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1 This is a list of the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua, the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, 5 Miniamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their relatives in Jeshua's time.
8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his fellow Levites was in charge of the songs of praise. 9 Two other Levites, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them in the service.
10 Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada, 11 who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.
12 In Joiakim's time, these were the family leaders of the priests: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14 of 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 and 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.
22 The family leaders of the Levites in the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, in addition to those of the priests, were recorded during the reign of Darius the Persian. 23 As for the genealogy of the sons of Levi, the family leaders up to the time of Johanan, son of Eliashib, were listed in the Book of the Records. 24 The Levite leaders were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, son of Kadmiel, together with their fellow Levites, who stood opposite them, each section giving praise and thanks and responding to one another, as arranged by David, the man of God. 25 They were joined by Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah.* “Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah”: these Levites are identified as choir directors in 11:17, and are not included in the gatekeeper group. Abda is a variant spelling of Obadiah.
Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storehouses at the gates. 26 They served in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.
27 In order to dedicate the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were called from everywhere they were living to come to Jerusalem and celebrate with joy the dedication with songs of praise and thanks, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 28 The singers were also brought in from the area around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites, 29 as well as from Beth-gilgal and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem. 30 Once the priests and the Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 I had the leaders of Judah go up on the wall, and arranged two large choirs that to give thanks. One group went to right along the wall to the Refuse Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, 33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 as well as some of the priests with trumpets, and Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, 36 and his fellow priests, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, along with the musical instruments as required by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they headed straight up by the stairs of the city of David, where the wall goes uphill, above the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east.
38 The other choir group went in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on the wall passing the Tower of the Ovens, on to the Broad Wall, 39 over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Guard Gate.
40 Both thanksgiving choirs then took their places in God's Temple. I followed with the group of leaders that was with me, 41 along with the priests blowing their trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah. 42 Then came the singers† “Singers”: added for clarity. They have already been introduced in verses 25 and 36 as accompanying Ezra as singers/musicians. Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer, and the choirs sang, directed by Jezrahiah.
43 Many sacrifices were offered that day, celebrating that God had brought them so much happiness, tremendous happiness. The women and children also celebrated, and the sounds of joy in Jerusalem could be heard far away.
44 On the same day men were put in charge over the storerooms that contained the offerings, the first part of the crops, and tithes. What was allocated by the Law for the priests and Levites was brought into these storerooms from the fields around the towns, because all the people of Judah were happy for the service of the priests and Levites. 45 They were responsible for the worship of their God and for the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, following the instructions of David and his son Solomon. 46 For long ago, back in the time of David and Asaph, directors had been appointed for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 47 So in the time of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, everyone in Israel provided the daily food allowances for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also made sure to provide for the other Levites, and the Levites gave a share of this to the descendants of Aaron.

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*12:25 “Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah”: these Levites are identified as choir directors in 11:17, and are not included in the gatekeeper group. Abda is a variant spelling of Obadiah.

†12:42 “Singers”: added for clarity. They have already been introduced in verses 25 and 36 as accompanying Ezra as singers/musicians.

© 2018 Dr. Jonathan Gallagher