Nehemiah 12:27-43

Christian Standard Bible

Dedication of the Wall

²⁷ At the dedication of the wall^(A) of Jerusalem, they sent for the Levites wherever they lived and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.^{(B) 28} The singers gathered from the region around Jerusalem, from the settlements of the Netophathites,^{(C) 29} from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built settlements for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰ After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the city gates, and the wall.^(D)

³¹ Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large processions that gave thanks. One went to the right on the wall, toward the Dung Gate.^{(E) 32} Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed, ³³ along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵ and some of the priests’ sons with trumpets, and Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph followed ³⁶ as well as his relatives—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, with the musical instruments of David, the man of God.^(F) Ezra the scribe^(G) went in front of them. ³⁷ At the Fountain Gate^(H) they climbed the steps of the city of David^(I) on the ascent of the wall and went above the house of David to the Water Gate^(J) on the east.

³⁸ The second thanksgiving procession went to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens^(K) to the Broad Wall,^{(L) 39} above the Ephraim Gate,^(M) and by the Old Gate,^(N) the Fish Gate,^(O) the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate.^(P) They stopped at the Gate of the Guard.^{(Q) 40} The two thanksgiving processions stood in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials accompanying me, ⁴¹ as well as the priests:

Then the singers sang, with Jezrahiah as the leader. ⁴³ On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because God had given them great joy.^(R) The women and children also celebrated, and Jerusalem’s rejoicing was heard far away.^(S)