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 , 3Shechaniah , Rehum , Meremoth , 4Iddo , Ginnetho , Abijah , 5Miamin , Maadiah , Bilgah , 6Shemaiah , and Joiarib , Jedaiah , 7Sallu , Amok , Hilkiah , Jedaiah . These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua . 8Moreover the Levites : Jeshua , Binnui , Kadmiel , Sherebiah , Judah , and Mattaniah , which was over the thanksgiving , he and his brethren . 9Also Bakbukiah and Unni , their brethren , were over against them in the watches . 10And Jeshua begat Joiakim , Joiakim also begat Eliashib , and Eliashib begat Joiada , 11And Joiada begat Jonathan , and Jonathan begat Jaddua . 12And in the days of Joiakim were priests , the chief of the fathers : 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 , Nethaneel . 22The Levites in the days of Eliashib , Joiada , and Johanan , and Jaddua , were recorded chief of the fathers : also the priests , to the reign of Darius the Persian . 23The sons of Levi , the chief of the fathers , were written in the book of the chronicles , even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib . 24And the chief of the Levites : Hashabiah , Sherebiah , and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel , with their brethren over against them, to praise and to give thanks , according to the commandment of David the man of God , ward over against ward . 25Mattaniah , and Bakbukiah , Obadiah , Meshullam , Talmon , Akkub , were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds 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 country round about Jerusalem , and from the villages of Netophathi ; 29Also from the house of 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 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 of them that gave thanks , 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 ; namely , Zechariah the son of Jonathan , the son of Shemaiah , the son of Mattaniah , the son of Michaiah , the son of Zaccur , the son of Asaph : 36And his brethren , Shemaiah , and Azarael , Milalai , Gilalai , Maai , Nethaneel , and Judah , Hanani , with the musical instruments of David the man of God , and Ezra the scribe before them. 37And at the fountain gate , which was over against 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 over against them , and I after them, and the half of the people upon the wall , from beyond the tower of the furnaces even unto the broad wall ; 39And from above the gate of Ephraim , and above the old gate , and above the fish gate , and the tower of Hananeel , and the tower of Meah , even unto the sheep gate : and they stood still in the prison gate . 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 , Michaiah , 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 . 43Also that day they offered great sacrifices , and rejoiced : for God had made them rejoice with great joy : the wives also and the children rejoiced : so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off .
The Role of the Levites and Priests
44And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures , for the offerings , for the firstfruits , and for the tithes , to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites : for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited . 45And both the singers and the porters kept the ward of their God , and the ward of the purification , 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 God . 47And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel , and in the days of Nehemiah , gave the portions of the singers and the porters , every day his portion : and they sanctified holy things unto the Levites ; and the Levites sanctified them unto the children of Aaron .