Nehemiah 12:27–40

Dedication of the Wall

²⁷And at ^qthe dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, ^rwith cymbals, harps, and lyres. ²⁸And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; ²⁹also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. ³⁰And the priests and the Levites ^spurified themselves, and they purified the people and the gates and the wall.

³¹Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall and appointed two great choirs that gave thanks. ^tOne went to the south on the wall to ^uthe Dung Gate. ³²And after them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, ³³and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, ³⁵and certain of the priests’ sons ^vwith trumpets: Zechariah the son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph; ³⁶and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, ^wwith the musical instruments of David ^xthe man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. ³⁷At ^ythe Fountain Gate they went up straight before them by ^zthe stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, to ^athe Water Gate on the east.

^38bThe other choir of those who gave thanks went to the north, and I followed them with half of the people, on the wall, above ^cthe Tower of the Ovens, to ^dthe Broad Wall, ³⁹and above ^ethe Gate of Ephraim, and by ^fthe Gate of Yeshanah,¹ and by ^gthe Fish Gate and ^hthe Tower of Hananel and ^hthe Tower of the Hundred, to ⁱthe Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at ^jthe Gate of the Guard. ⁴⁰So both choirs of those who gave thanks stood in the house of God, and I and half of the officials with me;