Nehemiah 12:1-39 ▼

1 Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel (sown in Babylon) son of Shealtiel (I have asked of God) and with Jeshua (he is saved): Seraiah (YHWH is ruler), Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed), Ezra (help),

2 Amariah (YHWH has promised), Malluch (Malluchi), Hattush (assembled),

3 Shecaniah (dweller with YHWH), Rehum (Harim), Meremoth (elevations),

4 Iddo (His witness), Ginnethon [Ginnethoi], Abijah (YHWH is my father),

5 Mijamin (Miniamin), Maadiah (Moadiah), Bilgah (Bilgai),

6 Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), Joiarib (YHWH contends), Jedaiah (YHWH has known),

7 Sallu (weighed), Amok (to be deep), Hilkiah (my portion is YHWH), and Jedaiah (YHWH has known). These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua (he is saved).

8 The Levites were Jeshua (he is saved), Binnui (built up), Kadmiel (God is the ancient one), Sherebiah (YHWH has scorched), Judah (praised), and Mattaniah (gift of YHWH), who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving.

9 Bakbukiah (wasting of YHWH) and Unni (afflicted), their associates, stood across from them in the services.

10 Jeshua (he is saved) was the father of Joiakim (YHWH raises up), Joiakim was the father of Eliashib (God restores), Eliashib was the father of Joiada (YHWH knows),

11 Joiada (YHWH knows) was the father of Jonathan (Johanan), and Jonathan (YHWH has given) was the father of Jaddua (knowing).

12 In the days of Joiakim (YHWH raises up), these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah (YHWH is ruler), Meraiah (rebellion); of Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed), Hananiah (God has favored);

13 of Ezra (help), Meshullam (friend); of Amariah (YHWH has promised), Jehohanan (YHWH has graced);

14 of Malluchi (Malluch), Jonathan (YHWH has given); of Shebaniah (Shecaniah), Joseph (YHWH has added);

15 of Harim (dedicated), Adna (rest / pleasure); of Meraioth (Meremoth), Helkai (my portion is YHWH);

16 of Iddo (YHWH has adorned Himself), Zechariah (YHWH remembers); of Ginnethon (gardener), Meshullam (friend);

17 of Abijah (YHWH is my father), Zichri (memorable); of Miniamin (from the right hand) and of Moadiah (Maadiah), Piltai (my deliverances);

18 of Bilgah (cheerfulness), Shammua (renowned); of Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), Jonathan (YHWH has given);

19 of Joiarib (YHWH contends), Mattenai (gift of YHWH); of Jedaiah (YHWH has known), Uzzi (strong);

20 of Sallai (Sallu), Kallai (swift); of Amok (to be deep), Eber (the region beyond);

21 of Hilkiah (my portion is YHWH), Hashabiah (YHWH has considered); and of Jedaiah (YHWH has known), Nethanel (given of God).

22 In the days of Eliashib (God restores), Joiada (YHWH knows), Johanan (Jonathan), and Jaddua (knowing), during the reign of Darius (lord) the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded.

23 As for the descendants of Levi (joined to), the family heads up to the days of Johanan (YHWH has graced) son of Eliashib (God restores) were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles (the Book of the Annals).

24 The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah (YHWH has considered), Sherebiah (YHWH has scorched), and Jeshua (he is saved) son of Kadmiel (Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel), along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David (beloved) the man of God {Elohim}.

25 Mattaniah (gift of YHWH), Bakbukiah (wasting of YHWH), Obadiah (servant of YHWH), Meshullam (friend), Talmon (oppressor), and Akkub (insidious) were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates.

26 They served in the days of Joiakim (YHWH raises up) son of Jeshua (he is saved), the son of Jozadak (Jehozadak), and in the days of Nehemiah (YHWH comforts) the governor and Ezra (help) the priest and scribe.

27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem (city of peace), the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

28 The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem (city of peace), from the villages of the Netophathites,

29 from Beth-gilgal (the house of the wheel), and from the fields of Geba (hill) and Azmaveth (strong unto death), for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem (city of peace).

30 After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah (praised) up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall (alongside the wall) to the right, toward the Dung Gate.

32 Hoshaiah (YHWH as saved) and half the leaders of Judah (praised) followed,

33 along with Azariah (YHWH has helped), Ezra (help), Meshullam (friend),

34 Judah (praised), Benjamin (son of the right hand), Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), Jeremiah (whom YHWH has appointed),

35 and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah (YHWH remembers) son of Jonathan (YHWH has given), the son of Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), the son of Mattaniah (gift of YHWH), the son of Micaiah (Mica), the son of Zaccur (mindful), the son of Asaph (gatherer),

36 and his associates—Shemaiah (heard by YHWH), Azarel (God has helped), Milalai (eloquent), Gilalai, Maai (compassionate), Nethanel (given of God), Judah (praised), and Hanani (gracious)—with the musical instruments prescribed by David (beloved) the man of God {Elohim}. Ezra (help) the scribe led the procession.

37 At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the City of David (beloved) on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

38 The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,

39 over the Gate of Ephraim (doubly fruitful), the Jeshanah (storage) Gate (the Old City Gate), the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel (God has favored), and the Tower of the Hundred (hundred), as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.