Nehemiah 8:13–18

FESTIVAL OF SHELTERS OBSERVED

13 On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,d assembled before the scribe Ezrae to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month.f 15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters, just as it is written.”g 16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftopsh and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,i and the square by the Ephraim Gate.j 17 The whole community that had returned from exilek made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.l And there was tremendous joy.m 18 EzraC read out of the book of the law of Godn every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.o