Nehemiah 12:27–40

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷At the dedication^q of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from where they lived and were brought to Jerusalem to celebrate joyfully the dedication with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals,^r harps and lyres.^{s 28}The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^{t 29}from Beth Gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, for the musicians had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰When the priests and Levites had purified themselves ceremonially, they purified the people,^u the gates and the wall.

³¹I had the leaders of Judah go up on top of^e the wall. I also assigned two large choirs to give thanks. One was to proceed on top of^f the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate.^{v 32}Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed them, ³³along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴Judah, Benjamin,^w Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵as well as some priests with trumpets,^x and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zakkur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶and his associates—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani—with musical instruments^y prescribed by David the man of God.^z Ezra^a the teacher of the Law led the procession. ³⁷At the Fountain Gate^b they continued directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the site of David’s palace to the Water Gate^c on the east.

³⁸The second choir proceeded in the opposite direction. I followed them on top of^g the wall, together with half the people—past the Tower of the Ovens^d to the Broad Wall,^{e 39}over the Gate of Ephraim,^f the Jeshanah^h Gate,^g the Fish Gate,^h the Tower of Hananelⁱ and the Tower of the Hundred,^j as far as the Sheep Gate.^k At the Gate of the Guard they stopped.

⁴⁰The two choirs that gave thanks then took their places in the house of God; so did I, together with half the officials,