According to Nehemiah, this verse is listing the leaders and important priests who helped guide the people in following God's ways. It shows how important it was to have strong and wise leaders to help everyone stay on the right path.
Nehemiah 12:12: And in the days of Joiakim were priests, the chief of the fathers: of Seraiah, Meraiah; of Jeremiah, Hananiah;
Both Nehemiah 12:12 and 1 Chronicles 6:1 refer to priestly lineages, but the genealogical details and order differ, leading to contradictions in lineage descriptions.
1 Chronicles 6:1: The sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. [Gershon: or, Gershom]