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.
Omadina ovapristeli nOvalevi ve uya pamwe naSerubbabel
1 Ovapristeli nOvalevi ovo ve uya pamwe naSerubbabel yaSalatiel naJosua, ovava: Seraja, Jeremia, Esra, 2 Amarja, Malluk, Hattus, 3 Sekanja, Rehum, Meremot, 4 Iddo, Ginnetoi, Abia, 5 Mijamin, Maadja, Bilga, 6 Shemaia naJojarib, Jedaja, 7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkia, Jedaja. Ovo hano ovakulunhu vovapristeli novovamwaina ovalumenhu pomafiku aJosua.
8 NOvalevi ovava: Josua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Serebja, Juda, Mattanja, ou a wilika pamwe novamwaina ovalumenhu eengudu dovaimbi. 9 NaBakbukja naUnno, ovamwaina ovalumenhu, va kala ofika, ve va taalela mokuwanifa kwavo oshilonga shavo. 10 Ndele Josua okwa li xe yaJehoiakim. Ndele Jehoiakim okwa li xe yaEljasib, naEljasib okwa li xe yaJehoiada, 11 naJehoiada, oye xe yaJonatan, ndele Jonatan oye xe yaJaddua. 12 Ndele ovapristeli ava va li pomafiku aJehoiakim ovakulunhu vomapata: Meraja wepata laSeraja; Hanania wepata laJeremia; 13 Mesullam wepata laEsra, Johanan wepata laAmarja; 14 Jonatan wepata laMalluki; Josef wepata laSebanja; 15 Adna wepata laHarim; Helkai wepata laMerajot; 16 Sakaria wepata laIddo; Mesullam wepata laGinneton; 17 Sikri wepata laAbia; Piltai wepata laMinjamin wokuMoadja; 18 Sammua wepata laBilga; Jonatan wepata laShemaia; 19 Mattenai wepata laJojarib; Ussi wepata laJedaja; 20 Kallai wepata laSallai; Eber wepata laAmok; 21 Hasabja wepata laHilkia; Netanel wepata laJedaja.
22 MOvalevi opomafiku aEljasib, aJehoiada, aJohanan noaJaddua, ovakulunhu vomapata va shangwa novapristeli fiyo okepangelo laDarius, Omupersia. 23 Ovana vaLevi, ovakulunhu vomapata va shangelwa momushangwa womafimbo fiyo okomafiku aJohanan yaEljasib. 24 Ovakulunhu vOvalevi ovava: Hasabja, Serebja naJosua, Kadmiel, novamwaina ovalumenhu ava va kala ofika va shaama navo okuhambelela nokupandula palombwelo laDavid, omulumenhu waKalunga pongudu nongudu: 25 Mattanja naBakbukja, Obadja, Mesullam, Talmon, Akkub ova li ovanangeli vopoivelo, ava va nangela pomalimba opoivelo. 26 Vo ova li pomafiku aJehoiakim yaJosua yaJosadak nopomafiku omupangeli Nehemia nomupristeli Esra, omunongo womishangwa.
Eyapulo lohotekuma yaJerusalem
27 Nohotekuma yaJerusalem eshi ya li i nokuyapulwa, Ovalevi va kongwa meenhele davo adishe, va etwa kuJerusalem va dane oshivilo sheyapulo nehafo nomaimbilo epandulo, nokwiimba nokushika ounghuma nouxumbafeta neenyalilo. 28 Opo nee ovana ovamati vovaimbi va ongala va dja moushiinda waJerusalem nomomikunda dOvanetofa, 29 nomuBet-Gilgal nomomapya aGeba noaAsmavet, osheshi ovaimbi va tula mo momikunda da dingilila Jerusalem. 30 Novapristeli nOvalevi ve lifetifa nova yelifa ovanhu noivelo nekuma. 31 Ndele nda lombwela ovakulunhu vaJuda va londe kohotekuma ndele nda nangekela ko eengudu mbali dinene dovaimbi noyeendo yoshivilo kohotekuma, imwe kolulyo kombinga yOshivelo shoushosho, 32 ndele va shikulwa kuHosaja netata lovakulunhu vaJuda, 33 naAsaria, Esra naMesullam, 34 Juda naBenjamin naShemaia naJeremia, 35 novana ovalumenhu vovapristeli ve nomanghuma, Sakaria yaJonatan yaShemaia yaMattanja yaMikaia yaSakkur yaAsaf, 36 novamwaina ovalumenhu Shemaia naAsareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Netanel naJuda, Hanani, ve noishikomwa yaDavid, omulumenhu waKalunga. Ndele Esra omunongo womishangwa a kwatela osheendo komesho. 37 Ndele va enda nokuyuka va koya Oshivelo Shefifiya ndele va londa keendodo doshilando shaDavid konhele apa ohotekuma tai tumbu kombada yongulu yaDavid, fiyo okOshivelo shomeva shokoushilo. 38 Nongudu onhivali yovaimbi ya enda nokuyuka kouninginino, ya shikulwa kwaame noketata lovanhu, twa londa kohotekuma pOshungo yediko lokuteleka omingome, twa enda fiyo okekuma linene, 39 navali twa koya Oshivelo shaEfraim nOshivelo shikulu nOshivelo sheeshi noshungongulu Hananel noshungongulu Hammea fiyo okOshivelo sheedi. Ndele va kanghama, va kala ofika pOshivelo shodolongo. 40 Opo nee eengudu odo mbali dovaimbi da kala ofika mongulu yaKalunga, netata lovakulunhu ola li pwaame; 41 novapristeli Eliakim, Maasea, Minjamin, Mikaia, Eljoenai, Sakaria, Hanania ve nomanghuma, 42 naMaasea naShemaia naEliaser naUssi naJohanan naMalkia naElam naEser. Novaimbi va imba omaimbilo omahambelelo. Ndele Jisrakja okwa li omuwiliki. 43 Ndele mefiku tuu olo va yamba omayambo manene ndele va hafa, osheshi Kalunga e va hafifa unene. Novalikadi yo nounona va hafa, onghee hano ondaka yehafo lokuJerusalem la udika kokule.
Oitimulongo tai ka yandjwa
44 Ndele mefiku tuu olo ovalumenhu va tulwa po okupashukila omalimba, omo mwa li eeshaliyambo, noshipe noitimulongo. Vo va li ve nokwoongela pamhango oitukulwa oyo yovapristeli noyOvalevi ava ve li moshilonga, tai ongelwa komapya oilando, osheshi Juda sha hafela ovapristeli nOvalevi ava va li moshilonga. 45 Ndele vo ova diinina oshilonga shavo mokulongela Kalunga kavo nomokuyelifa, nosho yo ovaimbi novanangeli vopoivelo palombwelo laDavid nolomona waye Salomo. 46 Osheshi noshitonale nokuli, mefimbo laDavid nolomwiimbifi Asaf, kwa li ovawiliki vovaimbi, ndele va imba ehambelelo nepandulo laKalunga. 47 NOvaisraeli aveshe vopomafiku aSerubbabel nopomafiku aNehemia va yandja oitimulongo kovaimbi nokovanangeli vopoivelo paemhumbwe defiku keshe. Ndele va yandja eeshali diyapuki kOvalevi, nOvalevi okOvaaron.
