The Book of Nehemiah

⭑ Unlocked Dynamic Bible :: Allioli - Arndt Bibel ⭑

- Kapitel 12 -

The priests and Levites

These are the names of the priests and descendants of Levi that returned from Babylonia with Zerubbabel and Jeshua the high priest. They included Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Amariah, Malluk, Hattush,

Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,

Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,

Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. All those men were leaders of the priests and their associates during the time that Jeshua was the leader of all the priests.

Here is a list of the descendants of Levi who returned: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah. Mattaniah and his brothers led the people in singing songs to thank God.

Bakbukiah and Unni, their associates, formed a choir that stood across from the other group when they sang.

Jeshua the high priest was the father of Joiakim, who was the father of Eliashib, who was the father of Joiada,

who was the father of Jonathan, who was the father of Jaddua.

When Joiakim was the leader of all the priests, these were the leaders of the families of priests: Meraiah, of the family of Seraiah, Hananiah, of the family of Jeremiah,

Meshullam, of the family of Ezra, Jehohanan, of the family of Amariah,

Jonathan, of the family of Malluk, Joseph, of the family of Shecaniah.

More leaders were Adna, of the family of Harim, Helkai, of the family of Meremoth,

Zechariah, of the family of Iddo, Meshullam, of the family of Ginnethon,

Zicri, of the family of Abijah. There was also a leader of the family of Miniamin. Piltai, of the family of Moadiah.

Shammua, of the family of Bilgah, Jehonathan, of the family of Shemaiah,

Mattenai, of the family of Joiarib, Uzzi, of the family of Jedaiah,

Kallai, of the family of Sallu, Eber, of the family of Amok,

Hashabiah, of the family of Hilkiah, and Nethanel, of the family of Jedaiah.

During the time when Eliashib led the Levites, this is a list of them all: Elisahib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua were the leaders of all the priests. They wrote the names of the families who were descendants of Levi. When Darius was king of Persia, the priests were responsible for recording the names of those who were the heads of families.

They wrote the names of the leaders of the families who were descendants of Levi in the book of the annals until the time that Eliashib’s grandson Johanan was the leader of all the priests.

These were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their brothers who stood across from them to praise and give thanks to God. They did that just as King David, the man who served God, had instructed them.

Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were the gatekeepers. They stood guard at the storerooms close to the gates of the temple.

They did that work during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua and the grandson of Jehozadak, during the time of Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest. Ezra also knew the Jewish laws very well.

Nehemiah dedicates the wall

When we dedicated the wall around Jerusalem, we summoned the descendants of Levi from the places around Israel where they lived, so they could come to celebrate the dedication of the wall. They would sing songs to thank God and many of them made music by playing cymbals and harps and other stringed instruments.

We summoned the descendants of Levi who constantly sang together. They came to Jerusalem from nearby areas where they had settled, and from places around Netophah, southeast of Jerusalem.

They came also from three places northeast of Jerusalem, Beth Gilgal and the areas around Geba and Azmaveth. Near Jerusalem the singers built villages where they lived.

The priests and descendants of Levi performed rituals to make them clean in God’s eyes, and they did the same for all the people, and even for the gates of the city and finally, for the wall.

Then I gathered together the leaders of Judah on top of the wall, and I appointed them to lead two large groups to march around the city on top of the wall, thanking God. As they faced the city, one group walked to the right toward the Dung Gate.

Behind their leaders marched Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah.

Those who followed after them were Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

and some of the priests’ sons who played their trumpets, including Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, a descendant of Asaph.

Behind them marched other members of Zechariah’s family, including Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They all were playing the same kinds of musical instruments that King David had played many years previously. Ezra, the man who knew the Jewish laws very well, marched in front of this group.

When they reached the Fountain Gate, they went up the steps to the city of David, past the location of David’s palace, and then to the wall at the Water Gate, on the east side of the city.

The other choir who were singing and thanking Yahweh marched to the left on top of the wall. I followed them with half of the people. We marched past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall.

