Nehemiah 12–13

Chapter 12

Now these are the priests and the Levites, that went up with Zorobabel the son of Salathiel, and Josue: Saraia, Jeremias, Esdras,

²Amaria, Melluch, Hattus,

³Sebenias, Rheum, Merimuth,

⁴Addo, Genthon, Abia,

⁵Miamin, Madia, Belga,

⁶Semeia, and Joiarib, Idaia, Sellum Amoc, Helcias,

⁷Idaia. These were the chief of the priests, and of their brethren in the days of Josue.

⁸And the Levites, Jesua, Bennui, Cedmihel, Sarebia, Juda, Mathanias, they and their brethren were over the hymns:

⁹And Becbecia, and Hanni, and their brethren every one in his office.

¹⁰And Josue begot Joacim, and Joacim begot Eliasib, and Eliasib begot Joiada,

¹¹And Joiada begot Jonathan and Jonathan begot Jeddoa.

¹²And in the days of Joacim the priests and heads of the families were: Of Saraia, Maraia: of Jeremias, Hanania:

¹³Of Esdras, Mosollam: and of Amaria, Johanan:

¹⁴Of Milicho, Jonathan: of Sebenia, Joseph:

¹⁵Of Haram, Edna: of Maraioth, Helci:

¹⁶Of Adaia, Zacharia: of Genthon, Mosollam:

¹⁷Of Abia, Zechri: of Miamin and Moadia, Phelti:

¹⁸Of Belga, Sammua of Semaia, Jonathan:

¹⁹Of Joiarib, Mathanai: of Jodaia, Azzi:

²⁰Of Sellai, Celai: of Amoc, Heber:

²¹Of Helcias, Hasebia: of Idaia, Nathanael.

²²The Levites the chiefs of the families in the days of Eliasib, and Joiada, and Johanan, and Jeddoa, were recorded, and the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

²³The sons of Levi, heads of the families were written in the book of Chronicles, even unto the days of Jonathan the son of Eliasib.

²⁴Now the chief of the Levites were Hasebia, Serebia, and Josue the son of Cedmihel: and their brethren by their courses, to praise and to give thanks according to the commandment of David the man of God, and to wait equally in order.

²⁵Mathania, and Becbecia, Obedia, and Mosollam, Telmon, Accub, were keepers of the gates and of the entrances before the gates.

²⁶These were in the days of Joacim the son of Josue, the son of Josedec, and in the days of Nehemias the governor, and of Esdras 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, and to keep the dedication, and to rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, and psalteries and harps.

²⁸And the sons of the singing men were gathered together out of the plain country about Jerusalem, and out of the villages of Nethuphati,

²⁹And from the house of Galgal, and from the countries of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singing men had built themselves villages round about Jerusalem.

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

³¹And I made the princes of Juda go up upon the wall, and I appointed two great choirs to give praise. And they went on the right hand upon the wall toward the dung gate.

³²And after them went Osaias, and half of the princes of Juda,

³³And Azarias, Esdras, and Mosollam, Judas, and Benjamin, and Semeia, and Jeremias.

³⁴And of the sons of the priests with trumpets, Zacharias the son of Jonathan, the son of Semeia, the son of Mathania, the son of Michaia, the son of Zechur, the son of Asaph,

³⁵And his brethren Semeia, and Azareel, Malalai, Galalai, Maai, Nathanael, and Judas, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God: and Esdras the scribe before them at the fountain gate.

³⁶And they went up over against them by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall of the house of David, and to the water gate eastward:

³⁷And the second choir of them that gave thanks went on the opposite side, and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall, and upon the tower of the furnaces, even to the broad wall,

³⁸And above the gate of Ephraim, and above the old gate, and above the fish gate and the tower of Hananeel, and the tower of Emath, and even to the flock gate: and they stood still in the watch gate.

³⁹And the two choirs of them that gave praise stood still at the house of God, and I and the half of the magistrates with me.

⁴⁰And the priests, Eliachim, Maasia, Miamin, Michea, Elioenai, Zacharia, Hanania with trumpets,

⁴¹And Maasia, and Semeia, and Eleazar, and Azzi, and Johanan, and Melchia, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sung loud, and Jezraia was their overseer:

⁴²And they sacrificed on that day great sacrifices, and they rejoiced: for God had made them joyful with great joy: their wives also and their children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off.

⁴³They appointed also in that day men over the storehouses of the treasure, for the libations, and for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, that the rulers of the city might bring them in by them in honour of thanksgiving, for the priests and Levites: for Juda was joyful in the priests and Levites that assisted.

