⁸ Tell the priests^(A) who carry the ark of the covenant: ‘When you reach the edge of the Jordan’s waters, go and stand in the river.’”

¹⁷ The priests^(A) who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground,^(B) while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.^(C)

³ giving orders to the people: “When you see the ark of the covenant^(A) of the Lord your God, and the Levitical^(B) priests^(C) carrying it, you are to move out from your positions and follow it.

²⁸ One of the sons of Joiada son of Eliashib^(A) the high priest was son-in-law to Sanballat^(B) the Horonite. And I drove him away from me.

²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember^(A) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

²⁴ And the leaders of the Levites^(A) were Hashabiah, Sherebiah, Jeshua son of Kadmiel, and their associates, who stood opposite them to give praise and thanksgiving, one section responding to the other, as prescribed by David the man of God.^(B)

²⁵ Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers who guarded the storerooms at the gates. ²⁶ They served in the days of Joiakim son of Joshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest, the teacher of the Law.

Dedication of the Wall of Jerusalem

²⁷ At the dedication^(C) 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,^(D) harps and lyres.^{(E) 28} The musicians also were brought together from the region around Jerusalem—from the villages of the Netophathites,^(F)

² He appointed the priests to their duties and encouraged them in the service of the Lord’s temple. ³ He said to the Levites, who instructed^(A) all Israel and who had been consecrated to the Lord: “Put the sacred ark in the temple that Solomon son of David king of Israel built. It is not to be carried about on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel. ⁴ Prepare yourselves by families in your divisions,^(B) according to the instructions written by David king of Israel and by his son Solomon.

⁵ “Stand in the holy place with a group of Levites for each subdivision of the families of your fellow Israelites, the lay people. ⁶ Slaughter the Passover lambs, consecrate yourselves^(C) and prepare the lambs for your fellow Israelites, doing what the Lord commanded through Moses.”

⁹ Hezekiah asked the priests and Levites about the heaps; ¹⁰ and Azariah the chief priest, from the family of Zadok,^(A) answered, “Since the people began to bring their contributions to the temple of the Lord, we have had enough to eat and plenty to spare, because the Lord has blessed his people, and this great amount is left over.”^(B)