Nehemiah 12

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	NEW JERUSALEM
1 The following are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel, son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,	1 These are the priests and the Levites who came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua:
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,	2 Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,	3 Amariah, Mal uch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,	4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,
5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,	5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,	6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the priestly heads and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.	7 Sal u, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah -- these were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days ofJeshua.
8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah; the last-mentioned, together with his brethren, was in charge of the hymns,	8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, Mattaniah -- this last, with his brothers,was in charge of the songs of praise,
9 while Bakbukiah and Unno and their brethren ministered opposite them by turns.	9 while Bakbukiah and Unno, their col eagues, formed the alternate choir to theirs.
10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada.	10 Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada,
11 Joiada became the father of Johanan, and Johanan became the father of Jaddua.	11 Joiada fathered Johanan, and Johanan fathered Jaddua.
12 In the days of Joiakim these were the priestly family heads: for Seraiah, Meraiah; for Jeremiah, Hananiah;	12 In the days of Joiakim the heads of the priestly families were: family of Seraiah, Meraiah; ofJeremiah, Hananiah;
13 for Ezra, Meshullam; for Amariah, Jehohanan;	13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 for Malluchi, Jonathan; for Shebaniah, Joseph;	14 of Mal uch, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
15 for Harim, Adna; for Meremoth, Helkai;	15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai;
16 for Iddo, Zechariah; for Ginnethon, Meshullam;	16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshul am;
17 for Abijah, Zichri; for Miamin, . . . ; for Maadiah, Piltai;	17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Minjamin, . . .; of Moadiah, Piltai;
18 for Bilgah, Shammua; for Shemaiah, Jehonathan;	18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 and for Joiarib, Mattenai; for Jedaiah, Uzzi;	19 and of Jojarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 for Sallu, Kallai; for Amok, Eber;	20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 for Hilkiah, Hashabiah; for Jedaiah, Nethanel.	21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 In the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the family heads of the priests were written down in the Book of Chronicles, up until the reign of Darius the Persian.	22 In the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan and Jaddua, the heads of the families of priests wereregistered in the Book of Chronicles, up to the reign of Darius the Persian.
23 The sons of Levi: the family heads were written down in the Book of Chronicles, up until the time of Johanan, the son of Eliashib.	23 The Levites who were heads of families were registered in the Book of Chronicles up to the time ofJohanan, grandson of Eliashib.
24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel. Their brethren who stood opposite them to sing praises and thanksgiving in fulfillment of the command of David, the man of God, one section opposite the other,	24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, while their brotherswho formed an alternate choir for the hymns of praise and thanksgiving, as David, man of God, had prescribed,section corresponding to section,
25 were Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah.Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers. They kept watch over the storerooms at the gates.	25 were Mattaniah, Bakbukiah and Obadiah. Meshul am, Talmon and Akkub were the gatekeepersguarding the stores at the gates.
26 All these lived in the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak (and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest-scribe).	26 These lived in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah thegovernor and of Ezra the priest-scribe.
27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out wherever they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate a joyful dedication with thanksgiving hymns and the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.	27 At the dedication of the wal of Jerusalem the Levites were sent for, wherever they lived, to come toJerusalem and joyful y perform the dedication with hymns of thanksgiving and songs to the accompaniment ofcymbals, lyres and harps.
28 The levitical singers gathered together from the region about Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,	28 Accordingly, the levitical singers assembled from the district round Jerusalem, from the vil ages ofthe Netophathites,
29 from Beth-gilgal, and from the plains of Geba and Azmaveth (for the singers had built themselves settlements about Jerusalem).	29 from Beth-Gilgal and from their farms at Geba and Azmaveth -- for the singers had built themselvesvil ages al round Jerusalem.
30 The priests and Levites first purified themselves, then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.	30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they then purified the people, the gates andthe wal .
31 I had the princes of Judah mount the wall, and I arranged two great choirs. The first of these proceeded to the right, along the top of the wall, in the direction of the Dung Gate,	31 I then made the leaders of Judah come on to the top of the wall and appointed two large choirs. Onemade its way along the top of the wal , to the right, towards the Dung Gate;
32 followed by Hoshaiah and half the princes of Judah,	32 bringing up the rear were Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah,
33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,	33 and also Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,	34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah and Jeremiah,
35 priests with the trumpets, and also Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,	35 of the priests, with trumpets; then Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah,son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph,
36 and his brethren Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God. (Ezra the scribe was at their head.)	36 with his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Juda, Hanani, with the musicalinstruments of David, man of God. The scribe Ezra walked at their head.
37 At the Spring Gate they went straight up by the steps of the City of David and continued along the top of the wall above the house of David until they came to the Water Gate on the east.	37 At the Fountain Gate they went straight on up the steps of the City of David, along the top of therampart by the stairway of the wal , above the Palace of David as far as the Water Gate, on the east.
38 The second choir proceeded to the left, followed by myself and the other half of the princes of the people, along the top of the wall past the Oven Tower as far as the Broad Wall,	38 The other choir made its way to the left; I and half the leaders of the people fol owed them along thetop of the wal from the Tower of the Furnaces to the Broad Wall,
39 then past the Ephraim Gate (the New City Gate), the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Hundred Tower, as far as the Sheep Gate (and they came to a halt at the Prison Gate).	39 from the Ephraim Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred as far asthe Sheep Gate, and they came to a halt at the Prison Gate.
40 The two choirs took up a position in the house of God; I, too, who had with me half the magistrates,	40 The two choirs then took their places in the Temple of God. But I had half the magistrates with me
41 the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Minjamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah, with the trumpets,	41 as wel as the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah with thetrumpets,
42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers were heard under the leadership of Jezrahiah.	42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. The singers sangloudly under the direction of Jezrahiah.
43 Great sacrifices were offered on that day, and there was rejoicing over the great feast of the LORD in which they shared. The women and the children joined in, and the rejoicing at Jerusalem could be heard from afar off.	43 There were great sacrifices offered that day and the people rejoiced, God having given them goodcause for rejoicing; the women and children rejoiced too, and the joy of Jerusalem could be heard from far away.
44 At that time men were appointed over the chambers set aside for stores, offerings, first fruits, and tithes; in them they were to collect from the fields of the various cities the portions legally assigned to the priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced in its appointed priests and Levites	44 For the rooms intended for the treasures, contributions, first-fruits and tithes, supervisors were thenappointed whose business it was to col ect in them those portions from the town lands awarded by the Law tothe priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced in the officiating priests and Levites,
45 who carried out the ministry of their God and the ministry of purification (as did the singers and the gatekeepers) in accordance with the prescriptions of David and of Solomon, his son.	45 since they -- with the singers and gatekeepers -- performed the liturgy of their God and the rites of purification as ordained by David and his son Solomon.
46 For the heads of the families of the singers and the hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God came down from the days of David and Asaph in times of old.	46 For from ancient times, from the days of David and Asaph, they had been the leaders in renderinghymns of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47 Thus all Israel, in the days of Zerubbabel (and in the days of Nehemiah), gave the singers and the gatekeepers their portions, according to their daily needs. They made their consecrated offering to the Levites, and the Levites made theirs to the sons of Aaron.	47 In the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, al Israel supplied regular daily portions for the singers andgatekeepers, and gave the dedicated contributions to the Levites; and the Levites gave the dedicatedcontributions to the Aaronites.