Nehemiah 8
1 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. 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 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. 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
Malchiah, 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, with lifting
up their
hands: and they
bowed their heads, and
worshipped the
LORD with their
faces to the
ground. 7 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. 8 So they
read in the
book in the
law of
God distinctly, and
gave the
sense, and caused them to
understand the
reading. 9 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. 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.