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.
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.
