And all
the people gathered themselves together as one
man into the street that was before the water
gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to
bring the book of the law of Moses, which the
Lord had commanded to Israel.
02 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.
03 And he read therein before the street that was
before the water 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.
04 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 Malchiah, and Hashum, and
Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
05 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:
06 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And
all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting
up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and
worshipped the Lord with their faces to the
ground.
07 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin,
Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita,
Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the
Levites, caused the people to understand the law:
and the people stood in their place.
08 So they read in the book in the law of God
distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them
to understand the reading.
09 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra
the priest the scribe, and the Levites that
taught the people, said unto all the people, This
day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not,
nor weep. For all the people wept, when they
heard the words of the law.
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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 send portions, and to make great
mirth, because they had understood the words that
were declared unto them.
13 And on the second day were 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 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 unto the mount, and fetch olive branches,
and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm
branches, and branches of thick trees, to make
booths, as it is written.
16 So the people went forth, and brought them,
and made themselves booths, every one upon the
roof of his house, 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 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 had not the
children of Israel done so. And there was very
great gladness.
18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the
last day, he 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.
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