Nehemiah 8:1–8

all the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate.^g They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses,^h which the Lord had commanded for Israel.

²So on the first day of the seventh monthⁱ Ezra the priest brought the Law^j before the assembly, which was made up of men and women and all who were able to understand. ³He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate^k in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

⁴Ezra the teacher of the Law stood on a high wooden platform^l built for the occasion. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing^m above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. ⁶Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their handsⁿ and responded, “Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

⁷The Levites^o—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah—instructed^p the people in the Law while the people were standing there. ⁸They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear^a and giving the meaning so that the people understood what was being read.