Nehemiah 12:27

Contemporary English Version

When the city wall was dedicated, Levites from everywhere in Judah were invited to join in the celebration with songs of praise and with the music of cymbals, small harps, and other stringed instruments.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sent for the Levites wherever they lived and brought them to Jerusalem to celebrate the joyous dedication with thanksgiving and singing accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Hebrew Names Version
At the dedication of the wall of Yerushalayim they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Yerushalayim, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

King James Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

English Standard Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

New Century Version
When the wall of Jerusalem was offered as a gift to God, they asked the Levites to come from wherever they lived to Jerusalem to celebrate with joy the gift of the wall. They were to celebrate with songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

New English Translation
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Amplified Bible
Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites from all their places in order to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with hymns of thanksgiving, and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

New American Standard Bible
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 could celebrate the dedication with joy, with songs of thanksgiving and with songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

World English Bible
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with giving thanks, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

Geneva Bible (1587)
And in the dedication of the wall at Ierusalem they sought the Leuites out of all their places to bring them to Ierusalem to keepe the dedication and gladnes, both with thanksgiuings & with songs, cymbales, violes and with harpes.

Legacy Standard Bible
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 songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

Berean Standard Bible
At 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.

Complete Jewish Bible
At the dedication of the wall of Yerushalayim, they sought out the L'vi'im from wherever they had settled to bring them to Yerushalayim and celebrate the dedication with hymns of thanksgiving and with songs accompanied by cymbals, lutes and lyres.

Darby Translation
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to hold the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, lutes and harps.

Easy-to-Read Version
The people dedicated the wall of Jerusalem. They brought all the Levites to Jerusalem. The Levites came from the towns they lived in. They came to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem. They came to sing songs of praise and thanks to God. They played their cymbals, harps, and lyres.

George Lamsa Translation
And when the wall of Jerusalem was finished, they gathered the Levites together in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness and rejoicing, with thanksgiving and with singing, with cymbals and with harps.

Good News Translation
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Lexham English Bible
At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites from all of their places in order to bring them to Jerusalem to do the dedication with joy, thanksgivings, song and cymbals, stringed instruments and lyres.

Literal Translation
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites out of all their places to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, and with thanksgiving, and with singing, lyres.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
And in the dedicacion of the wall at Ierusalem, were the Leuites soughte out of all their places, that they mighte be broughte to Ierusalem, to kepe ye dedicacion in gladnesse, with thankesgeuynges, with synginge, with Cymbales, Psalteries and harpes.

American Standard Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

Bible in Basic English
And when the time came for the wall of Jerusalem to be made holy, they sent for the Levites out of all their places to come to Jerusalem, to keep the feast with joy, and with praise and melody, with brass and corded instruments of music.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
And in the dedication of the wall at Hierusalem they fought the Leuites out of all their places, that they might be brought to Hierusalem, to kepe the dedication and gladnesse with thankesgeuinges, & singing, with cymbales, psalteries, and harpes.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

King James Version (1611)
And at the dedication of the wall of Ierusalem, they sought the Leuites out of all their places, to bring them to Ierusalem, to keepe the dedication with gladnesse, both with thankesgiuings and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harpes.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep a feast of dedication and gladness with thanksgiving, and they sounded cymbals with songs, and had psalteries and harps.

English Revised Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication, with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Forsothe in the halewyng of the wal of Jerusalem thei souyten dekenes of alle her places, to bryng hem in to Jerusalem, and to make the halewyng in gladnesse, in the doyng of thankyngis, and in song, and in cymbalis, and in sautrees, and in harpis.

Update Bible Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

Webster's Bible Translation
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps.

New King James Version
Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, both with thanksgivings and singing, with cymbals and stringed instruments and harps.

New Living Translation
For the dedication of the new wall of Jerusalem, the Levites throughout the land were asked to come to Jerusalem to assist in the ceremonies. They were to take part in the joyous occasion with their songs of thanksgiving and with the music of cymbals, harps, and lyres.

New Life Bible
At the special time to praise God for the wall of Jerusalem, they looked for all the Levites in the places where they lived and brought them to Jerusalem so they might join them at this special time with happiness. They sang songs of thanks and other songs as timbrels and harps were played.

