Two Thanksgiving Choirs

27At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites from all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings, and with song, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

28And the sons of the singers were gathered from the district around Jerusalem and from the settlements of the Netophathites.

29and from Beth-gilgal, and from the fields of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built villages for themselves around Jerusalem.

30And the priests and the Levites purified themselves, and they purified the people, the gates, and the wall.

31Then I brought the leaders of Judah up onto the wall, and I appointed two great thanksgiving choirs and processions, one going to the right on the wall toward the Dung Gate.

32Hoshaiah and half of the officials of Judah went behind them.

33and Azariah, Ezra, and Meshullam.

34Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah.

35and from the sons of the priests, with trumpets: Zechariah son of Jonathan, son of Shemaiah, son of Mattaniah, son of Micaiah, son of Zaccur, son of Asaph.

36and his brothers—Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani—with the musical instruments of David the man of God, and Ezra the scribe before them.

37And by the Fountain Gate, in front of them, they went up by the stairs of the city of David, at the ascent of the wall, above the house of David, and as far as the Water Gate on the east.

38And the second thanksgiving choir was going to the left, and I followed behind it, with half of the people on the wall, from above the Tower of the Ovens as far as the Broad Wall.

39and above the Gate of Ephraim, and above the Old Gate, and above the Fish Gate, and the Tower of Hananel, and the Tower of the Hundred, and as far as the Sheep Gate; and they stood at the Gate of the Guard.

40So the two thanksgiving choirs took their stand in the house of God, and I, and half of the officials with me,

41and the priests: Eliakim, Maaseiah, Miniamin, Micaiah, Elioenai, Zechariah, and Hananiah, with trumpets.

42and Maaseiah, Shemaiah, Eleazar, Uzzi, Jehohanan, Malkijah, Elam, and Ezer. And the singers made their voices heard, with Izrahiah the overseer.

43On that day they offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, because God had made them rejoice with great joy. Also the women and the children rejoiced, and the joy of Jerusalem was heard from far away.