²⁰ The priests and Levites had purified themselves and were all ceremonially clean. The Levites slaughtered^(A) the Passover lamb for all the exiles, for their relatives the priests and for themselves.

²² Then I commanded the Levites to purify themselves and go and guard the gates in order to keep the Sabbath day holy.

Remember^(A) me for this also, my God, and show mercy to me according to your great love.

³⁰ So I purified the priests and the Levites of everything foreign,^(A) and assigned them duties, each to his own task.