Study Desk

Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem so that they could celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving and with songs ^(C1)to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

So the sons of the singers were assembled from the territory around Jerusalem, and from ^(C1)the villages of the Netophathites,

from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, because the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem.

The priests and the Levites ^(C1)purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two large ^(F1)choirs, ^(F2)(C1)the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward ^(C2)the Dung Gate.

Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them,

with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam,

Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah,

and some of the sons of the priests with trumpets; and Zechariah the son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph,

and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani, ^(C1)with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.

At ^(C1)the Fountain Gate they went directly up ^(C2)the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall, above the house of David to ^(C3)the Water Gate on the east.

^(C1)The second ^(F1)choir proceeded to the ^(F2)left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, ^(C2)above the Tower of Furnaces, to ^(C3)the Broad Wall,

and above ^(C1)the Gate of Ephraim, by ^(C2)the Ancient Gate, by the ^(C3)Fish Gate, ^(C4)the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at ^(C5)the Gate of the Guard.

Then the two choirs took their positions in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;

and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with the trumpets;

and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers ^(F1)sang, with Jezrahiah their leader,

and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because ^(C1)God had given them great joy, and the women and children rejoiced as well, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.