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 of 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 Unno, their brethren, were over against them according to their offices . 10And Jeshua begat Joiakim , and Joiakim begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada , 11and Joiada begat Jonathan , and Jonathan begat 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 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 ; 19and of Joiarib , Mattenai ; of Jedaiah , Uzzi ; 20of Sallai , Kallai ; of Amok , Eber ; 21of Hilkiah , Hashabiah ; of Jedaiah , Nethanel . 22As for the Levites , in the days of Eliashib, Joiada , and Johanan , and Jaddua , there were recorded the 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 God, watch next to watch . 25Mattaniah , and Bakbukiah , Obadiah , Meshullam , Talmon , Akkub , were porters keeping the watch 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 .
The Procession of Praise
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; whereof one went 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 God; 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 ascent 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 old gate , 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 God, 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 God 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 .
The Role of the Levites and Priests
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 waited . 45And they kept the charge of their God, and the charge 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 was a chief of the singers , and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God. 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 set apart that which was for the Levites ; and the Levites set apart that which was for the sons of Aaron.