Neh 11:2 And the people blessed all the men who volunteered to live in Jerusalem.

Neh 11:3 Now these are the heads of the provinces who lived in Jerusalem, but in the cities of Judah each lived on his own property in their cities--the Israelites, the priests, the Levites, the temple servants and the descendants of Solomon's servants.

Neh 11:4 Some of the sons of Judah and some of the sons of Benjamin lived in Jerusalem. From the sons of Judah: Athaiah the son of Uzziah, the son of Zechariah, the son of Amariah, the son of Shephatiah, the son of Mahalalel, of the sons of Perez;

Neh 11:5 and Maaseiah the son of Baruch, the son of Col-hozeh, the son of Hazaiah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joiarib, the son of Zechariah, the son of the Shilonite.

Neh 11:6 All the sons of Perez who lived in Jerusalem were 468 able men.

Neh 11:7 Now these are the sons of Benjamin: Sallu the son of Meshullam, the son of Joed, the son of Pedaiah, the son of Kolaiah, the son of Maaseiah, the son of Ithiel, the son of Jeshaiah;

Neh 11:8 and after him Gabbai and Sallai, 928.

Neh 11:9 Joel the son of Zichri was their overseer, and Judah the son of Hassenuah was second in command of the city.

Neh 11:10 From the priests: Jedaiah the son of Joiarib, Jachin,

Neh 11:11 Seraiah the son of Hilkiah, the son of Meshullam, the son of Zadok, the son of Meraioth, the son of Ahitub, the leader of the house of God,

Neh 11:12 and their kinsmen who performed the work of the temple, 822; and Adaiah the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of Pashhur, the son of Malchijah,

Neh 11:13 and his kinsmen, heads of fathers' households, 242; and Amashsai the son of Azarel, the son of Ahzai, the son of Meshillemoth, the son of Immer,

Neh 11:14 and their brothers, valiant warriors, 128. And their overseer was Zabdiel, the son of Haggedolim.

Neh 11:15 Now from the Levites: Shemaiah the son of Hasshub, the son of Azrikam, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Bunni;

Neh 11:16 and Shabbethai and Jozabad, from the leaders of the Levites, who were in charge of the outside work of the house of God;

Neh 11:17 and Mattaniah the son of Mica, the son of Zabdi, the son of Asaph, who was the leader in beginning the thanksgiving at prayer, and Bakbukiah, the second among his brethren; and Abda the son of Shammua, the son of Galal, the son of Jeduthun.

Neh 11:18 All the Levites in the holy city were 284.

Neh 11:19 Also the gatekeepers, Akkub, Talmon and their brethren who kept watch at the gates, were 172.

Neh 11:20 The rest of Israel, of the priests and of the Levites, were in all the cities of Judah, each on his own inheritance.

Neh 11:21 But the temple servants were living in Ophel, and Ziha and Gishpa were in charge of the temple servants.

Neh 11:22 Now the overseer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi the son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica, from the sons of Asaph, who were the singers for the service of the house of God.

Neh 11:23 For there was a commandment from the king concerning them and a firm regulation for the song leaders day by day.

Neh 11:24 Pethahiah the son of Meshezabel, of the sons of Zerah the son of Judah, was the king's representative in all matters concerning the people.

Neh 11:25 Now as for the villages with their fields, some of the sons of Judah lived in Kiriath-arba and its towns, in Dibon and its towns, and in Jekabzeel and its villages,

Neh 11:26 and in Jeshua, in Moladah and Beth-pelet,

Neh 11:27 and in Hazar-shual, in Beersheba and its towns,

Neh 11:28 and in Ziklag, in Meconah and in its towns,

Neh 11:29 and in En-rimmon, in Zorah and in Jarmuth,

Neh 11:30 Zanoah, Adullam, and their villages, Lachish and its fields, Azekah and its towns. So they encamped from Beersheba as far as the valley of Hinnom.

