Nehemiah 7:73–8:12

⁷³Now ^athe priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, some of the people, the temple servants and all Israel, lived in their cities.

^bAnd when the seventh month came, the sons of Israel were in their cities.

Chapter 8

Ezra Reads the Law

¹And all the people gathered as one man at the square which was in front of ^athe Water Gate, and they ¹asked ^bEzra the scribe to bring ^cthe book of the law of Moses which the Lord had ²given to Israel.

²Then ^aEzra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on ^bthe first day of the seventh month.

³He read from it before the square which was in front of ^athe Water Gate from ¹early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and all the people were attentive to the book of the law.

⁴Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam on his left hand.

⁵Ezra opened ^athe book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people ^bstood up.

⁶Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “^aAmen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then ^bthey bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, explained the law to the people while the people remained in their place.

⁸They read from the book, from the law of God, ¹translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.

“This Day Is Holy”

⁹Then Nehemiah, who was the ^1agovernor, and Ezra ^bthe priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “^cThis day is holy to the Lord your God; ^ddo not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.

¹⁰Then he said to them, “Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and ^asend portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.”

¹²All the people went away to eat, to drink, ^ato send portions and to ¹celebrate a great festival, ^bbecause they understood the words which had been made known to them.