27 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 might celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs1to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.
28
So the sons of the singers were assembled from the districtaroundJerusalem, and from 2the villages of the Netophathites,
29
from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villagesaroundJerusalem.
30
The priests and the Levites3purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.
Procedures for the Temple
31 Then I had the leaders of Judahcome up on top* of the wall, and I appointedtwogreatchoirs, 4the first proceeding to the right on top* of the wall toward 5the RefuseGate.
32
Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judahfollowed* them,
35
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,
36
and his kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, 6with the musicalinstruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them.
37
At 7the FountainGate they wentdirectly up 8the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wallabove* the house of David to 9the WaterGate on the east.
38
10The secondchoirproceeded to the left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, 11above* the Tower of Furnaces, to 12the BroadWall,
39
and above*13the Gate of Ephraim, by 14the OldGate, by the 15FishGate, 16the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the SheepGate; and they stopped at 17the Gate of the Guard.
40
Then the twochoirstook their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me;
41
and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets;
42
and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singerssang, with Jezrahiah their leader,
43
and on that day they offeredgreatsacrifices and rejoicedbecause18God had given them greatjoy, even the women and childrenrejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.