Nehemiah

What this page covers

Where the songs go in Nehemiah

The 17 songs here set 5 of the 5 movements in Nehemiah to music: “A Cupbearer Asks for Leave” (Nehemiah 1–3), “A Trowel in One Hand” (Nehemiah 4–6), “The Book Read Aloud” (Nehemiah 7–8), “A Confession, and a Signed Covenant” (Nehemiah 9–10) and “What Happens When He Leaves” (Nehemiah 11–13). Others take the book as a whole.

A Cupbearer Asks for Leave (Nehemiah 1–3). News reaches the palace at Susa that the wall of Jerusalem is broken down and the gates are burned, and the king’s cupbearer weeps and fasts for months before he says a word.

The Book Read Aloud (Nehemiah 7–8). Ezra stands on a wooden platform from morning until midday and reads, with Levites moving through the crowd giving the sense.

What Happens When He Leaves (Nehemiah 11–13). Jerusalem is repopulated by lot, and the wall is dedicated by two choirs walking round it in opposite directions until they meet at the temple, loud enough to be heard far off.