Nehemiah 8

1. Then all the people gathered themselves as one man into the street before the Water Gate. And they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

2. And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation, both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month.

3. And he read from it in the open square in front of the Water Gate from daybreak until noon in front of the men and the women, and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to 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 Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchijah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.

5. And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up.

6. And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen. Amen,” lifting up their hands. And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.

7. And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, namely the Levites caused the people to understand the law. And the people stood in their place.

8. And they read distinctly from the Book of the Law of God. And they expounded the meaning and caused them to understand the reading.

9. And Nehemiah, the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep,” for all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.

10. Then he said to them, “Go, eat the fat and drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be sorry, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

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

12. And all the people went to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to celebrate with great joy, because they had understood the words which had been declared to them.

13. And on the second day the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered to 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 booths in the feast of the seventh month,

15. And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go forth to the mountain and bring olive branches and oil tree branches and myrtle branches and palm branches, and branches of thick trees to make booths, as it is written.”

16. And the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one upon his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the Water Gate, and in the street of the Gate of Ephraim.

17. And all the congregation of those who had come again out of the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths, for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day, the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great gladness.

18. Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read in the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth was an assembly, according to the ordinance.