List of Priests and Levites
1 The following is a list of the priests and Levites who returned from exile with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with the High Priest Joshua:
2-7 Priests:Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah.These men were leaders among all their fellow priests in the days of Joshua.
8 Levites:The following were in charge of the singing of hymns of thanksgiving: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah.
9 The following formed the choir that sang the responses: Bakbukiah, Unno, and their fellow Levites.
Descendants of the High Priest Joshua
10 Joshua was the father of Joiakim; Joiakim was the father of Eliashib; Eliashib was the father of Joiada; 11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan; and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua.
Heads of the Priestly Clans
12-21 When Joiakim was High Priest, the following priests were the heads of the priestly clans:
Priest ClanMeraiah SeraiahHananiah JeremiahMeshullam EzraJehohanan AmariahJonathan MalluchiJoseph ShebaniahAdna HarimHelkai MeraiothZechariah IddoMeshullam GinnethonZichri Abijah… MiniaminPiltai MoadiahShammua BilgahJehonathan ShemaiahMattenai JoiaribUzzi JedaiahKallai SallaiEber AmokHashabiah HilkiahNethanel JedaiahRecord of the Priestly and Levite Families
22 A record was kept of the heads of the Levite families and of the priestly families during the lifetimes of the following High Priests: Eliashib, Joiada, Jonathan, and Jaddua. This record was finished when Darius was emperor of Persia.
23 The heads of the Levite families, however, were recorded in the official records only until the time of Jonathan, the grandson of Eliashib.
Assignment of Duties in the Temple
24 Under the direction of Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua, Binnui, and Kadmiel, the Levites were organized into groups. Two groups at a time praised God responsively and gave thanks to him, in accordance with the instructions given by King David, the man of God.
25 The following Temple guards were in charge of guarding the storerooms by the gates to the Temple: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.
26 These people lived during the time of Joiakim, the son of Joshua and grandson of Jehozadak, and the time of Nehemiah the governor, and the time of Ezra, the priest who was a scholar of the Law.
Nehemiah Dedicates the City Wall
27 When the city wall of Jerusalem was dedicated, the Levites were brought in from wherever they were living, so that they could join in celebrating the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals and harps. 28 The Levite families of singers gathered from the area where they had settled around Jerusalem and from the towns around Netophah, 29 and from Bethgilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth. 30 The priests and the Levites performed ritual purification for themselves, the people, the gates, and the city wall.
31 I assembled the leaders of Judah on top of the wall and put them in charge of two large groups to march around the city, giving thanks to God.
The first group went to the right on top of the wall toward the Rubbish Gate. 32 Hoshaiah marched behind the singers, followed by half the leaders of Judah. 33-35 The following priests, blowing trumpets, marched next: Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. Next came Zechariah, the son of Jonathan and grandson of Shemaiah. (His ancestors also included Mattaniah, Micaiah, and Zaccur, of the clan of Asaph.) 36 He was followed by other members of his clan—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—all of whom carried musical instruments of the kind played by King David, the man of God. Ezra the scholar led this group in the procession. 37 At the Fountain Gate they went up the steps that led to David's City, past David's palace, and back to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.
38 The other group of those who gave thanks went to the left along the top of the wall, and I followed with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, 39 and from there we went past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate. We ended our march near the gate to the Temple.
40 So both the groups that were giving thanks to God reached the Temple area.
In addition to the leaders who were with me, 41 my group included the following priests, blowing trumpets: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah; 42 and they were followed by Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, led by Jezrahiah, sang at the top of their voices.
43 That day many sacrifices were offered, and the people were full of joy because God had made them very happy. The women and the children joined in the celebration, and the noise they all made could be heard for miles.
Providing for Worship in the Temple
44 At that time men were put in charge of the storerooms where contributions for the Temple were kept, including the tithes and the first grain and fruit that ripened each year. These men were responsible for collecting from the farms near the various cities the contributions for the priests and the Levites which the Law required. All the people of Judah were pleased with the priests and the Levites, 45 because they performed the ceremonies of purification and the other rituals that God had commanded. The Temple musicians and the Temple guards also performed their duties in accordance with the regulations made by King David and his son Solomon. 46 From the time of King David and the musician Asaph long ago, the musicians have led songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. 47 In the time of Zerubbabel and also in the time of Nehemiah, all the people of Israel gave daily gifts for the support of the Temple musicians and the Temple guards. The people gave a sacred offering to the Levites, and the Levites gave the required portion to the priests.
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.
