Nehemiah 12:22-43

22As for the Levites, the heads of fathers’ households were registered in the days of Eliashib, Joiada, and Johanan and Jaddua; so were the priests in the reign of Darius the Persian. 23The sons of Levi, the heads of fathers’ households, were registered in the Book of the Chronicles up to the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. 24The heads of the Levites were Hashabiah, Sherebiah and Jeshua the son of Kadmiel, with their brothers opposite them, 1to praise and give thanks, 2as prescribed by David the man of God, 3division corresponding to division. 25Mattaniah, Bakbukiah, Obadiah, Meshullam, Talmon and Akkub were gatekeepers keeping watch at 4the storehouses of the gates. 26These served in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua, the son of Jozadak, and in the days of 5Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra the priest and scribe.

27Now 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 songs 6to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from 7the villages of the Netophathites, 29from Beth-gilgal and from their fields in Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built themselves villages around Jerusalem. 30The priests and the Levites 8purified themselves; they also purified the people, the gates and the wall.

31Then I had the leaders of Judah come up on top of the wall, and I appointed two great 9choirs, 1011the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward 12the Refuse Gate. 32Hoshaiah and half of the leaders of Judah followed them, 33with Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, 34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, Jeremiah, 35and 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, 36and his 13kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, 14with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37At 15the Fountain Gate they went directly up 16the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to 17the Water Gate on the east.

3818The second 19choir proceeded to the 20left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, 21above the Tower of Furnaces, to 22the Broad Wall, 39and above 23the Gate of Ephraim, by 24the Old Gate, by the 25Fish Gate, 26the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at 27the Gate of the Guard. 40Then the two choirs took their stand in the house of God. So did I and half of the officials with me; 41and the priests, Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah and Hananiah, with the trumpets; 42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malchijah, Elam and Ezer. And the singers 28sang, with Jezrahiah their leader, 43and on that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced because 29God had given them great joy, even the women and children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard from afar.