Nehemiah 8:12–18

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