| New Living Translation | Berean Study Bible |
| 1Here is the list of the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the high priest: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, | 1Now these are the priests and Levites who went up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, |
| 2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, | 2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, |
| 3Shecaniah, Harim, Meremoth, | 3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, |
| 4Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, | 4Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah, |
| 5Miniamin, Moadiah, Bilgah, | 5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, |
| 6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, | 6Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, |
| 7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. | 7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the days of Jeshua. |
| 8The Levites who returned with them were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. | 8The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who, with his associates, led the songs of thanksgiving. |
| 9Their associates, Bakbukiah and Unni, stood opposite them during the service. | 9Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, stood across from them in the services. |
| 10Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim. Joiakim was the father of Eliashib. Eliashib was the father of Joiada. | 10Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim was the father of Eliashib, Eliashib was the father of Joiada, |
| 11Joiada was the father of Johanan. Johanan was the father of Jaddua. | 11Joiada was the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua. |
| 12Now when Joiakim was high priest, the family leaders of the priests were as follows: Meraiah was leader of the family of Seraiah. Hananiah was leader of the family of Jeremiah. | 12In the days of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; |
| 13Meshullam was leader of the family of Ezra. Jehohanan was leader of the family of Amariah. | 13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; |
| 14Jonathan was leader of the family of Malluch. Joseph was leader of the family of Shecaniah. | 14of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph; |
| 15Adna was leader of the family of Harim. Helkai was leader of the family of Meremoth. | 15of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; |
| 16Zechariah was leader of the family of Iddo. Meshullam was leader of the family of Ginnethon. | 16of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam; |
| 17Zicri was leader of the family of Abijah. There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai was leader of the family of Moadiah. | 17of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin and of Moadiah, Piltai; |
| 18Shammua was leader of the family of Bilgah. Jehonathan was leader of the family of Shemaiah. | 18of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jonathan; |
| 19Mattenai was leader of the family of Joiarib. Uzzi was leader of the family of Jedaiah. | 19of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; |
| 20Kallai was leader of the family of Sallu. Eber was leader of the family of Amok. | 20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; |
| 21Hashabiah was leader of the family of Hilkiah. Nethanel was leader of the family of Jedaiah. | 21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel. |
| 22A record of the Levite families was kept during the years when Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua served as high priest. Another record of the priests was kept during the reign of Darius the Persian. | 22In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, during the reign of Darius the Persian, the heads of the families of the Levites and priests were recorded. |
| 23A record of the heads of the Levite families was kept in The Book of History down to the days of Johanan, the grandson of Eliashib. | 23As for the descendants of Levi, the family heads up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles. |
| 24These were the family leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, and other associates, who stood opposite them during the ceremonies of praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as commanded by David, the man of God. | 24The leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel, along with their associates, who stood across from them to give praise and thanksgiving as one section alternated with the other, as prescribed by David the man of God. |
| 25This included Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers in charge of the storerooms at the gates. | 25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. |
| 26These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, son of Jehozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe. Dedication of Jerusalem’s Wall | 26They served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe. |
| 27For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres. | 27At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. |
| 28The singers were brought together from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites. | 28The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, |
| 29They also came from Beth-gilgal and the rural areas near Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built their own settlements around Jerusalem. | 29from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. |
| 30The priests and Levites first purified themselves; then they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. | 30After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall. |
| 31I led the leaders of Judah to the top of the wall and organized two large choirs to give thanks. One of the choirs proceeded southward along the top of the wall to the Dung Gate. | 31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. |
| 32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, | 32Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed, |
| 33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, | 33along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, |
| 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. | 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, |
| 35Then came some priests who played trumpets, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph. | 35and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, |
| 36And Zechariah’s colleagues were Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They used the musical instruments prescribed by David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led this procession. | 36and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. |
| 37At the Fountain Gate they went straight up the steps on the ascent of the city wall toward the City of David. They passed the house of David and then proceeded to the Water Gate on the east. | 37At the Fountain Gate they climbed the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east. |
| 38The second choir giving thanks went northward around the other way to meet them. I followed them, together with the other half of the people, along the top of the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, | 38The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, |
| 39then past the Ephraim Gate to the Old City Gate, past the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel, and on to the Tower of the Hundred. Then we continued on to the Sheep Gate and stopped at the Guard Gate. | 39over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. |
| 40The two choirs that were giving thanks then proceeded to the Temple of God, where they took their places. So did I, together with the group of leaders who were with me. | 40The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me, |
| 41We went together with the trumpet-playing priests—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah— | 41as well as the priests with their trumpets—Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah— |
| 42and the singers—Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. They played and sang loudly under the direction of Jezrahiah the choir director. | 42and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah. |
| 43Many sacrifices were offered on that joyous day, for God had given the people cause for great joy. The women and children also participated in the celebration, and the joy of the people of Jerusalem could be heard far away. Provisions for Temple Worship | 43On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar. |
| 44On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms for the offerings, the first part of the harvest, and the tithes. They were responsible to collect from the fields outside the towns the portions required by the Law for the priests and Levites. For all the people of Judah took joy in the priests and Levites and their work. | 44And on that same day men were appointed over the rooms that housed the supplies, contributions, firstfruits, and tithes. The portions specified by the Law for the priests and Levites were gathered into these storerooms from the fields of the villages, because Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who were serving. |
| 45They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as commanded by David and his son Solomon, and so did the singers and the gatekeepers. | 45They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, along with the singers and gatekeepers, as David and his son Solomon had prescribed. |
| 46The custom of having choir directors to lead the choirs in hymns of praise and thanksgiving to God began long ago in the days of David and Asaph. | 46For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there were directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. |
| 47So now, in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel brought a daily supply of food for the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Levites. The Levites, in turn, gave a portion of what they received to the priests, the descendants of Aaron. | 47So in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside daily portions for the Levites, and the Levites set aside daily portions for the descendants of Aaron. |
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