8
1 All
the people
gathered themselves
together as one
man into the wide
place that was
in front of
the water gate;
and they spoke to
Ezra the scribe
to bring the book
of the law
of Moses, which
the LORD had
commanded to
Israel.
2 Ezra
the priest brought
the law before
the assembly, both
men and women, and
all who could hear
with understanding,
on the first
day of the
seventh month.
3 He
read from it
before the wide
place that was
in front of
the water gate
from early morning until
midday, in the
presence of the
men and the women,
and of those
who could understand.
The ears of all
the people
were attentive to
the book of
the law.
4 Ezra
the scribe stood
on a pulpit
of wood, which
they had made
for the purpose;
and beside him
stood Mattithiah,
Shema, Anaiah, Uriah,
Hilkiah, and
Maaseiah, on his
right hand; and
on his left
hand, Pedaiah,
Mishael, Malchijah,
Hashum, Hashbaddanah,
Zechariah, and
Meshullam.
5 Ezra
opened the book
in the sight
of all the
people (for he
was above all
the people), and
when he opened
it, all the
people stood up.
6 Then
Ezra blessed the
LORD, the great
God.
All the people
answered, “Amen, Amen,” with
the lifting up
of their hands.
They bowed their
heads, and
worshiped the LORD
with their faces
to the ground.
7 Also
Jeshua, Bani,
Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai,
Hodiah, Maaseiah,
Kelita, Azariah,
Jozabad, Hanan,
Pelaiah, and the
Levites, caused the
people to understand
the law; and
the people stayed
in their place.
8 They
read in the
book, in the
law of God,
distinctly; and
they gave the
sense, so that
they understood the
reading.
9 Nehemiah,
who was the
governor, Ezra the
priest and scribe,
and the Levites
who taught the
people said to
all the people, “Today
is holy to
the LORD your
God. Don’t mourn,
nor weep.” For
all the people
wept when they
heard the words
of the law.
10 Then
he said to them,
“Go your way. Eat
the fat, drink
the sweet, and
send portions to
him for
whom nothing is
prepared, for
today is holy
to our Lord. Don’t
be grieved, for
the joy of
the LORD is
your strength.”
11 So
the Levites calmed
all the people,
saying, “Hold your peace,
for the day
is holy. Don’t be
grieved.”
12 All
the people went
their way to eat,
to drink, to
send portions, and
to celebrate,
because they had
understood the
words that were
declared to them.
13 On
the second day,
the heads
of fathers’ households
of all the
people, the
priests, and the
Levites were gathered
together to Ezra
the scribe,
to study the words
of the law.
14 They
found written in
the law how the
LORD had commanded
by Moses that
the children of
Israel should
dwell in booths
in the feast
of the seventh
month;
15 and
that they should
publish and
proclaim in all
their cities and
in Jerusalem,
saying, “Go out
to the mountain,
and get olive
branches, branches
of wild olive,
myrtle branches,
palm branches, and
branches of thick
trees, to make
temporary shelters,
as it is
written.”
16 So
the people went
out and brought
them, and made
themselves temporary
shelters,
everyone on the
roof of his
house, in their
courts, in the
courts of God’s
house, in the wide
place of the
water gate, and
in the wide place
of Ephraim’s gate.
17 All
the assembly of
those who had
come back out
of the captivity
made temporary
shelters
and lived in
the temporary
shelters, for
since the days
of Joshua the son
of Nun to
that day the
children of Israel
had not done
so. There was
very great
gladness.
18 Also
day by day,
from the first
day to the last
day, he read
in the book
of the law
of God. They kept
the feast seven
days; and on
the eighth day
was a solemn
assembly, according
to the ordinance.