Nehemiah 8

Ezra Reads the Law

1And allH3605 the peopleH5971 gatheredH622 as oneH259 personH376 at the publicH7339 squareH7339 whichH834 was in frontH6440 of 1the WaterH4325 GateH8179, and they 2askedH559 3EzraH5830 the scribeH5613 to bringH935 4the BookH5612 of the LawH8451 of MosesH4872 whichH834 the LordH3068 had 5givenH6680 to IsraelH3478. 2Then 6EzraH5830 the priestH3548 broughtH935 the LawH8451 beforeH6440 the assemblyH6951 of menH376, womenH802, and allH3605 who could listenH8085 with understandingH995, on 7the firstH259 dayH3117 of the seventhH7637 monthH2320. 3And he readH7121 from it beforeH6440 the publicH7339 squareH7339 whichH834 was in frontH6440 of 8the WaterH4325 GateH8179, from 9earlyH216 morningH216 untilH5704 middayH4276H3117, in the presenceH5048 of menH376 and womenH802, those who could understandH995; and 10allH3605 the peopleH5971 were attentiveH241 to the BookH5612 of the LawH8451. 4EzraH5830 the scribeH5613 stoodH5975 at a woodenH6086 podiumH4026 whichH834 they had madeH6213 for the purposeH1697. And besideH681 him stoodH5975 MattithiahH4993, ShemaH8087, AnaiahH6043, UriahH223, HilkiahH2518, and MaaseiahH4641 on his rightH3225; and PedaiahH6305, MishaelH4332, MalchijahH4441, HashumH2828, HashbaddanahH2806, ZechariahH2148, and MeshullamH4918 on his leftH8040. 5Then EzraH5830 openedH6605 11the bookH5612 in the sightH5869 of allH3605 the peopleH5971, for he was standing aboveH4480H5921 allH3605 the peopleH5971; and when he openedH6605 it, allH3605 the peopleH5971 12stoodH5975 up. 6Then EzraH5830 blessedH1288 the LordH3068, the greatH1419 GodH430. And allH3605 the peopleH5971 answeredH6030, “13AmenH543, AmenH543!” with the raisingH4607 of their handsH3027; then 14they kneeledH6915 downH6915 and worshipedH2331 the LordH3068 with their facesH639 to the groundH776. 7Also JeshuaH3091, BaniH1137, SherebiahH8274, JaminH3226, AkkubH6126, ShabbethaiH7678, HodiahH1941, MaaseiahH4641, KelitaH7042, AzariahH5838, JozabadH3107, HananH2605, PelaiahH6384, and the LevitesH3881 explainedH995 the LawH8451 to the peopleH5971 while the peopleH5971 remained in their placeH5977. 8They readH7121 from the bookH5612, from the LawH8451 of GodH430, 15translatingH6567 to giveH7760 the senseH7922 so that they understoodH995 the readingH4744.

This Day Is Holy

9Then NehemiahH5166, whoH1931 was the 1617governorH8660, and EzraH5830 18the priestH3548 and scribeH5613, and the LevitesH3881 who taughtH995 the peopleH5971 saidH559 to allH3605 the peopleH5971, “19ThisH1931 dayH3117 is holyH6918 to the LordH3068 your GodH430; 20do not mournH56 or weepH1058.” For allH3605 the peopleH5971 were weepingH1058 when they heardH8085 the wordsH1697 of the LawH8451. 10Then he saidH559 to them, “GoH1980, eatH398 the festivalH4924 foodsH4924, drinkH8354 the sweetH4477 drinksH4477, and 21sendH7971 portionsH4490 to him who has nothingH369 preparedH3559; for this dayH3117 is holyH6918 to our LordH136. Do not be grievedH6087, for the joyH2304 of the LordH3068 is your 22refugeH4581.” 11So the LevitesH3881 silencedH2814 allH3605 the peopleH5971, sayingH559, “Be stillH2013, for the dayH3117 is holyH6918; do not be grievedH6087.” 12Then allH3605 the peopleH5971 wentH1980 away to eatH398, drinkH8354, 23to sendH7971 portionsH4490, and to 24celebrateH6213 a greatH1419 feastH8057, 25becauseH3588 they understoodH995 the wordsH1697 whichH834 had been madeH3045 knownH3045 to them.

Feast of Booths Restored

13Then on the secondH8145 dayH3117 the headsH7218 of fathers’H1 households of allH3605 the peopleH5971, the priestsH3548, and the LevitesH3881 were gatheredH622 to EzraH5830 the scribeH5613 so that they might gainH7919 insightH7919 into the wordsH1697 of the LawH8451. 14And they foundH4672 writtenH3789 in the LawH8451 howH834 the LordH3068 had commandedH6680 throughH3027 MosesH4872 that the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 26were to liveH3427 in 27boothsH5521 during the feastH2282 of the seventhH7637 monthH2320. 1528And that they were to proclaimH8085 and circulateH5674 a proclamationH6963 in allH3605 their citiesH5892 and 29in JerusalemH3389, sayingH559, “30GoH3318 outH3318 to the hillsH2022, and bringH935 oliveH2132 branchesH5929 and 31wildH6086H8081 oliveH8081 branchesH5929, myrtleH1918 branchesH5929, palmH8558 branchesH5929, and branchesH5929 of other treesH6086 with thickH5687 branchesH5687, to makeH6213 boothsH5521, as it is writtenH3789.” 16So the peopleH5971 wentH3318 outH3318 and broughtH935 them and madeH6213 boothsH5521 for themselves, eachH376 32on his roofH1406, and in their courtyardsH2691 and in the courtyardsH2691 of the houseH1004 of GodH430, and in the publicH7339 squareH7339 at 33the WaterH4325 GateH8179, and in the squareH7339 at 34the GateH8179 of EphraimH669. 17The entireH3605 assemblyH6951 of those who had returnedH7725 from the captivityH7628 madeH6213 boothsH5521 and livedH3427 in the boothsH5521. IndeedH3588, the sonsH1121 of IsraelH3478 35had not doneH6213 soH3651 sinceH4480 the daysH3117 of JoshuaH3091 the sonH1121 of NunH5126 to that dayH3117. And 36there was veryH3966 greatH1419 rejoicingH8057. 1837He readH7121 from the BookH5612 of the LawH8451 of GodH430 dailyH3117, from the firstH7223 dayH3117 to the lastH314 dayH3117. And they 38celebratedH6213 the feastH2282 sevenH7651 daysH3117, and on 39the eighthH8066 dayH3117 there was a festiveH6116 assemblyH6116 in accordance with the ordinanceH4941.