Nehemiah 12

Roles of Levites and Priests Nehemiah 12:8–22

⁸Verse 8. Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who was over the thanksgiving, he and his brothers. ⁹Verse 9. Also Bakbukiah and Unno, their brothers, were close to them according to their offices. ¹⁰Verse 10. Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada, ¹¹Verse 11. and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua. ¹²Verse 12. In the days of Joiakim were priests, heads of fathers’ households: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; ¹³Verse 13. of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

¹⁴Verse 14. of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; ¹⁵Verse 15. of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; ¹⁶Verse 16. of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; ¹⁷Verse 17. of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai; ¹⁸Verse 18. of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; ¹⁹Verse 19. and of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

²⁰Verse 20. of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; ²¹Verse 21. of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel. ²²Verse 22. As for the Levites, in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, there were recorded the heads of fathers’ households; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

Historical Records of Leaders Nehemiah 12:23–26

²³Verse 23. The sons of Levi, heads of fathers’ households, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. ²⁴Verse 24. The chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers close to them, to praise and give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch next to watch. ²⁵Verse 25. Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storehouses of the gates. ²⁶Verse 26. These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Dedication Ceremony Preparation Nehemiah 12:27–40

²⁷Verse 27. At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks, and with singing, with cymbals, stringed instruments, and with harps. ²⁸Verse 28. The sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; ²⁹Verse 29. also from Beth Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. ³⁰Verse 30. The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

³¹Verse 31. Then I brought up the princes of Judah on the wall, and appointed two great companies who gave thanks and went in procession. One went on the right hand on the wall toward the dung gate; ³²Verse 32. and after them went Hoshaiah, with half of the princes of Judah, ³³Verse 33. and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam, ³⁴Verse 34. Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵Verse 35. and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets: 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; ³⁶Verse 36. and his brothers, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe was before them.

³⁷Verse 37. By the spring gate, and straight before them, they went up by the stairs of David’s city, at the ascent of the wall, above David’s house, even to the water gate eastward. ³⁸Verse 38. The other company of those who gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, on the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even to the wide wall, ³⁹Verse 39. and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the old gate, and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even to the sheep gate: and they stood still in the gate of the guard.

⁴⁰Verse 40. So the two companies of those who gave thanks in God’s house stood, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;

Celebration and Joy Nehemiah 12:41–43

⁴¹Verse 41. and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; ⁴²Verse 42. and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer. ⁴³Verse 43. They offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for God had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women and the children also rejoiced; so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even far away.

Responsibilities of Priests and Levites Nehemiah 12:44–47

⁴⁴Verse 44. On that day were men appointed over the rooms for the treasures, for the wave offerings, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites who waited. ⁴⁵Verse 45. They performed the duty of their God, and the duty of the purification, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son. ⁴⁶Verse 46. For in the days of David and Asaph of old there was a chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.

⁴⁷Verse 47. All Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, as every day required; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.