⁴⁴And they kept the watch of their God, and the observance of expiation, and the singing men, and the porters, according to the commandment of David, and of Solomon his son.

⁴⁵For in the days of David and Asaph from the beginning there were chief singers appointed, to praise with canticles, and give thanks to God.

⁴⁶And all Israel, in the days of Zorobabel, and in the days of Nehemias gave portions to the singing men, and to the porters, day by day, and they sanctified the Levites, and the Levites sanctified the sons of Aaron.

Chapter 13

And on that day they read in the book of Moses in the hearing of the people: and therein was found written, that the Ammonites and the Moabites should not come in to the church of God for ever:

²Because they met not the children of Israel with bread and water: and they hired against them Balaam, to curse them, and our God turned the curse into blessing.

³And it came to pass, when they had heard the law, that they separated every stranger from Israel.

⁴And over this thing was Eliasib the priest, who was set over the treasury of the house of our God, and was near akin to Tobias.

⁵And he made him a great storeroom, where before him they laid up gifts, and frankincense, and vessels, and the tithes of the corn, of the wine, and of the oil, the portions of the Levites, and of the singing men, and of the porters, and the firstfruits of the priests.

⁶But in all this time I was not in Jerusalem, because in the two and thirtieth year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon, I went to the king, and after certain days I asked the king:

⁷And I came to Jerusalem, and I understood the evil that Eliasib had done for Tobias, to make him a storehouse in the courts of the house of God.

⁸And it seemed to me exceeding evil. And I cast forth the vessels of the house of Tobias out of the storehouse.

⁹And I commanded and they cleansed again the vessels of the house of God, the sacrifice, and the frankincense.

¹⁰And I perceived that the portions of the Levites had not been given them: and that the Levites, and the singing men, and they that ministered were fled away every man to his own country:

¹¹And I pleaded the matter against the magistrates, and said: Why have we forsaken the house of God? And I gathered them together, and I made them to stand in their places.

¹²And all Juda brought the tithe of the corn, and the wine, and the oil into the storehouses.

¹³And we set over the storehouses Selemias the priest, and Sadoc the scribe, and of the Levites Phadaia, and next to them Hanan the son of Zachur, the son of Mathania: for they were approved as faithful, and to them were committed the portions of their brethren.

¹⁴Remember me, O my God, for this thing, and wipe not out my kindnesses, which I have done relating to the house of my God and his ceremonies.

¹⁵In those days I saw in Juda some treading the presses on the sabbath, and carrying sheaves, and lading asses with wine, and grapes, and figs, and all manner of burthens, and bringing them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. And I charged them that they should sell on a day on which it was lawful to sell.

¹⁶Some Tyrians also dwelt there, who brought fish, and all manner of wares: and they sold them on the sabbaths to the children of Juda in Jerusalem.

¹⁷And I rebuked the chief men of Juda, and said to them: What is this evil thing that you are doing, profaning the sabbath day:

¹⁸Did not our fathers do these things, and our God brought all this evil upon us, and upon this city? And you bring more wrath upon Israel by violating the sabbath.

¹⁹And it came to pass, that when the gates of Jerusalem were at rest on the sabbath day, I spoke: and they shut the gates, and I commanded that they should not open them till after the sabbath: and I set some of my servants at the gates, that none should bring in burthens on the sabbath day.

²⁰So the merchants, and they that sold all kinds of wares, stayed without Jerusalem, once or twice.

²¹And I charged them, and I said to them: Why stay you before the wall? if you do so another time, I will lay hands on you. And from that time they came no more on the sabbath.

²²I spoke also to the Levites that they should be purified, and should come to keep the gates, and to sanctify the sabbath day: for this also remember me, O my God, and spare me according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

²³In those days also I saw Jews that married wives, women of Azotus, and of Ammon, and of Moab.

²⁴And their children spoke half in the speech of Azotus, and could not speak the Jews’ language, but they spoke according to the language of this and that people.

²⁵And I chid them, and laid my curse upon them. And I beat some of them, and shaved off their hair, and made them swear by God that they would not give their daughters to their sons, nor take their daughters for their sons, nor for themselves, saying:

²⁶Did not Solomon king of Israel sin in this kind of thing: and surely among many nations, there was not a king like him, and he was beloved of his God, and God made him king over all Israel: and yet women of other countries brought even him to sin.

²⁷And shall…