Study Desk

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, and with thanksgiving, and with singing, lyres.

And the sons of the singers gathered themselves, both out of the plain country around Jerusalem, and from the villages of the inhabitants of Netophah,

and from the house of Gilgal, and out of the fields of Geba and Azmaveth (for the singers had built themselves villages all around Jerusalem).

And the priests and the Levites purified themselves. And they purified the people, and the gates, and the wall.

Then I brought up the rulers of Judah on the wall, and chose two great thanksgiving choirs. One went to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate,

and after them went Hoshaiah, and half the rulers of Judah;

even Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam,

Judah, and Benjamin, and Shemaiah, and Jeremiah;

and many of the priests' sons 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,

and his brothers, Shemaiah, and Azareel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethaneel, and Judah, Hanani, with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe was before them.

And at the Fountain Gate across from them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the going up of the wall above the house of David, even to the Water Gate eastward.

And the other thanksgiving choir was going to the opposite side , and I after them, and half of the people on the wall, from beyond the Tower of Furnaces, even to the Broad Wall;

and from above the Ephraim Gate, and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananeel, and the Tower of Meah, even to the Sheep Gate. And they stood still in the Prison Gate.

So the two thanksgiving choirs stood in the house of God, and I, and half of the rulers with me.

And the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Michaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah were with trumpets.

And Maaseiah, and Shemaiah, and Eleazar, and Uzzi, and Jehohanan, and Malchijah, and Elam, and Ezer; and the singers sang aloud with Jezrahiah as their overseer.

And that day they offered great sacrifices, and rejoiced. For God had made them rejoice with great joy. And the wives, and the children rejoiced so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even at a distance.