New Revised Standard
Now at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought out the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with rejoicing, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, they sought the Levites, out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, - to keep the dedication and the rejoicing, both with thanksgiving and with music, cymbals, harps, and with lyres.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, and to keep the dedication, and to rejoice with thanksgiving, and with singing, and with cymbals, and psalteries and harps.

Revised Standard Version
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres.

Young's Literal Translation
And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them in to Jerusalem, to make the dedication even with gladness, and with thanksgivings, and with singing, [with] cymbals, psalteries, and with harps;

THE MESSAGE
When it came time for the dedication of the wall, they tracked down and brought in the Levites from all their homes in Jerusalem to carry out the dedication exuberantly: thanksgiving hymns, songs, cymbals, harps, and lutes. The singers assembled from all around Jerusalem, from the villages of the Netophathites, from Beth Gilgal, from the farms at Geba and Azmaveth—the singers had built villages for themselves all around Jerusalem.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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 songs to the accompaniment of cymbals, harps and lyres.

Contextual Overview

²⁷ When the city wall was dedicated, Levites from everywhere in Judah were invited to join in the celebration with songs of praise and with the music of cymbals, small harps, and other stringed instruments. ²⁸The Levite singers lived in villages around Jerusalem, and so they came from there, as well as from the villages around Netophah, Beth-Gilgal, Geba, and Azmaveth. ³⁰ The priests and Levites held special ceremonies to make themselves holy, and then they did the same for the rest of the people and for the gates and walls of the city. ³¹ I brought the leaders of Judah to the top of the city wall and put them in charge of the two groups that were to march around on top of the wall, singing praises to God. One group marched to the right in the direction of Garbage Gate. ³² Hoshaiah and half of the leaders followed them. ³³ Then came the priests Azariah, Ezra, Meshullam, ³⁴ Judah, Benjamin, Shemaiah, and Jeremiah, ³⁵ all of them blowing trumpets. Next, there was Zechariah of the Asaph clan ³⁶ and his relatives, Shemaiah, Azarel, Milalai, Gilalai, Maai, Nethanel, Judah, and Hanani. They played musical instruments like those that had been played by David, the man of God. And they marched behind Ezra, the teacher of the Law. ³⁷ When they reached Fountain Gate, they climbed the steps to David's City and went past his palace, before stopping at the Water Gate near the eastern wall of the city.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

am 3559, bc 445

the dedication: Jerusalem was the holy city, and the wall was built under the immediate superintendence and blessing of Jehovah: it was therefore proper that it should be dedicated to that God who was there worshipped by solemn praises, prayers, and sacrifices. The dedication seems to have consisted in processions of the most eminent persons around the walls, with thanksgivings to God, who had enabled them to bring the work to so happy a conclusion; and, no doubt, to all this were added a particular consecration of the city to God, and the most earnest invocation that He would take it under His guardianship, and defend it and its inhabitants against their enemies. Deuteronomy 20:5, Psalms 30:1, *title

out: Nehemiah 11:20, 1 Chronicles 15:4, 1 Chronicles 15:12, 1 Chronicles 25:6, 1 Chronicles 26:31, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 29:4-11, 2 Chronicles 29:30, Ezra 8:15-20

gladness: Nehemiah 8:17, Deuteronomy 16:11, 2 Samuel 6:12, 2 Chronicles 29:30, Ezra 6:16, Psalms 98:4-6, Psalms 100:1, Psalms 100:2, Philippians 4:4

thanksgivings: 1 Chronicles 13:8, 1 Chronicles 15:16, 1 Chronicles 15:28, 1 Chronicles 16:5, 1 Chronicles 16:42, 1 Chronicles 23:5, 1 Chronicles 25:1-6, 2 Chronicles 5:13, 2 Chronicles 7:6, Ezra 3:10, Ezra 3:11, Psalms 81:1-4, Psalms 92:1-3, Psalms 149:3, Psalms 150:2-5, Revelation 5:8

Reciprocal: Numbers 7:10 - dedicating 1 Kings 8:63 - dedicated 1 Chronicles 6:32 - and then 2 Chronicles 20:21 - appointed Nehemiah 4:2 - sacrifice Jeremiah 31:13 - shall Revelation 21:12 - a wall

