5 Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to ^wbless in the name of the Lord, and ^xby their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.

7 In the third year of his reign he sent his officials, Ben-hail, Obadiah, Zechariah, Nethanel, and Micaiah, to teach in the cities of Judah; 8 and with them the Levites, Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tobadonijah; and with these Levites, the priests Elishama and Jehoram. 9 And they taught in Judah, having the Book of the Law of the Lord with them. They went about through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.

3 And he said to the Levites who ^ptaught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, ^q“Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. ^rYou need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.

7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,¹ helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, ^cclearly,² and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

9 And ^dNehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who ^etaught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law.

4 So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my ^ucovenant with Levi may stand, says the Lord of hosts. 5 My covenant with him was one of life and ^vpeace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6 ^wTrue instruction¹ was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7 For the ^xlips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people² should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.