Naham'Yahu (Nehemiah) — 12

The Kuhanym and Lauym 

1 Now these are the Kuhanym and the Lauym who came up with Zarubbabal the son of Shaaltyal, and Yashua: Sarayahu, Yaramyahu, Azrah, 

2 Amaryahu, Malluch, Hattush, 

3 Shachanyahu, Rahum, Maramuth, 

4 Iddu, Ginnathui, Abiyahu, 

5 Miyamin, Maadyahu, Bilgah, 

6 Shamayahu, Yuiarib, Yadayahu, 

7 Sallu, Amuk, Hilkyahu, and Yadayahu. These were the heads of the Kuhanym and their brethren in the days of Yashua.

8 Moreover the Lauym were Yashua, Binnui, Kadmial, Sharabyah, Yahudah, and Mattanyahu who led the thanksgiving Tahalym (psalms), he and his brethren. 

9 Also Bakbukyahu and Unni, their brethren, stood across from them in their duties.

10 Yashua begot Yuiakim, Yuiakim begot Aliashib, Aliashib begot Yuiada, 

11 Yuiada begot Yunathan, and Yunathan begot Yaddua.

12 Now in the days of Yuiakim, the Kuhanym, the heads of the fathers’ houses were: of Sarayahu, Marayahu; of Yaramyahu, Hananyahu; 

13 of Azrah, Mashullam; of Amaryahu, Yahuhanan; 

14 of Malichu, Yunathan; of Shabanyahu, Ya'asaf; 

15 of Harim, Adna; of Maraiuth, Halkai; 

16 of Iddu, Zacharyahu; of Ginnathun, Mashullam; 

17 of Abiyahu, Zichri; the son of Minyamin; of Muadyahu, Piltai; 

18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shamayahu, Yahunathan; 

19 of Yuiarib, Mattanai; of Yadayahu, Uzzi; 

20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amuk, Abar; 

21 of Hilkyahu, Hashabyahu; and of Yadayahu, Nethanel.

22 During the reign of Darius the Parsian, a record was also kept of the Lauym and Kuhanym who had been heads of their fathers’ houses in the days of Aliashib, Yuiada, Yuhanan, and Yaddua. 

23 The sons of Lauy, the heads of the fathers’ houses until the days of Yuhanan the son of Aliashib, were written in the book of the chronicles.

24 And the heads of the Lauym were Hashabyahu, Sharabyahu, and Yashua the son of Kadmial, with their brothers across from them, to praise and give thanks, group alternating with group, according to the command of Daud the servant of 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

25 Mattanyahu, Bakbukyahu, Ubadyahu, Meshullam, Talmun, and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping the watch at the storerooms of the gates. 

26 These lived in the days of Yuiakim the son of Yashua, the son of Yuzadak, and in the days of Nahamyahu the governor, and of Azrah the Kuhan, the scribe.

Nahamyahu Dedicates the Wall

27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Yahushalam they sought out the Lauym in all their places, to bring them to Yahushalam to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. 

28 And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Yahushalam, from the villages of the Natuphathites, 

29 from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Gaba and Azmabath; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Yahushalam. 

30 Then the Kuhanym and Lauym purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31 So I brought the leaders of Yahudah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand on the wall toward the Refuse Gate. 

32 After them went Hushayahu and half of the leaders of Yahudah, 

33 and Azaryahu, Azrah, Mashullam, 

34 Yahudah, Banyamin, Shamayahu, Yaramyahu, 

35 and some of the Kuhanym’ sons with trumpets, Zacharyahu the son of Yunathan, the son of Shamayahu, the son of Mattanyahu, the son of Michayahu, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, 

36 and his brethren, Shamayahu, Azaral, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nathanal, Yahudah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of Daud the servant of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH. And Azrah the scribe went before them. 

37 By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up the stairs of the City of Daud, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of Daud, as far as the Water Gate eastward.

38 The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall,

39 and above the Gate of Aphraim, above the Old Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananal, the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by the Gate of the Prison.

40 So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me; 

41 and the Kuhanym, Aliakim, Maasayahu, Minyamin, Michayahu, Aliuanai, Zacharyahu, and Hananyahu, with trumpets; 

42 also Maasayahu, Shemayahu, Alaazar, Uzzi, Yahuhanan, Malchiyah, Alam, and Azar. The singers sang loudly with Yazrahyah the director.

43 Also that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced, for  𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄_YAHUAH had made them rejoice with great joy; the women and the children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Yahushalam was heard afar off.

Temple Responsibilities

44 And at the same time some were appointed over the rooms of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions specified by the Law for the Kuhanym and Lauym; for Yahudah rejoiced over the Kuhanym and Lauym who ministered. 

45 Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the charge of their 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH and the charge of the purification, according to the command of Daud and Shalumah his son. 

46 For in the days of Daud and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of Yadah (praise) and Tudah (thanksgiving) to our 𐤀𐤋𐤅𐤄_ALUAH. 

47 In the days of Zarubbabal and in the days of Nahamyahu all Yashar'AL gave the portions for the singers and the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They also consecrated qadash things for the Lauym, and the Lauym consecrated them for the children of Aarun.