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Texts -- Nehemiah 12:1-40 (NET)

Context
The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem
12:1 These are the priests and Levites who returned with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua : Seraiah , Jeremiah , Ezra , 12:2 Amariah , Malluch , Hattush , 12:3 Shecaniah , Rehum , Meremoth , 12:4 Iddo , Ginnethon , Abijah , 12:5 Mijamin , Moadiah , Bilgah , 12:6 Shemaiah , Joiarib , Jedaiah , 12:7 Sallu , Amok , Hilkiah , and Jedaiah . These were the leaders of the priests and their colleagues in the days of Jeshua . 12:8 And the Levites : Jeshua , Binnui , Kadmiel , Sherebiah , Judah , and Mattaniah , who together with his colleagues was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving . 12:9 Bakbukiah and Unni , their colleagues , stood opposite them in the services . 12:10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim , Joiakim was the father of Eliashib , Eliashib was the father of Joiada , 12:11 Joiada was the father of Jonathan , and Jonathan was the father of Jaddua . 12:12 In the days of Joiakim , these were the priests who were leaders of the families : of Seraiah , Meraiah ; of Jeremiah , Hananiah ; 12:13 of Ezra , Meshullam ; of Amariah , Jehohanan ; 12:14 of Malluch , Jonathan ; of Shecaniah , Joseph ; 12:15 of Harim , Adna ; of Meremoth , Helkai ; 12:16 of Iddo , Zechariah ; of Ginnethon , Meshullam ; 12:17 of Abijah , Zicri ; of Miniamin and of Moadiah , Piltai ; 12:18 of Bilgah , Shammua ; of Shemaiah , Jehonathan ; 12:19 of Joiarib , Mattenai ; of Jedaiah , Uzzi ; 12:20 of Sallu , Kallai ; of Amok , Eber ; 12:21 of Hilkiah , Hashabiah ; of Jedaiah , Nethanel . 12:22 As for the Levites , in the days of Eliashib , Joiada , Johanan and Jaddua the heads of families were recorded , as were the priests during the reign of Darius the Persian . 12:23 The descendants of Levi were recorded in the Book of the Chronicles as heads of families up to the days of Johanan son of Eliashib . 12:24 And the leaders of the Levites were Hashabiah , Sherebiah , Jeshua son of Kadmiel , and their colleagues , who stood opposite them to offer praise and thanks , one contingent corresponding to the other, as specified by David the man of God . 12:25 Mattaniah , Bakbukiah , Obadiah , Meshullam , Talmon , and Akkub were gatekeepers who were guarding the storerooms at the gates . 12:26 These all served in the days of Joiakim son of Jeshua , the son of Jozadak , and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priestly scribe .
The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated
12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem , they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals , harps , and lyres . 12:28 The singers were also assembled from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites 12:29 and from Beth Gilgal and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth , for the singers had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem . 12:30 When the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people , the gates , and the wall . 12:31 I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall , and I appointed two large choirs to give thanks . One was to proceed on the top of the wall southward toward the Dung Gate . 12:32 Going after them were Hoshaiah , half the leaders of Judah , 12:33 Azariah , Ezra , Meshullam , 12:34 Judah , Benjamin , Shemaiah , Jeremiah , 12:35 some of the priests with trumpets , Zechariah son of Jonathan , the son of Shemaiah , the son of Mattaniah , the son of Micaiah , the son of Zaccur , the son of Asaph , 12:36 and his colleagues – Shemaiah , Azarel , Milalai , Gilalai , Maai , Nethanel , Judah , and Hanani – with musical instruments of David the man of God . (Ezra the scribe led them.) 12:37 They went over the Fountain Gate and continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall . They passed the house of David and continued on to the Water Gate toward the east . 12:38 The second choir was proceeding in the opposite direction. I followed them, along with half the people , on top of the wall , past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall , 12:39 over the Ephraim Gate , the Jeshanah Gate , the Fish Gate , the Tower of Hananel , and the Tower of the Hundred , to the Sheep Gate . They stopped at the Gate of the Guard . 12:40 Then the two choirs that gave thanks took their stations in the temple of God . I did also, along with half the officials with me,

Pericope

NET
  • Neh 12:1-26 -- The Priests and the Levites Who Returned to Jerusalem
  • Neh 12:27-47 -- The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

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Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

  • God ordered that priests should announce His movement of the people by blowing two silver trumpets because the Israelites would not watch the cloud continuously. The blasts from the trumpets would reach the farthest tents in ...
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  • Due to the ancient tradition that the same writer composed both parts of the book (chapters 1-6 and 7-10), many scholars believe Ezra produced all of it.5A passage in the Talmud credits Ezra with the authorship of Ezra-Nehemi...
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  • Paul continued the emphasis he began in the previous section (vv. 3-10) by appealing to Timothy to pursue spiritual rather than physical goals in his life. He seems to have intended his instructions for all the faithful Ephes...
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