Nehemiah 12:23
The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib. The sons of Levi, the chief of the fathers, were written in the book of the chronicles, even until the days of Johanan the son of Eliashib.
Nehemiah 12:23 belongs to the account of a great thanksgiving day at Jerusalem for the dedication of the walls restored under Nehemiah's direction after the return from the Babylonian captivity. The dedication was kept with gladness, with thanksgiving, and with singing, with cymbals, psalteries, and with harps. The priests and the Levites purified themselves and purified the people, then offered great sacrifices and rejoiced, for God had made them rejoice with great joy. The wives also rejoiced, and the children rejoiced, so that the joy of Jerusalem was heard even afar off. Sacrifices and offerings are almost inseparably connected with thanksgiving, and material giving is the really practical feature of thanksgiving, so the example of the people at Jerusalem provides an excellent basis for a Thanksgiving program.