamin,[b] Moadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,(I)
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah.
These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Joshua.
8 The Levites were Jeshua,(J) Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah,(K) who, together with his associates, was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9 Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them in the services.
10 Joshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib,(L) 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 families:
of Seraiah’s family, Meraiah;
of Jeremiah’s, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra’s, Meshullam;
of Amariah’s, Jehohanan;
14 of Malluk’s, Jonathan;
of Shekaniah’s,[c] Joseph;
15 of Harim’s, Adna;
of Meremoth’s,[d] Helkai;
16 of Iddo’s,(M) Zechariah;
of Ginnethon’s, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah’s,(N) Zikri;
of Miniamin’s and of Moadiah’s, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah’s, Shammua;
of Shemaiah’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 those of the priests, were recorded in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 The family heads among the descendants of Levi up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the book of the annals. 24 And the leaders of the Levites(O) were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.(P)
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. 26 They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.
Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem
27 At the dedication(Q) 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 and with the music of cymbals,(R) harps and lyres.(S) 28 The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,(T) 29 from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. 30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,(U) the gates and the wall.
31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of[e] the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of[f] the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.(V) 32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin,(W) Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35 as well as some priests with trumpets,(X) and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, 36 and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments(Y) prescribed by David the man of God.(Z) Ezra(AA) the teacher of the Law led the procession. 37 At the Fountain Gate(AB) they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate(AC) on the east.
38 The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of[g] the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens(AD) to the Broad Wall,(AE) 39 over the Gate of Ephraim,(AF) the Jeshanah[h] Gate,(AG) the Fish Gate,(AH) the Tower of Hananel(AI) and the Tower of the Hundred,(AJ) as far as the Sheep Gate.(AK) 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, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah with their 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(AL) for the contributions, firstfruits and tithes.(AM) 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.(AN) 45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the musicians and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David(AO) and his son Solomon.(AP) 46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph,(AQ) there had been directors for the musicians and for the songs of praise(AR) and thanksgiving to God. 47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the musicians and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.(AS)
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 12:4 Many Hebrew manuscripts and Vulgate (see also verse 16); most Hebrew manuscripts Ginnethoi
- Nehemiah 12:5 A variant of Miniamin
- Nehemiah 12:14 Very many Hebrew manuscripts, some Septuagint manuscripts and Syriac (see also verse 3); most Hebrew manuscripts Shebaniah’s
- Nehemiah 12:15 Some Septuagint manuscripts (see also verse 3); Hebrew Meraioth’s
- Nehemiah 12:31 Or go alongside
- Nehemiah 12:31 Or proceed alongside
- Nehemiah 12:38 Or them alongside
- Nehemiah 12:39 Or Old
Evangelical Heritage Version (EHV)
The Holy Bible, Evangelical Heritage Version®, EHV®, © 2019 Wartburg Project, Inc. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.