Nehemiah 12:27-40

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 1to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres. 28So the sons of the singers were assembled from the district around Jerusalem, and from 2the 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 3purified 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 4choirs, 56the first proceeding to the right on top of the wall toward 7the 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 8kinsmen, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah and Hanani, 9with the musical instruments of David the man of God. And Ezra the scribe went before them. 37At 10the Fountain Gate they went directly up 11the steps of the city of David by the stairway of the wall above the house of David to 12the Water Gate on the east.

3813The second 14choir proceeded to the 15left, while I followed them with half of the people on the wall, 16above the Tower of Furnaces, to 17the Broad Wall, 39and above 18the Gate of Ephraim, by 19the Old Gate, by the 20Fish Gate, 21the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stopped at 22the 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;