1   These are the priests and the Levites who came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: ^note 2   Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, 3    4   Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethon, ^note Abiah, 5    6   Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. 7   These were the chiefs of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

8   And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his brethren was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9   And Bakbukiah and Unni their brethren stood opposite them in the service. 10   And Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, 11   Eliashib of Joiada, Joiada the father of Jonathan, ^note and Jonathan the father of Jaddua. 12   And in the days of Joiakim the priests who were heads of families were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13   of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; of Malluch, ^note Jonathan; 14    15   of Shebaniah, Joseph; of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, ^note Helkai; 16   of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; of Abiah, Zichri; 17    18   of Miniamin ^note; of Moadiah, Piltai; of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 19   of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20    21   of Sallu, ^note Kallai; of Amok, Eber; of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

22    ^noteThe heads of the priestly families ^note in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were recorded down to ^note the reign of Darius the Persian. 23   The heads of the levitical families were recorded in the annals only down to the days of Johanan the grandson ^note of Eliashib. 24   And the chiefs of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, ^note Kadmiel, with their brethren in the other turn of duty, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, turn by turn. 25   Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gate-keepers standing guard at the gatehouses. 26   This was the arrangement in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

27   At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their settlements, and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with ^note rejoicing, with thanksgiving and song, to the accompaniment of cymbals, lutes, and harps. 28   And the Levites, ^note the singers, were assembled from ^note the district round Jerusalem and from the hamlets of the Netophathites; 29   also from Beth-gilgal and from the

The law read and the covenant renewed region of Geba and Beth-azmoth; ^note for the singers had built themselves hamlets in the neighbourhood of Jerusalem. 30   The priests and the Levites purified themselves; and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. 31   Then I brought the leading men of Judah up on to the city wall, and appointed two great choirs to give thanks. One went in procession ^note to the right, going along the wall to the Dung Gate; 32   and after it went Hoshaiah with half the leading men of Judah, 33   and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah; 34    35   and certain of the priests with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattanaiah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph, 36   and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God; and Ezra the scribe led them. 37   They went past the Fountain Gate and thence straight forward by the steps up to the City of David, by the ascent to the city wall, past the house of David, and on to the Water Gate on the east. 38   The other thanksgiving choir went to the left, ^note and I followed it with half the leading men of ^note the people, continuing along the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens ^note to the Broad Wall, 39   and past the Ephraim Gate, and over the Jeshanah Gate, ^note and over the Fish Gate, taking in the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they halted at the Gate of the Guardhouse. 40   So the two thanksgiving choirs took their place in the house of God, and I and half the magistrates with me; 41   and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; 42   and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchiah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, led by Izrahiah, raised their voices. 43   A great sacrifice was celebrated that day, and they all rejoiced because God had given them great cause for rejoicing; the women and children rejoiced with them. And the rejoicing in Jerusalem was heard a long way off.

44   On that day men were appointed to take charge of the store-rooms for the contributions, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather in the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites according to the extent of the farmlands round the towns; for all Judah was full of rejoicing at the ministry of the priests and Levites. 45   And they performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the door-keepers, according to the rules laid down by David and ^note his son Solomon. 46   For it was in the days of David that Asaph took the lead as chief of the singers and director ^note of praise and

The law read and the covenant renewed thanksgiving to God. 47   And in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah all Israel gave the portions for the singers and the door-keepers as each day required; and they set apart the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the portion for the Aaronites.

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