From there we marched past Ephraim Gate, Jeshanah Gate, the fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of the Hundred Soldiers, to the Sheep Gate. We finished marching near the gate into the temple.

Both the groups reached the house of God as they were singing and thanking him. They stood in their places there. I and the leaders who were with me also stood in our places.

My group included the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with their trumpets.

There was another named Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah who was their leader.

After we went outside the temple, we offered many sacrifices. We men all rejoiced because God had caused us to be very happy. The women and the children also rejoiced. People far away could hear the noise that we made there in Jerusalem.

Tasks of the temple

On that day men were appointed to be in charge of the storerooms where they kept the money that people gave for the temple. They also were in charge of the tithes and the first part of the grain and fruit that was harvested each year. They also brought into the storerooms a part of the harvest from the fields for the priests and the descendants of Levi. This was done because the people of Judah were so happy to have servants serving in the house of Yahweh.

The priests and Levites were serving Yahweh in their rituals to purify things, and the musicians in the temple and the gatekeepers also did their work as King David and his son Solomon had declared that they should do.

Ever since the time of David and Asaph, there have been directors of the singers, and they sang songs to praise and thank God.

During the years of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah the governor, all Israel contributed the food that the singers and temple gatekeepers needed every day. They set aside what the Levites needed to live on, and the Levites set aside for the descendants of Aaron, the first leader of all the priests, what they needed.

Die Priester und Leviten

Dies aber sind die Priester und Leviten, welche heraufzogen mit Zorobabel, dem Sohne Salathiels und mit Josue: Saraja, Jeremias, Esdras,

Amaria, Melluch, Hattus,

Sebenias, Rheum, Merimuth,

Addo, Genthon, Abia,

Miamin, Madia, Belga,

Semeja, Jojarib, Idaja, Sellum, Amok, Helkias,

Idaja. Dies waren die Vorsteher der Priester und deren Brüder in den Tagen Josues.

Die Leviten waren: Jesua, Bennui, Kedmihel, Sarebia, Juda, Mathanias, diese und ihre Brüder hatten die Leitung der Lobgesänge,

und Bekbekia und Hanni und ihre Brüder, ein jeder für seinen Dienst.

Josue aber zeugte Joakim, Joakim zeugte Eliasib, Eliasib zeugte Jojada,

Jojada zeugte Jonathan und Jonathan zeugte Jeddoa.

Aber in den Tagen Joakims waren Priester und Familienhäupter: von Saraja Maraja, von Jeremias Hanania,

von Esdras Mosollam, von Amaria Johanan,

von Milicho Jonathan, von Sebenia Joseph,

von Haram Edna, von Marajoth Helki,

von Adaja Zacharia, von Genthon Mosollam,

von Abia Zechri, von Miamin und Moadia Phelti,

von Belga Sammua, von Semaja Jonathan,

von Jojarib Mathanai, von Jodaja Azzi,

von Sellai Kelai, von Amok Heber,

von Helkia Hasebia, von Idaja Nathanael.

Die Leviten wurden in den Tagen Eliasibs und Jojadas und Johanans und Jeddoas nach den Familienhäuptern verzeichnet und die Priester wurden unter der Regierung Darius, des Persers, aufgezeichnet.

Die Familienhäupter der Söhne Levis wurden im Buche der Tagesgeschichte eingeschrieben bis auf die Tage Jonathans, des Sohnes Eliasibs.

Die Häupter der Leviten waren: Hasebia, Serebia und Josue, der Sohn Kedmihels, und ihre Brüder in ihrer Ordnung, um nach der Anordnung Davids, des Mannes Gottes, Lob und Dank zu sagen und gleichmäßig und nach der Ordnung Wache zu halten.

Mathania und Bekbekia, Obedia, Mosollam, Telmon, Akkub waren Hüter der Tore und der Vorhöfe an den Toren.

Diese lebten in den Tagen Joakims, des Sohnes Josues, des Sohnes Josedeks, und in den Tagen Nehemias, des Fürsten, und Esdras, des Priesters und Schriftgelehrten.