Gill's Notes on the Bible

And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem,.... In which many priests and Levites assisted, and seems to be the reason of the above account of them; the dedication of the wall takes in the whole city, gates, and houses, Nehemiah 12:30, and if a new house was to be dedicated, much more a new city, and especially the holy city, in which stood the temple of the Lord, see Deuteronomy 20:5, this dedication was made by prayer and songs of praise, as follow, and no doubt by sacrifices, and was kept as a festival; and indeed, according to the Jewish writers q, it was annually observed on the seventh of Elul, or August; it was on the twenty fifth of that month that the wall was finished, Nehemiah 6:15, but the gates were not set up, and all things for the dedication were not ready till Elul, or August, following; and then all being finished, they made and served the seventh of that month as a festival:

they sought the Levites out of all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem, to keep the dedication with gladness; to assist in the solemnity of the day both with vocal and instrumental music, as follows:

both with thanksgiving and with singing; with songs of praise and thankfulness vocally, that they had been able, notwithstanding all the malice of their enemies, to build the wall in so short a time; or with a song, perhaps the thirtieth psalm was sung on this occasion:

with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps; some playing on one, and some on another, which were the three principal instruments of music used by them, see 1 Chronicles 15:16.

q Megillath Thainith, c. 3. apud Selden. de Synedr. l. 3. c. 13. sect. 12.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The dedication of the wall - The ceremony had been deferred for the space of nearly 12 years Nehemiah 13:6. Perhaps Nehemiah required an express permission from the Persian king before he could venture on a solemnity which might have been liable to misrepresentation.

Out of all their places - i. e., out of the various cities of Judah and Benjamin in which they dwelt Nehemiah 11:36.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse 27. At the dedication of the wall — They sent for the Levites from all quarters, that this dedication might be as solemn and majestic as possible; and it is likely that this was done as soon as convenient after the walls were finished. The dedication seems to have consisted in processions of the most eminent persons around the walls, and thanksgivings to God, who had enabled them to bring the work to so happy a conclusion: and no doubt to all this were added a particular consecration of the city to God, and the most earnest invocation that he would take it under his guardian care, and defend it and its inhabitants against all their enemies.

The ancients consecrated their cities to the gods, and the very walls were considered as sacred. Ovid gives us an account of the ceremonies used in laying the foundations of the walls of the city of Rome, by Romulus. After having consulted together who should give name to the city, and have the direction of the wall by which it was necessary to surround it, they agreed to let the case be decided by the flight of birds. One brother went to the top of the Mons Palatinus, the other to that of Mount Aventine. Romulus saw twelve birds, Remus saw but six; the former, therefore, according to agreement, took the command. The poet thus describes the ceremonies used on the occasion: -

Apta dies legitur, qua moenia signet aratro;

Sacra Palis suberant; inde movetur opus.

Fossa fit ad solidum: fruges jaciuntur in ima.

Et de vicino terra petita solo.

Fossa repletur humo, plenaeque imponitur ara;

Et novus accenso finditur igne focus.

Inde, premens stivam, designat moenia sulco;

Alba jugum niveo cum bove vacca tulit.

Vox tuit haec regis; Condenti Jupiter urbem,

Et genitor Mavors, Vestaque mater ades:

Quosque pium est adhibere deos, advertite cuncti:

Auspicibus vobis hoc mihi surgat opus.

Longa sit huic aetas, dominaeque potentia terrae:

Sitque sub hac oriens occiduusque dies!

Ille precabatur. OVID, Fast. lib. iv., ver. 819.

"A proper day is chosen in which he may mark out the walls with the plough: the festival of Pales was at hand when the work was begun. A ditch is dug down to the solid clay, into which they cast the fruits of the season; and bring earth from the neighbouring ground, with which they fill up the trench; and on it build an altar, by whose flames the newly made hearth is cleft asunder. Then Romulus, seizing the plough, which a white heifer yoked with a snowy bull drew along, marked out the walls with a furrow. And thus spoke the king: 'O Jupiter, and Father Mars, with Matron Vesta, prosper me in founding this city! And all ye gods, approach, whomsoever it is right to invoke! Under your auspices may the work arise; may it endure for countless ages, and be the mistress of the world; and may the East and the West be under its control!' Thus he prayed."

The above is a literal version, and the account is not a little curious.