The Wall is Dedicated

²⁷ At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they invited the descendants of Levi to come from wherever they lived to Jerusalem so they could celebrate the dedication with joy, thanksgiving, and songs, accompanied by^[a] cymbals, lyres, and harps. ²⁸ So the descendants of the singers gathered themselves together from the region surrounding Jerusalem, from the villages of Netophathi, ²⁹ from Beth-gilgal, and from the area of Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built villages for themselves in the vicinity of Jerusalem. ³⁰ The priests and the descendants of Levi purified themselves, and also purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

The Procession on the Wall

³¹ Then I brought up the leaders of Judah to the crest of the wall, and appointed two large thanksgiving choirs, the first of which^[b] proceeded on the wall to the right toward the Dung Gate. ³² Following them were Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah, ³³ including Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah. ³⁵ Some of the priests’ sons were trumpeters, including Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶ with his associates Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, accompanied by the musical instruments of David, the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. ³⁷ At the Fountain Gate, which stood opposite them, they ascended the stairs of the City of David where the wall rose above the house of David east of the Water Gate.

³⁸ The second thanksgiving choir approached opposite them, and I followed them. Half of the people stood on the crest of the wall from beyond the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, ³⁹ and from above the Ephraim Gate, above the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. They stopped at the Guard Gate. ⁴⁰ Then the two choirs assembled in the Temple of God, as did I, along with half of the officials who accompanied me, ⁴¹ and the priests Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, Hananiah with trumpeters ⁴² Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers made their presence known, with Jezrahiah to lead them.

⁴³ That day they offered a large number of sacrifices, and they rejoiced, because God had caused them to rejoice enthusiastically. Their wives and children rejoiced, so that Jerusalem’s joy was heard from a long distance.