Chapter 8
1All the people gathered as one man in the plaza that lay before the Water Gate. They requested that Ezra the scribe bring the scroll of the law of Moses that the LORD had commanded for Israel.
2Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly—from man to woman and all who could understand—on the first day of the seventh month.
3He read from it in the plaza before the Water Gate from the light until half the day, before the men, the women, and those who could understand, while the ears of all the people were toward the scroll of the law.
4Ezra the scribe stood upon a tower of wood that they had made for the word. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; on his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people, for it was raised above them, and when he opened it all the people stood.
6Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people responded, "Amen, Amen," lifting their hands; then they bowed down with their faces to the ground before the LORD.
7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites helped the people understand the law, while the people remained in their places.
8They read from the scroll of the law of God, declared, and gave the meaning, so that the people understood the reading.
9Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing 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 were weeping when they heard the words of the law.
10They continued, "Go, eat fat pieces and drink sweetness, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to the LORD. Do not grieve, because the joy of the LORD is your security."
11The Levites caused all the people to be silent, saying, "Be silent, for the day is holy; do not grieve."
12So all the people went to eat and drink, to send portions, and to celebrate with great joy, because they had understood the words that had been made known to them.
13On the second day the heads of the families of all the people, together with the priests and the Levites, gathered with Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law.
14They found written in the law that the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast in the seventh month.
15They were also to proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem: "Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, branches of oil trees, branches of myrtle, branches of palm, and branches of leafy trees to make booths, as it is written."
16The people went out and brought and made booths for themselves—each man upon his roof and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and in the plaza of the gate of Ephraim.
17All the assembly of those returning from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths, for the sons of Israel had not done so from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day, and there was very great joy.
18Day after day, from the first day to the last, they read from the scroll of the law of God. They kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly according to the regulation.
7
Nehemiah
The Law Is Read; Renewal and Celebration
Nehemiah 7:73-8:18
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