A List of Priests and Levites
1 Many priests and Levites had returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel and Joshua as their leaders. Those priests were Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, 2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, 3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, 4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, 5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, 6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and another Jedaiah. These were the leading priests and their assistants during the time of Joshua.
8 The Levites who returned were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. They and their assistants were responsible for the songs of praise, 9 while Bakbukiah and Unno, together with their assistants, were responsible for the choral responses.
Descendants of Joshua the High Priest
10 Joshua was the father of Joiakim, the grandfather of Eliashib, and the great-grandfather of Joiada. 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan and the grandfather of Jaddua.
Leaders of the Priestly Clans
12 When Joiakim was high priest, the following priests were leaders of their clans: Meraiah of the Seraiah clan, Hananiah of Jeremiah, 13 Meshullam of Ezra, Jehohanan of Amariah, 14 Jonathan of Malluchi, Joseph of Shebaniah, 15 Adna of Harim, Helkai of Meraioth, 16 Zechariah of Iddo, Meshullam of Ginnethon, 17 Zichri of Abijah, Piltai of Moadiah, 18 Shammua of Bilgah, Jehonathan of Shemaiah, 19 Mattenai of Joiarib, Uzzi of Jedaiah, 20 Kallai of Sallai, Eber of Amok, 21 Hashabiah of Hilkiah, and Nethanel of Jedaiah.
The Priestly and Levite Families
22 During the time of the high priests Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, and including the time that Darius was king of Persia, a record was kept of the heads of the Levite and priestly families. 23 However, no official record was kept of the heads of the Levite clans after the death of Johanan, the grandson of Eliashib.
24 Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their assistants organized two choirs of Levites to offer praises to God, just as King David, the man of God, had commanded.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were responsible for guarding the storerooms near the temple gates.
26 All of these men lived during the time of Joiakim and during the time that I was governor and Ezra, a teacher of the Law of Moses, was priest.
Nehemiah Dedicates the City Wall
27 When the city wall was dedicated, Levites from everywhere in Judah were invited to join in the celebration with songs of praise and with the music of cymbals, small harps, and other stringed instruments. 28-29 The Levite singers lived in villages around Jerusalem, and so they came from there, as well as from the villages around Netophah, Beth-Gilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth. 30 The priests and Levites held special ceremonies to make themselves holy, and then they did the same for the rest of the people and for the gates and walls of the city.
31 I brought the leaders of Judah to the top of the city wall and put them in charge of the two groups that were to march around on top of the wall, singing praises to God. One group marched to the right in the direction of Garbage Gate. 32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders followed them. 33 Then came the priests Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, 35 all of them blowing trumpets. Next, there was Zechariah of the Asaph clan 36 and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They played musical instruments like those that had been played by David, the man of God. And they marched behind Ezra, the teacher of the Law. 37 When they reached Fountain Gate, they climbed the steps to David's City and went past his palace, before stopping at the Water Gate near the eastern wall of the city.
38 The second group of singers marched along the wall in the opposite direction, and I followed them, together with the other half of the leaders of Judah. We went past Oven Tower, Broad Wall, 39 Ephraim Gate, Old Gate, Fish Gate, Hananel Tower, Hundred Tower, and on to Sheep Gate. Finally, we stopped at Gate of the Guard, 40 where we stood in front of the temple with the other group, praising God. In the group with me were half of the leaders, 41 as well as the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, who were blowing trumpets. 42 Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer also stood there, as Jezrahiah led the singers. 43 God had made the people very happy, and so on that day they celebrated and offered many sacrifices. The women and children joined in the festivities, and joyful shouts could be heard far from the city of Jerusalem.
Preparation for Worship
44 On that same day, some leaders were appointed to be responsible for the safekeeping of gifts for the temple and to be in charge of receiving the first part of the harvest and the ten percent of the crops and livestock that was offered to God. These same leaders also collected the part of crops that the Law of Moses taught was to be given to the Levites.
Everyone was pleased with the work of the priests and Levites, 45 when they performed the ceremonies to make people acceptable to worship God. And the singers and the temple guards did their jobs according to the instructions given by David and his son Solomon. 46 In fact, ever since the days of David and Asaph, there had been song leaders and songs of praise and worship. 47 During the time that Zerubbabel and I were in charge, everyone in Israel gave what they were supposed to give for the daily needs of the singers and temple guards from the Levi tribe. Then the Levites would give the priests their share from what they had received.
Priesteru un levītu saraksts
(Ezr 2:36–40)1 Šie ir priesteri un levīti, kas bija atnākuši kopā ar Zerubābelu, Šaltiēla dēlu, un Jozuu, Serāju, Jeremiju, Ezru, 2 Amarju, Mallūhu, Hatūšu, 3 Šehanju, Rehūmu, Merēmotu, 4 Ido, Gintoju, Abiju, 5 Mijāmīnu, Maadju, Bilgu, 6 Šemaju, Jehojārību, Jedaju, 7 Sallu, Āmoku, Hilkiju un Jedaju – šie bija galvenie priesteri un viņu brāļi Jozuas laikā.
8 Levīti bija: Jozua, Binnūjs, Kadmiēls, Šērēbja, Jūda, Matanja – viņš ar saviem brāļiem bija atbildīgs par pateicības dziesmām. 9 Bakbukja un Unnī, viņu brāļi, kalpošanā stāvēja tiem pretī.
10 Jozua bija Jehojākīma tēvs, Jehojākīms bija Eljāšība tēvs, Eljāšībs bija Jehojādas tēvs, 11 Jehojāda bija Jonatāna tēvs, Jonatāns bija Jaduas tēvs.
