Neh 12:22In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were recorded as heads of fathers’ houses; so too were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

Neh 12:23

Neh 12:23As for the sons of Levi, their heads of fathers’ houses were written in the Book of the Chronicles until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

Neh 12:24

Neh 12:24And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers who stood opposite them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, watch by watch.

Neh 12:25

Neh 12:25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard at the storehouses of the gates.

Neh 12:26

Neh 12:26These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.

Dedication of the Wall

Neh 12:27

Neh 12:27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Neh 12:28

Neh 12:28And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites;

Neh 12:29

Neh 12:29also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem.

Neh 12:30

Neh 12:30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

Neh 12:31

Neh 12:31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. One went to the south on the wall to the Dung Gate.

Neh 12:32

Neh 12:32And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah,

Neh 12:33

Neh 12:33and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Neh 12:34

Neh 12:34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

Neh 12:35

Neh 12:35and certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph;

Neh 12:36

Neh 12:36and his relatives, 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.

Neh 12:37

Neh 12:37At the Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to the Water Gate on the east.

Neh 12:38

Neh 12:38The other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above the Tower of the Ovens, to the Broad Wall,

Neh 12:39

Neh 12:39and above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah,[fn] and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard.

Neh 12:40

Neh 12:40So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me;

Neh 12:41

Neh 12:41and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

Neh 12:42

Neh 12:42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader.

Neh 12:43

Neh 12:43And they offered great sacrifices that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and children also rejoiced. And the joy of Jerusalem was heard far away.

Service at the Temple

Neh 12:44

Neh 12:44On that day men were appointed over the storerooms, the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them the portions required by the Law for the priests and for the Levites according to the fields of the towns, for Judah rejoiced over the priests and the Levites who ministered.

Neh 12:45

Neh 12:45And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.

Neh 12:46

Neh 12:46For long ago in the days of David and Asaph there were directors of the singers, and there were songs[fn] of praise and thanksgiving to God.

Neh 12:47

Neh 12:47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers; and they set apart that which was for the Levites; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.

See the ESV Preface (Especially for Parenthesis, Brackets, & Asterisks).

ESV Footnotes

(12:39)

Or of the old city

(12:46)

Or leaders

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