Common English Bible CEB
The Message Bible MSG
1 These are the priests and the Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
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These are the priests and Levites who came up with Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel and with Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra,
2 Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
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Amariah, Malluch, Hattush,
3 Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
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Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth,
4 Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
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Iddo, Ginnethon, Abijah,
5 Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah,
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Mijamin, Moadiah, Bilgah,
6 Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
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Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah,
7 Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests and of their associates in the days of Jeshua.
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Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, and Jedaiah. These were the leaders of the priests during the time of Jeshua.
8 The Levites: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and also Mattaniah, who was in charge of the thanksgiving songs along with his associates.
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And the Levites:
9 Bakbukiah and Unn and their associates stood opposite them in the service.
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and their brothers Bakbukiah and Unni stood opposite them in the services of worship.
10 Jeshua was the father of Joiakim, Joiakim the father of Eliashib, Eliashib the father of Joiada,
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Jeshua fathered Joiakim, Joiakim fathered Eliashib, Eliashib fathered Joiada,
11 Joiada the father of Jonathan, and Jonathan the father of Jaddua.
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Joiada fathered Jonathan, and Jonathan fathered Jaddua.
12 These were the heads of the priestly families in the days of Joiakim: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
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During the time of Joiakim, these were the heads of the priestly families: of the family of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
13 of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
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of Ezra, Meshullam; of Amariah, Jehohanan;
14 of Malluch, Jonathan; of Shebaniah, Joseph;
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of Malluch, Jonathan; of Shecaniah, Joseph;
15 of Harim, Adna; of Meraioth, Helkai;
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of Harim, Adna; of Meremoth, Helkai;
16 of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
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of Iddo, Zechariah; of Ginnethon, Meshullam;
17 of Abijah, Zichri; of Miniamin, of Moadiah, Piltai;
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of Abijah, Zicri; of Miniamin and Moadiah, Piltai;
18 of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
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of Bilgah, Shammua; of Shemaiah, Jehonathan;
19 of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
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of Joiarib, Mattenai; of Jedaiah, Uzzi;
20 of Sallai, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
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of Sallu, Kallai; of Amok, Eber;
21 of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
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of Hilkiah, Hashabiah; and of Jedaiah, Nethanel.
22 In the days of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites and the priests were recorded as heads of families in the rule of Darius the Persian.
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During the time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, the Levites were registered as heads of families. During the reign of Darius the Persian, the priests were registered.
23 The Levites who were heads of families were recorded in the official records until the time of Johanan, Eliashib's son.
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The Levites who were heads of families were registered in the Book of the Chronicles until the time of Johanan son of Eliashib. These were:
24 These were the leaders of the Levites: Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua, Kadmiel's son, and their associates who stood opposite them to praise and give thanks in turn according to the commandment of David, the man of God, namely,
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Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua son of Kadmiel. Their brothers stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one side responding to the other, as had been directed by David the man of God.
25 Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, and Obadiah. Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub were gatekeepers standing guard by the storerooms of the gates.
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The security guards included: Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub.
26 These served in the days of Joiakim, Jeshua's son and Jozadak's grandson, and in the days of Governor Nehemiah and of Ezra the priest and scribe.
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They lived during the time of Joiakim son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, the time of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scholar. Dedication of the Wall
27 When it was time for the dedication of Jerusalem's wall, they sought out the Levites in all the places where they lived in order to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with joy, with thanks and singing, and with cymbals, harps, and lyres.
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When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes.
28 The singers also gathered together both from the region around Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites,
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The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites,
29 also from Beth-hagilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.
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from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth - the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.
30 After the priests and the Levites purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.
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The priests and Levites ceremonially purified themselves; then they did the same for the people, the gates, and the wall.
31 Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and organized two large groups to give thanks. The first group went in procession on the wall toward the right, in the direction of the Dung Gate.
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I had the leaders of Judah come up on the wall, and I appointed two large choirs. One proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate.
32 Following them went Hoshaiah and half the officials of Judah,
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Hashaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them,
33 along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
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including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,
34 Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.
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Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.
35 There were also some young priests with trumpets—Zechariah son of Jonathan son of Shemaiah son of Mattaniah son of Micaiah son of Zaccur son of Asaph—
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Some of the young priests had trumpets. Next, playing the musical instruments of David the man of God, came Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,
36 along with his associates Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They brought the musical instruments of David the man of God. Ezra the scribe went in front of them.
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and his brothers Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. Ezra the scholar led them.
37 When they reached the Fountain Gate they went straight up by the stairs of David's City, on the ascent to the wall, past the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
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At the Fountain Gate they went straight ahead, up the steps of the City of David using the wall stairway above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.
38 The second group went in procession to the left. I followed them with half of the people along the wall past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall,
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The other choir proceeded to the left. I and half of the people followed them on the wall from the Tower of Furnaces to the Broad Wall,
39 past the Gate of Ephraim and over the Mishneh Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate. They came to stop at the Gate of the Guard.
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over the Ephraim Gate, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred as far as the Sheep Gate, stopping at the Prison Gate.
40 Then both groups of those who gave thanks stood in God's house. I was there too along with the half of the officials who were with me.
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The two choirs then took their places in The Temple of God. I was there with half of the officials,
41 Also there were the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with trumpets.
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along with the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah with their trumpets.
42 Also there were Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers sang with Jezrahiah as their leader.
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Also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers, directed by Jezrahiah, made the rafters ring.
43 They offered great sacrifices on that day and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, and the sound of the joy in Jerusalem could be heard from far away.
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That day they offered great sacrifices, an exuberant celebration because God had filled them with great joy. The women and children raised their happy voices with all the rest. Jerusalem's jubilation was heard far and wide.
44 On that day, people were appointed over the rooms for the things to be stored, the contributions, the early produce, and the tenth-part gifts. They were to gather into them the portions required by the Instruction for the priests and for the Levites from the fields belonging to the towns, for the people of Judah were delighted with the ministry of the priests and the Levites.
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That same day men were appointed to be responsible for the storerooms for the offerings, the firstfruits, and the tithes. They saw to it that the portion directed by The Revelation for the priests and Levites was brought in from the farms connected to the towns. Judah was so appreciative of the priests and Levites and their service;
45 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did the singers and the gatekeepers, according to the command of David and his son Solomon.
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they, along with the singers and security guards, had done everything so well, conducted the worship of their God and the ritual of ceremonial cleansing in a way that would have made David and his son Solomon proud.
46 Long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there was a leader of the singers, and there were songs of praise and thanks to God.
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That's the way it was done in the olden days, the days of David and Asaph, when they had choir directors for singing songs of praise and thanksgiving to God.
47 In the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah all Israel gave the daily portions for the singers and the gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the Aaronites.
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During the time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily allowances for the singers and security guards. They also set aside what was dedicated to the Levites, and the Levites did the same for the Aaronites.
Copyright © 2011 Common English Bible
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.