¹⸤When the seventh month came,⸥ all the people gathered together in the courtyard in front of Water Gate. They told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of Moses’ Teachings, which the Lord had commanded Israel ⸤to follow⸥. ²Then Ezra the priest brought the Teachings in front of the assembly. This included men, women, and any ⸤children⸥ who could understand what they heard. This took place on the first day of the seventh month. ³From daybreak until noon, he read from it in the courtyard in front of Water Gate to the men, women, and ⸤children⸥ who could understand it. All the people listened to the Book of Moses’ Teachings.

⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a raised wooden platform made for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right. Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood beside him on his left. ⁵Ezra, standing higher than all the other people, opened the book in front of all the people. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Ezra thanked the Lord, the great God. All the people responded, “Amen! Amen!” as they raised their hands and then bowed with their faces to the ground and worshiped the Lord. ⁷The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—explained the Teachings to the people while they were standing there. ⁸They read the Book of God’s Teachings clearly and explained the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.

⁹Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people told them, “This is a holy day for the Lord your God. Don’t mourn or cry.” All the people were crying as they listened to the reading of God’s Teachings. ¹⁰Then he told them, “Go, eat rich foods, drink sweet drinks, and send portions to those who cannot provide for themselves. Today is a holy day for the Lord. Don’t be sad because the joy you have in the Lord is your strength.” ¹¹So the Levites calmed all the people by saying, “Listen. Today is a holy day. Don’t be sad.”

¹²Then all the people went to eat and drink and to send portions. They had a big, joyful celebration because they understood the words that had been explained to them.

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Nehemiah 8:10: Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”