Nehemiah 8:9–18

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. 13 And on the second day lwere gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even ||to understand the words of the law. 14 And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded †by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in mbooths in the feast of the seventh month: 15 And that they should npublish and proclaim in all their cities, and oin Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and ppine branches, and myrtle branches, and qpalm branches, and branches of qthick trees, to make booths, as it is written. 16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon rthe roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in sthe street of the water gate, and in the street of the tgate of Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day uhad not the children of Israel done so. And there was very xgreat gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, yhe read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was †a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.