Nehemiah 7:73–8:12

⁷³So the priests, and the Levites, and the porters, and the singers, and some of the people, and the Nethinims, and all Israel, dwelt in their cities; ^zand when the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities.

VIII.And all the people ^agathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the ^bwater gate; and they spake unto Ezra the ^cscribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded to Israel. ²And Ezra the priest brought ^dthe law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon ^ethe first day of the seventh month. ³And ^dhe read therein before the street that was before the ^bwater gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law. ⁴And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood ^fMattithiah, and Shema, and ^gAnaiah, and ^hUrijah, and Hilkiah, and ⁱMaaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and ^kMalchiah, and ^lHashum, and Hashbadana, ^mZechariah, and ^mMeshullam. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for ⁿhe was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: ⁶and Ezra ^oblessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, ^pAmen, Amen, with ^qlifting up their hands: and they ^rbowed their heads, and worshipped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ⁷Also ^sJeshua, and ^tBani, and ^uSherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, ^xShabbethai, ^yHodijah, ⁱMaaseiah, ^zKelita, ^aAzariah, ^bJozabad, ^cHanan, ^cPelaiah, and the Levites, ^dcaused the people to understand the law: and the people ^estood in their place. ⁸So they read in the book in the law of God ^fdistinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

⁹And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites ^gthat taught the people, said unto all the people, ^hThis day is holy unto the Lord your God; ⁱmourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. ¹¹So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. ¹²And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to ^jsend portions, and to make great mirth, because they had ^kunderstood the words that were declared unto them.