Priests and Descendants of Levi

(Ezra 2:36-40)

1These are the priests and descendants of Levi who had returned with Shealtiel’s son Zerubbabel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6Shemaih, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and their associates in the time of Jeshua.

8The descendants of Levi included Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, who with his associates was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving. 9Bakbukiah and Unni and their associates stood opposite them in the service. 10Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, and Eliashib fathered Joiada. 11Joiada fathered Jonathan and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.

12These were the priests and heads of their ancestors’ houses in the time of Joiakim: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah; 13of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan; 14of Malluchi, 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; 19of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi; 20of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber; 21of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

22When Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were serving, the descendants of Levi were recorded as heads of their ancestors’ houses, as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian. 23The leaders of the ancestors of Levi were written in the Book of Annals until the time of Eliashib’s son Johanan.

24The leaders of the descendants of Levi were: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Kadmiel’s son Jeshua, along with their associates who served opposite them to give praise and thanks, division by division, according to the commands given by David the man of God. 25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the store houses of the gates. 26These were at the time of Jeshua’s son Joiakim, the grandson of Jozadak, and in the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe.

The Wall is Dedicated

27At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they invited the descendants of Levi to come from wherever they lived to Jerusalem so they could celebrate the dedication with joy, thanksgiving, and songs, accompanied bya cymbals, lyres, and harps. 28So the descendants of the singers gathered themselves together from the region surrounding Jerusalem, from the villages of Netophathi, 29from Beth-gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built villages for themselves in the vicinity of Jerusalem. 30The priests and the descendants of Levi purified themselves, and also purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

The Procession on the Wall

31Then I brought up the leaders of Judah to the crest of the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs, the first of whichb proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate. 32Following them were Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, 33including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. 35Some of the priests’ sons were trumpeters, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 36with his associates Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, accompanied by the musical instruments of David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. 37At the Fountain Gate, which stood opposite them, they ascended the stairs of the City of David where the wall rose above the house of David east of the Water Gate.

38The second thanksgiving choir approached opposite them, and I followed them. Half of the people stood on the crest of the wall from beyond the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39and from above the Ephraim Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Guard Gate. 40Then the two choirs assembled in the Temple of God, as did I, along with half of the officials who accompanied me, 41and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah with trumpeters 42Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers made their presence known, with Jezrahiah to lead them.

43That day they offered a large number of sacrifices, and they rejoiced, because God had caused them to rejoice enthusiastically. Their wives and children rejoiced, so that Jerusalem’s joy was heard from a long distance. 44Also at that time men were appointed over the storerooms for the contributions, for the first fruits, and for the tithes, so those portions required by the Law could be gathered from the fields adjacent to the towns to benefit the priests and descendants of Levi, for the people ofc Judah rejoiced over the priests and the descendants of Levi who were serving. 45They carried out their service obligations to their God and their service obligations of purification according to what David and his son Solomon had commanded. 46For in David’s lifetime—and in the lifetime of Asaph, choir master of old—there were songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47All Israel in the time of Zerubbabel and in the time of Nehemiah gave allotments to each of the singers and gate keepers on a daily basis, setting them apart to benefit the descendants of Levi. And the descendants of Levi set them apart to benefit the descendants of Aaron.