Neh 11:31 The sons of Benjamin also lived from Geba onward, at Michmash and Aija, at Bethel and its towns,

Neh 11:32 at Anathoth, Nob, Ananiah,

Neh 11:33 Hazor, Ramah, Gittaim,

Neh 11:34 Hadid, Zeboim, Neballat,

Neh 11:35 Lod and Ono, the valley of craftsmen.

Neh 11:36 From the Levites, some divisions in Judah belonged to Benjamin.

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Neh 12:1 Now these are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,

Neh 12:2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,

Neh 12:3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,

Neh 12:4 Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah,

Neh 12:5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,

Neh 12:6 Shemaiah and Joiarib, Jedaiah,

Neh 12:7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah and Jedaiah. These were the heads of the priests and their kinsmen in the days of Jeshua.

Neh 12:8 The Levites were Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah who was in charge of the songs of thanksgiving, he and his brothers.

Neh 12:9 Also Bakbukiah and Unni, their brothers, stood opposite them in their service divisions.

Neh 12:10 Jeshua became the father of Joiakim, and Joiakim became the father of Eliashib, and Eliashib became the father of Joiada,

Neh 12:11 and Joiada became the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan became the father of Jaddua.

Neh 12:12 Now in the days of Joiakim, the priests, the heads of fathers' households were: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;

Neh 12:13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;

Neh 12:14 of Malluchi, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;

Neh 12:15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;

Neh 12:16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;

Neh 12:17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;

Neh 12:18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;

Neh 12:19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;

Neh 12:20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;

Neh 12:21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.

Neh 12:22 As for the Levites, the heads of fathers' households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian.

Neh 12:23 The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers' households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.

Neh 12:24 The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, to praise and give thanks, as prescribed by David the man of God, division corresponding to division.

Neh 12:25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at the storehouses of the gates.

Neh 12:26 These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

Neh 12:27 Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

Neh 12:28 So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the Netophathites,

Neh 12:29 from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

Neh 12:30 The priests and the Levites purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

Neh 12:31 Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great choirs, the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward the Refuse Gate.

Neh 12:32 Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

Neh 12:33 with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Neh 12:34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

Neh 12:35 and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

Neh 12:36 and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

Neh 12:37 At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

Neh 12:38 The second choir proceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, above the Tower of Furnaces, to the Broad Wall,

Neh 12:39 and above the Gate of Ephraim, by the Old Gate, by the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at the Gate of the Guard.

Neh 12:40 Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;

Neh 12:41 and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

Neh 12:42 and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers sang, with Jezrahiah their leader,

Neh 12:43 and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.

Neh 12:44 On that day men were also appointed over the chambers for the stores, the contributions, the first fruits and the tithes, to gather into them from the fields of the cities the portions required by the law for the priests and Levites; for Judah rejoiced over the priests and Levites who served.

Neh 12:45 For they performed the worship of their God and the service of purification, together with the singers and the gatekeepers in accordance with the command of David and of his son Solomon.

Neh 12:46 For in the days of David and Asaph, in ancient times, there were leaders of the singers, songs of praise and hymns of thanksgiving to God.

Neh 12:47 So all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah gave the portions due the singers and the gatekeepers as each day required, and set apart the consecrated portion for the Levites, and the Levites set apart the consecrated portion for the sons of Aaron.

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Neh 13:1 On that day they read aloud from the book of Moses in the hearing of the people; and there was found written in it that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God,

Neh 13:2 because they did not meet the sons of Israel with bread and water, but hired Balaam against them to curse them. However, our God turned the curse into a blessing.

Neh 13:3 So when they heard the law, they excluded all foreigners from Israel.

Neh 13:4 Now prior to this, Eliashib the priest, who was appointed over the chambers of the house of our God, being related to Tobiah,

Neh 13:5 had prepared a large room for him, where formerly they put the grain offerings, the frankincense, the utensils and the tithes of grain, wine and oil prescribed for the Levites, the singers and the gatekeepers, and the contributions for the priests.

