Nehemiah

Nehemiah leads the rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls and reforms the community.

Chapter 12

1 Now these are the priests and the Levites that went up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

*Now, here are the priests and Levites who went with Zerubbabel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra.

2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

*Amariah, Malchus, Hattush. These are three names, written in a straightforward and concise way without any additional explanation or context.

3 Shechaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

*Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth In this response, I have written the names as they are given without adding any additional context or explanation to keep it concise and accurate.

4 Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah,

*Iddo, Ginnetho, Abijah - these are the names of three people.

5 Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

*Miamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

6 Shemaiah, and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

*Shemaiah, Joiarib, and Jedaiah.

7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the chief of the priests and of their brethren in the days of Jeshua.

*Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah were the main leaders of the priests and their group during Joshua's time.

8 Moreover the Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, which was over the thanksgiving, he and his brethren.

*Moreover, the Levites including Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah led the thank offerings along with their brothers.

9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brethren, were over against them in the watches.

*Bakbukiah and Unni, along with their brothers, were stationed against them during the night watches.

10 And Jeshua begat Joiakim, Joiakim also begat Eliashib, and Eliashib begat Joiada,

*Jeshua had a son named Joiakim, Joiakim had a son named Eliashib, and Eliashib had a son named Joiada.

11 And Joiada begat Jonathan, and Jonathan begat Jaddua.

*Joiada had a son named Jonathan, and Jonathan had a son named Jaddua.

12 And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

*In the time of Joiakim, there were priests with important roles. They belonged to these families: Seraiah's family, Meraiah's family, and Jeremiah's family, with Hananiah leading the last one.

13 Of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

*From Ezra and Meshullam; from Amariah, Jehohanan;

14 Of Melicu, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

*From Melicu, there was Jonathan; from Shebaniah, Joseph was the person.

15 Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

*Of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai; This phrase is already quite simple and straightforward. It appears to be a list of names or places, possibly related to people or locations in the Bible or another ancient text. The simplified English version remains unchanged as the original context and meaning are clear.

16 Of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

*From Iddo and Zechariah came the name "Iddo-Zechariah." From Ginnethon came Meshullam.

17 Of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

*From Abijah's group was Zichri; from Miniamin's group, Moadiah's group, and Piltai's group.

18 Of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

*From Bilgah and Shammua came Shammai; from Shemaiah and Jonadab, Jonathan.

19 And of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

*From Joiarib came Mattenai; from Jedaiah, Uzzi.

20 Of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

*From Sallai and Kallai; from Amok and Eber;

21 Of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

*From Hilkiah, Hashabiah; from Jedaiah, Nethaneel.

22 The 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.

*In the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were listed as top leaders. This also included the priests until Darius the Persian became king.

23 The 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.

*The descendants of Levi, the leader of the ancestors, were recorded in the records book, up until the time of Johanan, son of Eliashib.

24 And 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.

*And the leader of the Levites was Habbiah, Sherebiah, and Joshua son of Kadmiel along with their relatives. They were responsible for praising and giving thanks following David's instructions, as directed by the man of God, with each group taking turns.

25 Mattaniah, and Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, Akkub, were porters keeping the ward at the thresholds of the gates.

*Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were in charge of guarding the doors of the gates.

26 These 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.

*In the time of Joiakim, son of Jeshua and Jozadak, and during Nehemiah's rule as governor and Ezra's role as priest and writer, these events occurred.

27 And 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.

*At the celebration of Jerusalem's wall, they found the Levites from everywhere and brought them to the city for a joyful dedication. They celebrated with thankfulness, songs, and music using cymbals, harps, and other instruments.

28 And the sons of the singers gathered themselves together, both out of the plain country round about Jerusalem, and from the villages of Netophathi;

*The musicians' children came together from the land around Jerusalem and from the villages of Netophathi.

29 Also from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth: for the singers had builded them villages round about Jerusalem.

*From Gilgal's house and the lands of Geba and Azmaveth, the singers built nearby towns around Jerusalem.

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

*The priests and Levites cleaned themselves and others, including the gates and walls.

31 Then 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:

*Then I had the leaders of Judah climb the wall and set up two big groups to give thanks. One group went to the right side of the wall near the dung gate.

32 And after them went Hoshaiah, and half of the princes of Judah,

*Then came Hoshaiah and half of Judah's leaders.

33 And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

*And Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam were the ones.

34 Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah,

*Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.

35 And 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:

*And some priest's children played trumpets. Their names were Zechariah, son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Michaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph.

36 And 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.

*And his brothers: Shemaiah, Azarael, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, Judah, Hanani, along with David's musical instruments, and Ezra the writer, led the way.

37 And 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.

*At the front of the fountain, opposite them, they climbed the city of David's steps, as the wall was being built, all the way to the top near David's house, up to the water gate in the east.

38 And 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;

*The other group of thankful people moved towards their side, and I followed them. With me were half of the wall's people, from the furnace tower to the wide wall.

39 And 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.

*From high places at Ephraim's gate, the old gate, the fish gate, Hananeel's tower, and Meah's tower, all the way to the sheep gate, they remained motionless at the prison gate.

40 So stood the two companies of them that gave thanks in the house of God, and I, and the half of the rulers with me:

*So, the two groups who offered thanks in God's house, along with me and half of the leaders with me, stood there.

41 And the priests; Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets;

*And the priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, played trumpets.

42 And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer. And the singers sang loud, with Jezrahiah their overseer.

*And Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang loudly, led by their supervisor Jezrahiah.

43 Also 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.

*On that day, they gave many offerings and were very happy. God caused them to be extremely joyful. Even the women and kids were happy. Their joy in Jerusalem was so loud that it could be heard from far away.

44 And 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.

*At that time, people were chosen to manage the rooms holding treasures, offerings, first fruits, and tithes. They collected parts of the land's produce according to the law for the priests and Levites. This made Judah happy for its priests and Levites who served.

45 And 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.

*The singers and carriers followed God's protection rules and purification guidelines, as instructed by David and his son Solomon.

46 For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chief of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving unto God.

*In David and Asaph's time long ago, there were leaders for the singers, and they sang praises and thanked God.

47 And 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.

*In the times of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all of Israel gave the singers and gatekeepers their daily share. They set aside holy items for the Levites, and the Levites dedicated these items to the descendants of Aaron.

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