Nehemiah 12 in plain modern English. New Ground English Translation.
These are the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.
The Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.
Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood opposite them during the services.
Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,
Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.
In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were heads of families: of Seraiah's family, Meraiah; of Jeremiah's, Hananiah;
of Ezra's, Meshullam; of Amariah's, Jehohanan;
of Malluchi's, Jonathan; of Shebaniah's, Joseph;
of Harim's, Adna; of Meraioth's, Helkai;
of Iddo's, Zechariah; of Ginnethon's, Meshullam;
of Abijah's, Zichri; of Miniamin's and Moadiah's, Piltai;
of Bilgah's, Shammua; of Shemaiah's, Jehonathan;
of Joiarib's, Mattenai; of Jedaiah's, Uzzi;
of Sallai's, Kallai; of Amok's, Eber;
of Hilkiah's, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah's, Nethanel.
In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of families, as were the priests, during the reign of the
The Levite heads of families were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib.
The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, with their associates standing opposite them to offer praise and thanksgiving, section by section, as prescribed by the of
Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storerooms by the gates.
These served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.
At the of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from wherever they lived and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the with joy, with thanksgiving, and with singing accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.
The singers were assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,
from Beth-gilgal, and from the areas around Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.
The priests and the Levites first themselves, then the people, the gates, and the wall.
I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall and organized two large choirs for a procession. One went to the right along the wall toward the Dung Gate.
Behind them went Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah,
along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,
as well as some priests with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,
and his relatives Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe walked at the head of the procession.
At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, climbing the steps of the City of David on the ascent of the wall, past the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east.
The second choir went in the opposite direction. I followed them with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
past the Gate of Ephraim, the Old Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.
Both choirs took their places in the house of God. So did I, together with half the officials with me,
and the priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets;
and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs sang under the direction of Jezrahiah.
On that day they offered sacrifices and celebrated with joy, because God had given them for The women and children also celebrated. The sound of in Jerusalem could be from
On that day men were appointed over the storerooms for contributions, firstfruits, and tenths. They were to collect from the fields around the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites, because Judah was glad to have the priests and Levites serving.
They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.
For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
In the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.