The Priests and Levites

121 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel , and Jeshua : Seraiah , Jeremiah , Ezra , 2 Amariah , Malluch , Hattush , 3 Shecaniah , Rehum , Meremoth , 4 Iddo , Ginnethoi , Abijah , 5 Mijamin , Maadiah , Bilgah , 6 Shemaiah and Joiarib , Jedaiah , 7 Sallu , Amok , Hilkiah and Jedaiah . These were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua . 8 The Levites were Jeshua , Binnui , Kadmiel , Sherebiah , Judah , and Mattaniah who was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving , he and his brothers . 9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni , their brothers , stood opposite them in their service divisions . 10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim , and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib , and Eliashib became the father of Joiada , 11 and Joiada became the father of Jonathan , and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua . 12 Now in the days of Joiakim , the priests , the heads of fathers' households were: of Seraiah , Meraiah ; of Jeremiah , Hananiah ; 13 of Ezra , Meshullam ; of Amariah , Jehohanan ; 14 of Malluchi , Jonathan ; of Shebaniah , Joseph ; 15 of Harim , Adna ; of Meraioth , Helkai ; 16 of Iddo , Zechariah ; of Ginnethon , Meshullam ; 17 of Abijah , Zichri ; of Miniamin , of Moadiah , Piltai ; 18 of Bilgah , Shammua ; of Shemaiah , Jehonathan ; 19 of Joiarib , Mattenai ; of Jedaiah , Uzzi ; 20 of Sallai , Kallai ; of Amok , Eber ; 21 of Hilkiah , Hashabiah ; of Jedaiah , Nethanel . 22 As for the Levites , the heads of fathers' households were registered in the days of Eliashib , Joiada , and Johanan and Jaddua ; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian . 23 The sons of Levi , the heads of fathers' households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles e up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib . 24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah , Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel , with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks , as prescribed by David the man of God , division corresponding to division . 25 Mattaniah , Bakbukiah , Obadiah , Meshullam , Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates . 26 These served 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 and scribe .

The Dedication of the Wall

27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places , to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness , with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals , harps and lyres . 28 So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem , and from the villages of the Netophathites , 29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth , for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem . 30 The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people , the gates and the wall . 31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top e of the wall , and I appointed two great choirs , the first proceeding to the right on top e of the wall toward the Refuse Gate . 32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed e them, 33 with Azariah , Ezra , Meshullam , 34 Judah , Benjamin , Shemaiah , Jeremiah , 35 and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets ; and 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 , 36 and his kinsmen , Shemaiah , Azarel , Milalai , Gilalai , Maai , Nethanel , Judah and Hanani , with the musical instruments of David the man of God . And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above e the house of David to the Water Gate on the east . 38 The second choir proceeded to the left , while I followed them with half of the people on the wall , above e the Tower of Furnaces , to the Broad Wall , 39 and above e the Gate of Ephraim , by the Old Gate , by 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 . 40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God . So did I and half of the officials with me; 41 and the priests , Eliakim , Maaseiah , Miniamin , Micaiah , Elioenai , Zechariah and Hananiah , with the trumpets ; 42 and Maaseiah , Shemaiah , Eleazar , Uzzi , Jehohanan , Malchijah , Elam and Ezer . And the singers sang , with Jezrahiah their leader , 43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy , even the women and children rejoiced , so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar .

The Provision for the Priests and Levites

44 On that day men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores , the contributions , the first fruits and the tithes , to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites ; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served . 45 For they performed the worship of their God and the service of purification , together with the singers and the gatekeepers in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon . 46 For in the days of David and Asaph , in ancient times , there were leaders of the singers , songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God . 47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required , and set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites , and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron .