Nehemiah 8:1–8

Ezra Reads the Law

8And all the people gathered as one man into the square before ^tthe Water Gate. And they told ^uEzra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. ²So Ezra the priest ^vbrought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, ^won the first day of the seventh month. ^3xAnd he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. ⁶And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ^y“Amen, Amen,” ^zlifting up their hands. ^aAnd they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ^7bAlso Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,^{1 c}helped the people to understand the Law, ^dwhile the people remained in their places. ⁸They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,² and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.