Nehemiah 12

12 ¹Na dis be di priests and Levites wey come up wit Zerubbabel di pikin of Shealtiel, and Jeshua: Seraiah, Jeremiah, Ezra, ²Amariah, Malluch, Hattush, ³Shecaniah, Rehum, Meremoth, ⁴Iddo, Ginnethoi, Abijah, ⁵Mijamin, Maadiah, Bilgah, ⁶Shemaiah, Joiarib, Jedaiah, ⁷Sallu, Amok, Hilkiah, Jedaiah—na dem be di oga-heads of di priests and dia family for Jeshua im time.

⁸Di Levites na: Jeshua, Binnui, Kadmiel, Sherebiah, Judah, and Mattaniah, wey im and im brothers dey lead di songs of thanksgiving. ⁹Bakbukiah and Unni, dia brothers, dey stand for dia front wen na dia turn to serve. ¹⁰Jeshua born Joiakim, Joiakim born Eliashib, Eliashib born Joiada, ¹¹Joiada born Jonathan, and Jonathan born Jaddua.

¹²For Joiakim im time, na dis priests be di oga-heads of dia fada-houses: Meraiah for Seraiah im house, Hananiah for Jeremiah own, ¹³for Ezra own, Meshullam; for Amariah own, Jehohanan; ¹⁴for Malluchi own, Jonathan; for Shebaniah own, Joseph; ¹⁵for Harim own, Adna; for Meraioth own, Helkai; ¹⁶for Iddo own, Zechariah; for Ginnethon own, Meshullam; ¹⁷for Abijah own, Zichri; for Miniamin own and Moadiah own, Piltai; ¹⁸for Bilgah own, Shammua; for Shemaiah own, Jehonathan; ¹⁹for Joiarib own, Mattenai; for Jedaiah own, Uzzi; ²⁰for Sallai own, Kallai; for Amok own, Eber; ²¹for Hilkiah own, Hashabiah; for Jedaiah own, Nethanel.

²²For di time of Eliashib, Joiada, Johanan, and Jaddua, dem write down di oga-heads of di Levite families, and di priests too for di time wey Darius di Persian dey rule. ²³Dem write down di oga-heads of di Levite families for di Book of di Chronicles, reach di time of Johanan di pikin of Eliashib. ^a a v23 Di Book of di Chronicles wey dem talk here na official state register, no be di Bible books of Chronicles. ²⁴Di Levite leaders na Hashabiah, Sherebiah, and Jeshua di pikin of Kadmiel, wit dia brothers for dia front, dey praise and dey give thanks, one group dey answer di oda one, as David di man of our Papa bin command. ²⁵Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon, and Akkub na di gatekeepers wey dey guard di store-rooms for di gates. ²⁶Na dis ones serve for di time of Joiakim di pikin of Jeshua, di pikin of Jozadak, and for di time of Nehemiah di governor and Ezra di priest and scribe.

Dem Dedicate di Wall wit Plenty Joy

²⁷For di dedication of Jerusalem im wall, dem find di Levites from anywhere wey dem dey stay, and bring dem come Jerusalem to celebrate di dedication wit joy—thanksgiving, singing, cymbals, harps, and lyres. ²⁸Di singers too gada come together from di area around Jerusalem and from di villages of di Netophathites, ²⁹from Beth-gilgal and di bush-side of Geba and Azmaveth, because di singers don build villages for demself around Jerusalem. ³⁰Wen di priests and Levites don make demself clean, dem make di people, di gates, and di wall clean too.

³¹Den I bring Judah im leaders come up on top di wall, and I put two big thanksgiving choirs for dia place. One waka go right, on top di wall, go di Dung Gate. ³²Hoshaiah and half of di leaders of Judah follow dem, ³³togeda wit Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, ³⁵and some of di priests dia sons wit trumpets: Zechariah di pikin of Jonathan, di pikin of Shemaiah, di pikin of Mattaniah, di pikin of Micaiah, di pikin of Zaccur, di pikin of Asaph, ³⁶and im brothers—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—wit di music instruments of David, di man of our Papa; Ezra di scribe dey lead di procession. ³⁷For di Fountain Gate, dem go straight up di stairs of di City of David, up di place wey di wall dey climb, pass di house of David, reach di Water Gate for di east.

³⁸Di second choir waka go left; I follow dem wit half of di people, on top di wall, pass di Tower of di Ovens reach di Broad Wall, ³⁹and pass di Gate of Ephraim, di Jeshanah Gate, di Fish Gate, di Tower of Hananel, di Tower of di 100, reach di Sheep Gate, and dem stop for di Gate of di Guard. ⁴⁰Di two thanksgiving choirs stand for di house of our Papa—I too stand, wit half of di officials wey dey wit me, ⁴¹and di priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah wit dia trumpets. ⁴²Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer dey there too. Di singers sing, wit Jezrahiah dey lead dem. ⁴³For dat day dem offer plenty sacrifice and dem dey rejoice, because our Papa give dem plenty joy. Women and children rejoice too, and dem hear di joy of Jerusalem from far.

To Take Care of Dem Wey Dey Serve our Papa

⁴⁴For dat day dem choose men to dey over di store-rooms for di contributions, di firstfruits, and di tenth, to gada from di town farms di portions wey di Law give to di priests and Levites, because Judah dey rejoice over di priests and Levites wey dey serve. ⁴⁵Dem do dia duty to our Papa and to di work of purification, di singers and gatekeepers do dia own too, as David and im pikin Solomon bin command. ⁴⁶Because long-long time ago, for di time of David and Asaph, dem get song leaders wey dey lead praise and thanksgiving to our Papa. ⁴⁷For di time of Zerubbabel and Nehemiah, all Israel dey give daily portions to di singers and gatekeepers, and dem set aside share for di Levites, and di Levites set aside share for Aaron im descendants.