Hello, this is Father Paul, and I'm glad we're
taking this journey together to read the Bible
in a year. Today's reading is from the book of
Nehemiah, chapters 11 and 12. Chapter 11 Now
the leaders of the people dwelt at Jerusalem.
The rest of the people cast lots to bring one
out of ten to dwell in Jerusalem, the holy city,
and nine tenths were to dwell in other cities.
And the people blessed all the men who willingly
offered themselves to dwell at Jerusalem. These
are the heads of the province who dwelt in Jerusalem.
But in the cities of Judah, everyone dwelt in
his own possession in their cities, Israelites,
priests, Levites, Nethanim, and descendants of
Solomon's servants. Also in Jerusalem dwelt some
of the children of Judah and of the children
of Benjamin. of the children of Perez. And Masiah,
the son of Baruch, the son of Kolhoseh, the son
of Haziah, the son of Adaiah, the son of Joareb,
the son of Zechariah, the son of Shiloni. All
the sons of Perez who dwelt at Jerusalem were
468 valiant men. And these are the sons of Benjamin,
Salo the son of Meshulam, the son of Joad, the
son of Pediah, the son of Koliah, the son of
Masiah, the son of Etiel, the son of Jeshiah,
and after him, Gabai and Salai. 928. Joel, the
son of Zichri, was their overseer, and Judah,
the son of Sinua, was second over the city. Of
the priests, Jediah, the son of Joarib, and Jesheen.
Sariah, the son of Hilkiah, the son of Mishulam,
the son of Zadok, the son of Mariot, the son
of Ahitub, was the leader of the house of God.
Their brethren who did the work of the house
were eight hundred and twenty -two. And Adaiah
the son of Jeroham, the son of Pelaliah, the
son of Amzi, the son of Zechariah, the son of
Pashur, the son of Malkijah. And his brethren,
heads of the fathers' houses, were two hundred
and forty -two. And Amashai the son of Azarel,
the son of Ahzai, the son of Mishilemot, the
son of Emer. And their brethren, mighty men of
valor, were one hundred and twenty -eight. Their
overseer was Zabdiel, the son of one of the great
men. Also of the Levites, Shemaiah, the son of
Hashub, the son of Azrikim, the son of Hashabiah,
the son of Buni. Shabitai and Jezebel, of the
heads of the Levites, had the oversight of the
business outside of the house of God. Mataniah,
the son of Micah, the son of Zabdi, the son of
Asaph, the leader who began the thanksgiving
with prayer. Bakbukiah, the second among his
brethren. and Abda the son of Shammuah, the son
of Galal, the son of Jedusun. All the Levites
in the holy city were 284. Moreover, the gatekeepers,
Akub, Talmon, and their brethren who kept the
gates were 172. And the rest of Israel, of the
priests and Levites, were in all the cities of
Judah, everyone in his inheritance. But the Nethanim
dwelt in Ophel, and Zihah and Gishpah were over
the Nethanim. Also the overseer of the Levites
at Jerusalem was Uzi the son of Bani, the son
of Hashabiah, the son of Mataniah, the son of
Micah, of the sons of Asaph, the singers in charge
of the service of the house of God. For it was
the king's command concerning them that a certain
portion should be for the singers, a quota, day
by day. Pitaiah the son of Meshizabel, of the
children of Zerah, the son of Judah, was the
king's deputy in all matters concerning the people.
And as for the villages with their fields, some
of the children of Judah dwelt in Kirjas Arba
and its villages, Dibon and its villages, Jekabzeel
and its villages, in Jeshua, Molada, Beit Pelet,
Hazar Shual, and Beersheba and its villages,
in Ziklag and Mekona and its villages, in Ein
Ramon, Zorah, Jarmud, Zanoa, Adulam and their
villages, in Lashish and its fields, in Azekah
and its villages, They dwelt from Beersheba to
the valley of Hinnom. Also the children of Benjamin
from Geba dwelt in Mikmash, Ija, and Bethel,
and their villages, in Anatoth, Nob, Anania,
in Hazor, Ramah, Gittim, in Hadid, Zebuim, Nibalat,
in Lod, Ono, and the valley of Craftsman. Some
of the Judean divisions of Levites were in Benjamin.