Neh 13:6 But during all this time I was not in Jerusalem, for in the thirty-second year of Artaxerxes king of Babylon I had gone to the king. After some time, however, I asked leave from the king,

Neh 13:7 and I came to Jerusalem and learned about the evil that Eliashib had done for Tobiah, by preparing a room for him in the courts of the house of God.

Neh 13:8 It was very displeasing to me, so I threw all of Tobiah's household goods out of the room.

Neh 13:9 Then I gave an order and they cleansed the rooms; and I returned there the utensils of the house of God with the grain offerings and the frankincense.

Neh 13:10 I also discovered that the portions of the Levites had not been given them, so that the Levites and the singers who performed the service had gone away, each to his own field.

Neh 13:11 So I reprimanded the officials and said, "Why is the house of God forsaken?" Then I gathered them together and restored them to their posts.

Neh 13:12 All Judah then brought the tithe of the grain, wine and oil into the storehouses.

Neh 13:13 In charge of the storehouses I appointed Shelemiah the priest, Zadok the scribe, and Pedaiah of the Levites, and in addition to them was Hanan the son of Zaccur, the son of Mattaniah; for they were considered reliable, and it was their task to distribute to their kinsmen.

Neh 13:14 Remember me for this, O my God, and do not blot out my loyal deeds which I have performed for the house of my God and its services.

Neh 13:15 In those days I saw in Judah some who were treading wine presses on the sabbath, and bringing in sacks of grain and loading them on donkeys, as well as wine, grapes, figs and all kinds of loads, and they brought them into Jerusalem on the sabbath day. So I admonished them on the day they sold food.

Neh 13:16 Also men of Tyre were living there who imported fish and all kinds of merchandise, and sold them to the sons of Judah on the sabbath, even in Jerusalem.

Neh 13:17 Then I reprimanded the nobles of Judah and said to them, "What is this evil thing you are doing, by profaning the sabbath day?

Neh 13:18 Did not your fathers do the same, so that our God brought on us and on this city all this trouble? Yet you are adding to the wrath on Israel by profaning the sabbath."

Neh 13:19 It came about that just as it grew dark at the gates of Jerusalem before the sabbath, I commanded that the doors should be shut and that they should not open them until after the sabbath. Then I stationed some of my servants at the gates so that no load would enter on the sabbath day.

Neh 13:20 Once or twice the traders and merchants of every kind of merchandise spent the night outside Jerusalem.

Neh 13:21 Then I warned them and said to them, "Why do you spend the night in front of the wall? If you do so again, I will use force against you." From that time on they did not come on the sabbath.

Neh 13:22 And I commanded the Levites that they should purify themselves and come as gatekeepers to sanctify the sabbath day. For this also remember me, O my God, and have compassion on me according to the greatness of Your lovingkindness.

Neh 13:23 In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab.

Neh 13:24 As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people.

Neh 13:25 So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, "You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves.

Neh 13:26 Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin.

Neh 13:27 Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?"

Neh 13:28 Even one of the sons of Joiada, the son of Eliashib the high priest, was a son-in-law of Sanballat the Horonite, so I drove him away from me.

Neh 13:29 Remember them, O my God, because they have defiled the priesthood and the covenant of the priesthood and the Levites.

Neh 13:30 Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task,

Neh 13:31 and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good.

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Psa 126:1 When the Lord brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream.

Psa 126:2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The Lord has done great things for them."

Psa 126:3 The Lord has done great things for us; We are glad.

Psa 126:4 Restore our captivity, O Lord, As the streams in the South.

Psa 126:5 Those who sow in tears shall reap with joyful shouting.

Psa 126:6 He who goes to and fro weeping, carrying his bag of seed, Shall indeed come again with a shout of joy, bringing his sheaves with him.