*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. 10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength. 11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved. 12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to jsend portions, and to make great mirth, because they had kunderstood the words that were declared unto them.