Nehemiah

Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

1These are the priests and Levites who came back with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

3Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

3Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

4Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

4Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

5Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

5Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These men led the priests and their fellow workers while Jeshua was alive.

8Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

8The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his fellow Levites led the songs of thanks.

9Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.

9Bakbukiah and Unni, who worked with them, stood facing them during the services.

10And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

10Jeshua was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada.

11And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

11Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.

12And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

12When Joiakim was high priest, these men headed the priestly families: for Seraiah's family, Meraiah; for Jeremiah's, Hananiah;

13Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

13for Ezra's family, Meshullam; for Amariah's, Jehohanan;

14Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

14for Melicu's family, Jonathan; for Shebaniah's, Joseph;

15Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

15for Harim's family, Adna; for Meraioth's, Helkai;

16Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

16for Iddo's family, Zechariah; for Ginnethon's, Meshullam;

17Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

17for Abijah's family, Zichri; for the families of Miniamin and Moadiah, Piltai;

18Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

18for Bilgah's family, Shammua; for Shemaiah's, Jehonathan;

19And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

19for Joiarib's family, Mattenai; for Jedaiah's, Uzzi;

20Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

20for Sallai's family, Kallai; for Amok's, Eber;

21Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

21for Hilkiah's family, Hashabiah; and for Jedaiah's, Nethaneel.

22The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded chief of the fathers: also the priests, to the reign of Darius the Persian.

22The heads of the Levite families, and of the priests, were written down while Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served. This was during the reign of Darius the Persian.

23The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

23The heads of the families descended from Levi were written in the book of records, up to the time of Johanan son of Eliashib.

24And the chief of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks, according to the commandment of David the man of God, ward over against ward.

24The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel. Their fellow Levites stood facing them, one group singing praise and thanks, then the other, just as David the man of God had directed.

25Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.

25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers. They guarded the storerooms beside the gates.

NoteThe KJV word "porters" means gatekeepers, not people who carry bags. "Keeping the ward" means standing guard at an assigned post.

26These were 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 priest, the scribe.

26These men served when Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, was high priest. They also served in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

27And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

27When it was time to dedicate the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were called in from all their towns. They came to celebrate with gladness, with songs of thanks, and with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

NoteA "psaltery" is a stringed instrument something like a small harp.

28And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

28The singers gathered too. They came from the country around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,

29Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

29and from Beth Gilgal and the farmlands of Geba and Azmaveth. The singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

30The priests and Levites made themselves clean in the way God commanded. Then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall.

31Then I brought up the princes of Judah upon the wall, and appointed two great companies of them that gave thanks, whereof one went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate:

31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall. I chose two large choirs to give thanks. One choir went to the right along the top of the wall, toward the Dung Gate.

32And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

32Behind them walked Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah,

33And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

33along with Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

34Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

34and Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

35And certain of the priests’ sons with trumpets; namely, Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph:

35and some of the priests' sons carrying trumpets. Among them was Zechariah son of Jonathan. Jonathan was the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph.

36And his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

36With Zechariah were his relatives Shemaiah, Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, and Hanani. They carried the instruments David the man of God had chosen. Ezra the scribe walked in front of them.

37And at the fountain gate, which was over against them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall, above the house of David, even unto the water gate eastward.

37At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead. They climbed the steps up to the City of David, went up the slope of the wall past David's palace, and reached the Water Gate on the east.

38And the other company of them that gave thanks went over against them, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall;

38The second choir went the other way along the wall, and I followed with half the people. We passed the Tower of the Ovens and went as far as the Broad Wall,

39And from above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate, and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Meah, even unto the sheep gate: and they stood still in the prison gate.

39then over the Gate of Ephraim, the Old Gate, and the Fish Gate, past the Tower of Hananeel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

40So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

40The two choirs then took their places in the house of God. I stood there too, with half the officials who were with me,

41And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

41and with the priests who carried trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah,

42And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly, led by Jezrahiah.

43Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced: for God had made them rejoice with great joy: the wives also and the children rejoiced: so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

43That day they offered many sacrifices and were full of joy, because God had made them glad. The women and children were glad too. The sound of Jerusalem's joy carried far away.

44And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.

44That same day men were put in charge of the storerooms that held the gifts, the first crops, and the tithes. From the farmland around the towns they brought in the shares the law set aside for the priests and Levites. Judah was glad for the priests and Levites who were serving.

NoteIn the KJV, priests and Levites who "waited" were doing their assigned work at the temple. It does not mean they were standing around.

45And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God, and the ward of the purification, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

45They did the work God had given them, including the work of keeping things clean. The singers and gatekeepers did their work too, just as David and his son Solomon had directed.

46For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

46Long before, in the days of David and Asaph, there were leaders for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanks to God.

47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, every day his portion: and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron.

47So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel gave the singers and gatekeepers their daily share. They also set aside shares for the Levites, and the Levites set aside shares for the descendants of Aaron.