Chapter 12 Now these are the priests and the
Levites who came up with Zerubbabel, the son
of Shealtiel and Jeshua. These were the heads
of the priests and their brethren in the days
of Jeshua. Moreover, the Levites were Jeshua,
Binwi, Kadmiel, Sherabiah, Judah, and Mataniah,
who led the thanksgiving psalms, he and his brethren.
Also, Bakbukia and Uni, their brethren, stood
across from them in their duties. Now in the
days of Joachim, the priests, the heads of the
father's houses were the son of Minjameen, of
Mudaya Piltai, of Bilga Shamua, of Shamaya Jehonathan,
of Joyarib Matanai, of Jedaya Uzi, of Salai Kalai,
of Amok Eber, of Hilkaya Hashabaya, and of Jedaya
Nithano. During the reign of Darius the Persian,
A record was also kept of the Levites and priests
who had been heads of their fathers' houses in
the days of Eliashib, Jehoiada, Johanan, and
Jadwa. The sons of Levi, the heads of the fathers'
houses until the days of Johanan, the son of
Eliashib, were written in the book of the Chronicles.
And the heads of the Levites were Hashabiah,
Sherebiah, and Jeshua, the son of Kadmiel, with
their brothers across from them, to praise and
give thanks. group alternating with group, according
to the command of David, the man of God. They
lived in the days of Joachim, the son of Jeshua,
the son of Josedach, and in the days of Nehemiah,
the governor, and of Ezra, the priest, the scribe.
Now, at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem,
they sought out the Levites in all their places
to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication
with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing,
with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.
And the sons of the singers gathered together
from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the
villages of the Netophetites, from the house
of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Asmavit.
For the singers had built themselves villages
all around Jerusalem. Then the priests and Levites
purified themselves and purified the people,
the gates, and the wall. So I brought the leaders
of Judah up on the wall and appointed two large
thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right hand
on the wall toward the refuse gate. After them
went Hoshiah and half of the leaders of Judah,
and Azariah, Ezra, Meshulam, Judah, Benjamin,
Shemaiah, Jeremiah, and some of the priests'
sons with trumpets, Zechariah the son of Jonathan,
the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mataniah, the
son of Micaiah, the son of Zechur, the son of
Asaph, and his brethren Shemaiah, Azariel, Melali,
Gilali, Mai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with
the musical instruments of David the man of God.
And Ezra the scribe went before them, by the
fountain gate in front of them, They went up
the stairs of the city of David, on the stairway
of the wall, beyond the house of David as far
as the water gate eastward. 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, and above the gate of Ephraim, above the
old gate, above the fish gate, the tower of Hananel,
the tower of the hundred, as far as the sheep
gate, and they stopped by the gate of the prison.
So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house
of God likewise, I and the half of the rulers
with me, and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseah, Minjamim,
Micaiah, Elionai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with
trumpets, also Maaseah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzi,
Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers
sang loudly, with Jezriah the director. also
that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced
for God had made them rejoice with great joy
the women and the children also rejoiced so that
the joy of Jerusalem was heard afar off and at
the same time Some were appointed over the rooms
of the storehouse for the offerings, the firstfruits,
and the tithe, to gather into them from the fields
of the cities the portions specified by the law
for the priests and Levites. For Judah rejoiced
over the priests and Levites who ministered.
Both the singers and the gatekeepers kept the
charge of their God and the charge of the purification,
according to the command of David and Solomon
his son. For in the days of David and Asaph of
old, there were chiefs of the singers and songs
of praise and thanksgiving to God. In the days
of Zerubbabel and in the days of Nehemiah, all
Israel gave the portions for the singers and
the gatekeepers, a portion for each day. They
also consecrated holy things for the Levites,
and the Levites consecrated them for the children
of Aaron. I hope you enjoyed today's reading
as much as I did and I look forward to seeing
you again tomorrow to continue on our journey.
God bless you and have a great day.