2 Chronicles 29:25-30

29:25 King Hezekiah ¹  stationed the Levites in the Lord’s temple with cymbals and stringed instruments, just as David, Gad the king’s prophet, ²  and Nathan the prophet had ordered. (The Lord had actually given these orders through his prophets.) 29:26 The Levites had ³  David’s musical instruments and the priests had trumpets. 29:27 Hezekiah ordered the burnt sacrifice to be offered on the altar. As they began to offer the sacrifice, they also began to sing to the Lord, accompanied by the trumpets and the musical instruments of King David of Israel. 29:28 The entire assembly worshiped, as the singers sang and the trumpeters played. They continued until the burnt sacrifice was completed.

29:29 When the sacrifices were completed, the king and all who were with him bowed down and worshiped. 29:30 King Hezekiah and the officials told the Levites to praise the Lord, using the psalms ⁴  of David and Asaph the prophet. ⁵  So they joyfully offered praise and bowed down and worshiped.

2 Chronicles 30:21

30:21 The Israelites who were in Jerusalem observed the Feast of Unleavened Bread for seven days with great joy. The Levites and priests were praising the Lord every day with all their might. ⁶ 

Ezra 3:10-11

3:10 When the builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests, ceremonially attired and with their clarions, ⁷  and the Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to praise the Lord according to the instructions left by ⁸  King David of Israel. ⁹  3:11 With antiphonal response they sang, ¹⁰  praising and glorifying the Lord:

“For he is good;

his loyal love toward Israel is forever.”

All the people gave a loud ¹¹  shout as they praised the Lord when the temple of the Lord was established.

Nehemiah 12:27

The Wall of Jerusalem is Dedicated

12:27 At the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem, ¹²  they sought out the Levites from all the places they lived ¹³  to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate the dedication joyfully with songs of thanksgiving and songs accompanied by cymbals, harps, and lyres.

¹ tn Heb “he”; the referent (King Hezekiah) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

² tn Or “seer.”

³ tn Heb “stood with” (i.e., stood holding).

⁴ tn Heb “with the words.”

⁵ tn Or “seer.”

⁶ tn Heb “and they were praising the Lord day by day, the Levites and the priests with instruments of strength to the Lord.” The phrase בִּכְלֵי־עֹז (bikhley-’oz, “with instruments of strength”) might refer to loud sounding musical instruments (NASB “with loud instruments”; NEB “with unrestrained fervour”). The present translation assumes an emendation to בְּכָל־עֹז (bÿkhol-’oz, “with all strength”); see 1 Chr 13:8, as well as HALOT 805 s.v. I עֹז and BDB 739 s.v. עֹז).

⁷ sn This was a long, straight, metallic instrument used for signal calls, rather than the traditional ram’s horn (both instruments are typically translated “trumpet” by English versions).

⁸ tn Heb “according to the hands of.”

⁹ sn See Ps 107:1; 118:1, 29; 136:1. Cf. 2 Chr 5:13; 7:3; 20:21.

¹⁰ tn Heb “they answered.”

¹¹ tn Heb “great.”

¹² map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

¹³ tn Heb “from all their places.” The words “they lived” are implied.