Nehemia weiht die Mauer ein

Bei der Einweihung der Mauer Jerusalems aber holte man die Leviten aus allen ihren Ortschaften zusammen, um sie nach Jerusalem zu bringen, dass sie das Freudenfest der Einweihung mit Danksagung und Lobliedern, mit Zimbeln, Harfen und Zithern feiern sollten.

Da versammelten sich die Söhne der Sänger aus den Gefilden um Jerusalem und aus den Dörfern der Nethuphatiter,

aus dem Hause Galgal und aus den Gegenden von Geba und Azmaveth; denn die Sänger hatten sich rings um Jerusalem Gehöfte gebaut.

Und die Priester und Leviten reinigten sich und hierauf das Volk und die Tore und die Mauer.

Und ich ließ die Fürsten von Juda auf die Mauer steigen und stellte zwei große Lobchöre auf. Und sie gingen zur Rechten auf der Mauer nach dem Misttore zu.

Hinter ihnen ging Osajas und der halbe Teil der Fürsten von Juda,

Azarias, Esdras, Mosollam, Judas, Benjamin, Semeja und Jeremias,

und von den Söhnen der Priester mit Posaunen: Zacharias, der Sohn Jonathans, der ein Sohn Semejas, der ein Sohn Mathanias, der ein Sohn Michajas, der ein Sohn Zechurs, der ein Sohn Asaphs war,

und seine Brüder: Semeja, Azareel, Malalai, Galalai, Maai, Nathanael, Judas und Hanani mit den Musikinstrumenten Davids, des Mannes Gottes, und Esdras, der Schriftgelehrte, vor ihnen her am Brunnentore.

Und sie zogen hinauf, den anderen gegenüber, auf die Stufen der Stadt Davids die Stadt hinan, über das Haus Davids hinaus und bis zum Wassertore nach Osten.

Der zweite Chor, der Dank sagte, ging in entgegengesetzter Richtung und ich hinter ihm, und der halbe Teil des Volkes zog oben auf der Mauer und über den Ofenturm hin und bis zur breiten Mauer

und über das Tor Ephraim und das alte Tor und über das Fischtor und den Turm Hananeel und den Turm Emath und bis zum Schaftore und sie blieben am Tore der Wache stehen.

Dann stellten sich die beiden Lobchöre am Hause Gottes auf und ich und die Hälfte der Vorsteher mit mir,

nebst den Priestern Eliachim, Maasia, Miamin, Michea, Elioenai, Zacharia, Hanania mit Posaunen,

und Maasia, Semeja, Eleazar, Azzi, Johanan, Melchia, Älam und Ezer. Und die Sänger sangen laut, Jezraja war der Vorsteher.

Und man brachte an diesem Tage große Opfer dar und war fröhlich, denn Gott hatte ihnen große Freude bereitet; aber auch ihre Frauen und Kinder freuten sich und die Freude Jerusalems ward weithin vernommen.

An demselben Tage bestellten sie auch Männer über die Vorratskammern für die Trankopfer, für die Erstlinge und für die Zehnten Priester und Leviten, dass die Vorsteher der Stadt dieselben durch sie mit geziemender Danksagung einbringen ließen; denn Juda hatte Freude über die Priester und Leviten, welche ihren Dienst verrichteten.

Aufgaben des Tempels

Und diese taten für ihren Gott genau, was sie zu besorgen hatten und was zu beobachten war für die Aussöhnung, und die Sänger und Türhüter taten ihren Dienst nach der Anordnung Davids und seines Sohnes Salomon;

denn in den Tagen Davids und Asaphs waren vom Anfang an Vorsteher über die Sänger, welche die Lob- und Danklieder zur Ehre Gottes sangen, gesetzt.

Und ganz Israel gab in den Tagen Zorobabels und in den Tagen Nehemias für die Sänger und Türhüter Abgaben, Tag für Tag, und sie spendeten Weihegaben für die Leviten, und die Leviten spendeten Weihegaben für die Söhne Aarons.