The Tanakh · JPS 1917 Translation

Nehemiah 12

Jewish Publication Society 1917 · Ketuvim — the Writings

Nehemiah chapter 12 — part of the Ketuvim — the Writings in the Jewish Bible. In the classic JPS 1917 translation it opens: “Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra;” — the complete text of all 47 verses is below, free to read online.

1Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra;

2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush;

3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth;

4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah;

5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah;

6Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah;

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

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

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

10And Jeshua begot Joiakim, and Joiakim begot Eliashib, and Eliashib begot Joiada,

11and Joiada begot Jonathan and Jonathan begot Jaddua.

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

13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

14of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

15of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

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

18of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

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

20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22The Levites in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan, and Jaddua, were recorded heads of fathers' houses; also the priests, in the reign of Darius the Persian.

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

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

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

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.

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.

28And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the Plain round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites;

29also from Beth-gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

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

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

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

33and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

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

35and certain of the priests' sons 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;

36and his brethren, Shemaiah, and Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of G-d; and Ezra the scribe was before them;

37and by the fountain gate, and straight before 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.

38And the other company of them that gave thanks went to meet them, and I after them, with the half of the people, upon the wall, above the tower of the furnaces, even unto the broad wall;

39and above the gate of Ephraim, and by the gate of the old city and by the fish gate, and the tower of Hananel, and the tower of Hammeah, even unto the sheep gate; and they stood still in the gate of the guard.

40So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of G-d, and I, and the half of the rulers with me;

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

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.

43And they offered great sacrifices that day, and rejoiced; for G-d had made them rejoice with great joy; and the women also and the children rejoiced; so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off.

44And on that day were men appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the heave-offerings, for the first-fruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them, according to the fields of the cities, the portions appointed by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that took their stations.

45And they kept the ward of their G-d, and the ward of the purification, and so did the singers and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

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

47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel, and in the days of Nehemiah, gave the portions of the singers and the porters, as every day required; and they hallowed for the Levites; and the Levites hallowed for the sons of Aaron.

47 verses · JPS 1917 (public domain)

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