Nehemiah 12:27-43

New King James Version

Nehemiah Dedicates the Wall

²⁷ Now at ^(A)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, ^(B)both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps. ²⁸ And the sons of the singers gathered together from the countryside around Jerusalem, from the ^(C)villages of the Netophathites, ²⁹ from the house of Gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth; for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem. ³⁰ Then the priests and Levites ^(D)purified themselves, and purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

³¹ So I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs. ^(E)One went to the right hand on the wall ^(F)toward the Refuse Gate. ³² After them went Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, ³³ and Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵ and some of the priests’ sons ^(G)with trumpets—Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Michaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶ and his brethren, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with ^(H)the musical ^(I)instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. ^37 (J)By the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up ^(K)the stairs of the ^(L)City of David, on the stairway of the wall, beyond the house of David, as far as ^(M)the Water Gate eastward.

^38 (N)The other thanksgiving choir went the opposite way, and I was behind them with half of the people on the wall, going past the ^(O)Tower of the Ovens as far as ^(P)the Broad Wall, ^39 (Q)and above the Gate of Ephraim, above ^(R)the Old Gate, above ^(S)the Fish Gate, ^(T)the Tower of Hananel, the Tower of ^[a]the Hundred, as far as ^(U)the Sheep Gate; and they stopped by ^(V)the Gate of the Prison.

⁴⁰ So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, likewise I and the half of the rulers with me; ⁴¹ and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, ^[b]Minjamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets; ⁴² also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. The singers ^[c]sang loudly with Jezrahiah the director.

⁴³ 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 ^(W)afar off.