The Dedication of the Wall

Levites and singers are gathered from around Jerusalem for a joyful dedication marked by thanksgiving, song, and instruments. Before the procession begins, priests and Levites purify themselves, the people, the gates, and the wall.

A²⁷t the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, the Levites were sought out from all their homes and brought to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing, accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres. ²⁸The singers were also assembled from the region around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, ²⁹from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for they had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem. ³⁰After the priests and Levites had purified themselves, they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

Nehemiah appoints one great thanksgiving choir to move along the wall toward the Dung Gate, followed by leaders, priests with trumpets, musicians, and Ezra. Their route passes upward by the City of David toward the Water Gate.

³¹Then I brought the leaders of Judah up on the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs. One was to proceed along the top of the wall to the right, toward the Dung Gate. ³²Hoshaiah and half the leaders of Judah followed, ³³along with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, ³⁵and some of the priests with trumpets, and also Zechariah son of Jonathan, the son of Shemaiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Micaiah, the son of Zaccur, the son of Asaph, ³⁶and his associates— Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani— with the musical instruments prescribed by David the man of God. Ezra the scribe led the procession. ³⁷At the Fountain Gate they went directly up the steps of the City of David on the ascent to the wall and passed above the house of David to the Water Gate on the east.

The second thanksgiving choir goes the other way along the wall until both choirs stand in the house of God with priests, officials, and musicians. The people offer great sacrifices and rejoice so loudly that Jerusalem's joy is heard from afar.

³⁸The second thanksgiving choir proceeded to the left, and I followed it with half the people along the top of the wall, past the Tower of the Ovens to the Broad Wall, ³⁹over the Gate of Ephraim, the Jeshanah Gate, the Fish Gate, the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate. And they stopped at the Gate of the Guard. ⁴⁰The two thanksgiving choirs then stood in the house of God, as did I, along with the half of the officials accompanying me, ⁴¹as well as the priests with their trumpets — Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah — ⁴²and also Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam, and Ezer. Then the choirs sang out under the direction of Jezrahiah. ⁴³On that day they offered great sacrifices, rejoicing because God had given them great joy. The women and children also rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.