12 Jehojākīma dienās priesteru tēvu namu galvenie bija: no Serājas – Merāja, no Jeremijas – Hananja, 13 no Ezras – Mešullāms, no Amarjas – Jehohānāns, 14 no Mallūha – Jonatāns, no Šebanjas – Jāzeps, 15 no Hārima – Adna, no Merājota – Helkajs, 16 no Ido – Zeharja, no Gintona – Mešullāms, 17 no Abijas – Zihrī, no Minjāmina, no Maadjas – Piltājs, 18 no Bilgas – Šammua, no Šemajas – Jonatāns, 19 no Jehojārība – Matnajs, no Jedajas – Uzī, 20 no Sallas – Kallajs, no Āmoka – Ēbers, 21 no Hilkijas – Hašabja, no Jedajas – Netanēls.
22 Levītu Eljāšība, Jehojādas, Jehohānāna un Jaduas laikā tika pierakstīti tēvu namu galveno vārdi, un persieša Dārija valdīšanas laikā arī priesteru vārdi.
23 Levī dēlu tēvu namu galvenos ierakstīja Laiku grāmatā līdz Jehohānāna, Eljāšība dēla, laikam. 24 Galvenie levīti bija: Hašabja, Šērēbja un Jozua, Kadmiēla dēls, ar saviem brāļiem, kas stāvēja tiem pretī slavēšanā un pateicības lūgšanā, kā Dieva vīrs Dāvids bija pavēlējis – sardze pie sardzes. 25 Matanja, Bakbukja, Obadja, Mešullāms, Talmons un Akūbs bija vārtu sargi, tie sargāja vārtu noliktavas. 26 Viņi kalpoja Jehojākīma, Jozuas dēla, Jehocādāka dēla, laikā, kā arī pārvaldnieka Nehemijas un rakstu zinātāja priestera Ezras laikā.
Jeruzālemes mūru iesvētīšana
27 Kad iesvētīja Jeruzālemes mūrus, no visām vietām sasauca levītus, lai tie nāk uz Jeruzālemi svinēt iesvētīšanu, priecājas, pateicas un dzied ar cimbolēm, arfām un lirām. 28 Dziedātāju dēli sapulcējās no visas Jeruzālemes apkārtnes, arī no Netofātas ciemiem 29 un Gilgālas, no Gebas apkārtnes un Azmāvetas, jo dziedātāji bija uzcēluši sev ciemus visapkārt Jeruzālemei. 30 Priesteri un levīti šķīstījās un šķīstīja arī tautu, vārtus un mūri.
31 Es uzvedu augšā uz mūra Jūdas augstmaņus un liku tiem nostāties divos lielos dziedātāju pulkos. Svētku gājiens devās pa mūri uz labo pusi līdz Mēslu vārtiem. 32 Aiz tiem gāja Hošaja un puse Jūdas augstmaņu, 33 Azarja, Ezra un Mešullāms, 34 Jūda, Benjāmins, Šemaja un Jeremija.
35 No priesteru dēliem ar trompetēm gāja Zeharja, Jonatāna dēls, Šemajas dēls, Matanjas dēls, Mihas dēls, Zakūra dēls, Āsāfa dēls, 36 kopā ar saviem brāļiem Šemaju, Azarēlu, Milalaju, Gilalaju, Māaju, Netanēlu, Jūdu un Hānānī, tiem bija Dieva vīra Dāvida mūzikas instrumenti, un rakstu zinātājs Ezra gāja tiem pa priekšu. 37 Pie Avota vārtiem, kas tiem bija priekšā, tie pa kāpnēm uzkāpa Dāvida pilsētā un tad gāja pa uzeju uz mūra, garām Dāvida namam līdz Ūdens vārtiem austrumos.
38 Otrs dziedātāju pulks devās pretējā virzienā, aiz tiem gāju es, kopā ar pusi tautas mēs gājām pa mūri no Cepļa torņa līdz Platajam mūrim, 39 tad no Efraima vārtiem līdz Vecajiem vārtiem, tad līdz Zivju vārtiem, Hananēla tornim, Simtnieku tornim, tad līdz Avju vārtiem un tad apstājāmies pie Sardzes vārtiem. 40 Abi dziedātāju pulki stāvēja pie Dieva nama, arī es un puse pārvaldnieku kopā ar mani: 41 priesteri Eljākīms, Maasēja, Minjāmins, Miha, Eljoēnajs, Zeharja, Hananja ar trompetēm, 42 un Maasēja, Šemaja, Elāzārs, Uzī, Jehohānāns, Malkija, Ēlāms un Ēzers. Dziedātāji dziedāja Jizrahjas vadībā. 43 Todien viņi pienesa lielus kaujamos upurus un priecājās, jo Dievs tos bija iepriecinājis ar lielu prieku! Priecājās arī sievas un bērni, Jeruzālemes prieks aizskanēja tālu!
Pienākumi templī
44 Todien tika iecelti vīri, kas pārzina mantnīcu telpas, kurās glabās pirmos augļus un desmito tiesu, ko savāks no pilsētu laukiem kā likumīgo nodevu priesteriem un levītiem, jo Jūda priecājās par priesteriem un levītiem, kuri kalpoja. 45 Viņi noturēja dievkalpošanu un veica šķīstīšanu. Arī dziedātāji un vārtu sargi darīja, kā Dāvids un viņa dēls Sālamans bija pavēlējis. 46 Jo kopš seniem laikiem – Dāvida un Āsāfa dienām – dziedātāju vadītāji dziedājuši slavas un pateicības dziesmas Dievam. 47 Zerubābela un Nehemijas dienās viss Israēls dienu no dienas deva noteiktu daļu dziedātājiem un vārtu sargiem, un viņi deva svēto tiesu levītiem, bet levīti Ārona dēliem.
