12:1 These are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 12:4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, 12:5 Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, 12:6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders¹ of the priests and their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

12:8 And the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who together with his brethren was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni,² their brethren, stood opposite them in the services.

12:10 Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada, 12:11 Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

12:12 In the days of Joiakim, these were the priests who were leaders of the families: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 12:13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 12:14 of Malluch,³ Jonathan; of Shecaniah, Joseph; 12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth,⁴ Helkai; 12:16 of Iddo,⁵ Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; 12:17 of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai; 12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan; 12:19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 12:20 of Sallu,⁶ Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

12:22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada and Johanan and Jaddua were recorded as heads of families; likewise were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. 12:23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the book of the chronicles as heads of families up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, and their brethren, who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks in accord with the commandment of David the man of God, one contingent corresponding to the other.

12:25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates. 12:26 These all served 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 priestly scribe.⁷

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought⁸ from all their locations in order to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and with songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. 12:28 The singers⁹ were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites 12:29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem. 12:30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed¹⁰ on the top of the wall southward, toward the Dung Gate. 12:32 Going after them were Hoshaiah, half the leaders of Judah, 12:33 Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 12:34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 12:35 some of the priests¹¹ 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, 12:36 and his brethren—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with musical instruments of David the man of God. Now Ezra the scribe led them.¹² 12:37 They went over the Gate of the Fountain and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall. They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east.

12:38 The second choir was proceeding¹³ in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people, on top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 12:39 over the Gate of Ephraim, and over the Jeshanah Gate, and over the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped¹⁴ at the Gate of the Guard.

12:40 Then the two thanksgiving choirs that gave thanks took their stations¹⁵ in the temple of God; likewise I myself, and half the officials with me, 12:41 and the priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets— 12:42 and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The choirs sang loudly¹⁶ under the direction of Jezrahiah. 12:43 And on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced. The rejoicing in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.

12:44 On that day men were appointed over the chambers of the storerooms for the contributions, first-fruits, and tithes, to gather into them from¹⁷ the fields of the cities the portions prescribed by the law for the priests and the Levites, for Judah took delight in the priests and Levites who were ministering.¹⁸ 12:45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commandment of David and¹⁹ his son Solomon. 12:46 For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors²⁰ for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God. 12:47 So in the days of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all Israel was contributing the portions for the singers and gatekeepers, according to the daily need. They also set aside²¹ the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron.