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Priests and Levites Come Up with Zerubbabel

¹ Now these are ^(C1)the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,² Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,³ Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,⁴ Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,⁵ Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,⁶ Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,⁷ Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their ^(F1)relatives in the days of Jeshua.⁸ The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was over of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.⁹ Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them ^(C1)in keeping their responsibilities.¹⁰ Jeshua ^(F1)became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,¹¹ and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

¹² Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers' households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;¹³ of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;¹⁴ of ^(F1)Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;¹⁵ of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;¹⁶ of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;¹⁷ of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;¹⁸ of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;¹⁹ of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;²⁰ of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;²¹ of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

The Heads of the Levites

Dedication of the Wall

²⁷ Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs ^(C1)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.²⁸ So the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from ^(C1)the villages of the Netophathites,²⁹ from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.³⁰ The priests and the Levites ^(C1)cleansed themselves; they also cleansed the people, the gates, and the wall.

The Choirs in the House of God

³¹ Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I had two great choirs of thanksgiving stand, ^(F1)(C1)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward ^(C2)the Dung Gate.³² Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,³³ with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,³⁵ and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the 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 ^(F1)relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, ^(C1)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.³⁷ At ^(C1)the Spring Gate they went directly up ^(C2)the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to ^(C3)the Water Gate on the east.

^38 (C1)The second ^(F1)choir proceeded to the ^(F2)left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, ^(C2)above the Tower of Furnaces, to ^(C3)the Broad Wall,³⁹ and above ^(C1)the Gate of Ephraim, by ^(C2)the Old Gate, by the ^(C3)Fish Gate, ^(C4)the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stood at ^(C5)the Gate of the Guard.⁴⁰ Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;⁴¹ and the priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;⁴² and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer.

And the singers made their voices heard, with Jezrahiah their overseer,

⁴⁴ On that day ^(C1)men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah was glad over the priests and Levites who stood to minister.⁴⁵ And they kept their responsibility given by their God and the responsibility of cleansing, together with the singers and the gatekeepers, ^(C1)according to the commandment of David and his son Solomon.⁴⁶ For in the days of David and ^(C1)Asaph, in ancient times, there were ^(F1)(C2)chiefs of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God.⁴⁷ So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah were giving the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers ^(C1)as each day required, and ^(C2)set apart the holy portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the holy portion for the sons of Aaron.