*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. 2 And 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. 3 And 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. 4 And 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. 5 And 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: 6 And 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. 7 Also 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. 8 So they read in the book in the law of God fdistinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

9 And 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.