Nehemiah 8

8¹all the people gathered together ^zat the square in front of the Water Gate. ^aThey asked Ezra the scribe ^bto bring the book of the law of Moses ^cthat the Lord had given Israel. ²On the first day of the seventh month, ^dEzra the priest ^ebrought the law ^fbefore the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. ³While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, ^ghe read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively ^hto the book of the law. ⁱ⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform ^jmade for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted ^kall the people said, “Amen, Amen!” ^lThen they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ^m

⁷Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, ⁿwho were Levites, ^opexplained the law ^qto the people as they stood in their places. ⁸They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹Nehemiah the governor, ^rEzra the priest and scribe, ^sand the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day ^tis holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” ^uFor all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, ^vsince today ^wis holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.” ^x11And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, ^ysince today ^zis holy. Do not grieve.” ¹²Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, ^abecause they had understood the words that were explained to them.

Festival of Booths Observed

¹³On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, ^bassembled before Ezra the scribe ^cto study the words of the law. ¹⁴They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month. ^d15So 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 booths, just as it is written.” ^e16The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, ^fand courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, ^gand the square by the Gate of Ephraim. ^h17The whole community that had returned from exile ⁱmade booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. ^jAnd there was tremendous joy. ^k18Ezra ^lread out of the book of the law of God ^mevery day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance. ⁿ