New King James Version

New Living Translation

The Priests and Levites

Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

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A History of the Priests and Levites

Here is the list of the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest:
Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

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Amariah, [a]Malluch, Hattush,

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Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

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[b]Shechaniah, [c]Rehum, [d]Meremoth,

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Shecaniah, Harim,a Meremoth,

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Iddo, [e]Ginnethoi, Abijah,

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Iddo, Ginnethon,b Abijah,

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[f]Mijamin, [g]Maadiah, Bilgah,

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Miniamin, Moadiah,c Bilgah,

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Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

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Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

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

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Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.
These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua.

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Moreover the Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.

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The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving.

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Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.

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Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service.

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Jeshua begot Joiakim, Joiakim begot Eliashib, Eliashib begot Joiada,

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Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim.
Joiakim was the father of Eliashib.
Eliashib was the father of Joiada.

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Joiada begot Jonathan, and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

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Joiada was the father of Johanan.d
Johanan was the father of Jaddua.

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Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of the fathers’ houses were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

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Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows:
Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah.
Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah.

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of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

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Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra.
Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah.

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of [i]Melichu, Jonathan; of [j]Shebaniah, Joseph;

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Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch.e
Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah.f

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of [k]Harim, Adna; of [l]Meraioth, Helkai;

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Adna was leader of the family of Harim.
Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth.g

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of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

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Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo.
Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon.

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of Abijah, Zichri; the son of [m]Minjamin; of [n]Moadiah, Piltai;

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Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah.
There was also ah leader of the family of Miniamin.
Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah.

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of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

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Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah.
Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah.

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of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

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Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib.
Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah.

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of [o]Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

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Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu.i
Eber was leader of the family of Amok.

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of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

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Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah.
Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah.

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During the reign of Darius the Persian, a record was also kept of the Levites and priests who had been heads of their fathers’ houses in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua.

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A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian.j

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The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers’ houses until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib, were written in the book of the chronicles.

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A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in The Book of History down to the days of Johanan, the grandsonk of Eliashib.

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And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group[p] alternating with group, according to the command of David the man of God.

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These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui,l Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God.

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Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates.

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This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah.
Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates.

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These lived in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of [q]Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest, the scribe.

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These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak,m and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

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Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.

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Dedication of Jerusalem’s Wall

For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

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And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,

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The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites.

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from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem.

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They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem.

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Then the priests and Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

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The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

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So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate.

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I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southwardn along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate.

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After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,

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Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,

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and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

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Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

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Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.

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and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets — 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,

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Then came some priests who played trumpets, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.

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

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And Zechariah’s colleagues were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession.

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By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as the Water Gate eastward.

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At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east.

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The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall,

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The second choir giving thanks went northwardo around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

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and above the Gate of Ephraim, above the Old Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of [r]the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.

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then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate,p past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate.

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So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me;

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The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me.

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and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, [s]Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

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We went together with the trumpet-playing priests — Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah —

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also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers [t]sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

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and the singers — Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director.

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

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Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away.

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Temple Responsibilities

And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who [u]ministered.

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Provisions for Temple Worship

On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the offerings, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect from the fields outside the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For all the people of Judah took joy in the priests and Levites and their work.

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Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their God and the charge of the purification, according to the command of David and Solomon his son.

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They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as commanded by David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers.

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For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

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The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph.

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In the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also [v]consecrated holy things for the Levites, and the Levites consecrated them for the children of Aaron.

47

So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

Parallel

New King James Version

New Living Translation

Nehemiah 12

Nehemiah 12