CHAPTER 8

¹And all the people gathered as one man in the square that is in front of the Water Gate, and they said to Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Teaching of Moses with which the LORD had charged Israel. ²And Ezra the priest brought the Teaching before the assembly, men and women and all who had understanding to listen, on the first day of the seventh month. ³And he read from it before the square that was before the Water Gate from first light to midday in the presence of the men and the women and those who had understanding, and the ears of all the people were [listening] to the Book of Teaching. ⁴And Ezra the scribe stood on the wooden tower that they had made for this purpose, and by him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Ananiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right, and on his left Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, Meshullam. ⁵And Ezra the scribe opened the book before the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it, all the people stood. ⁶And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” raising their hands, and they bowed and prostrated themselves on the ground to the LORD. ⁷And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites were explaining the Teaching to the people and the people kept standing. ⁸And they read from the book, from the Book of God’s Teaching, expounding and giving reasons, and they explained what was read. ⁹And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and the Levites, explaining to the people, said to all the people, “Today is holy for you to the LORD your God. Do not mourn and do not weep,” for they were weeping when they heard the words of the Teaching. ¹⁰And he said to them, “Go, eat delicacies and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has none prepared, for the day is holy to our Master, and do not be sad, for the rejoicing of the LORD is your strength.” ¹¹And the Levites were silencing the people, saying, “Hush, for today is holy. Do not be sad.” ¹²And all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make a great joyous celebration, for they had understood the things that had been made known to them. ¹³And on the second day the patriarchal chiefs of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe, to ponder the words of the Teaching. ¹⁴And they found written in the Teaching that the LORD had charged through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths on the festival in the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they should make it heard and pass about a proclamation in all their towns, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back leafy boughs of olive trees and leafy boughs of evergreens and leafy boughs of myrtles and leafy boughs of palm trees and leafy boughs of thick-branched trees to make booths, as it is written.” ¹⁶And the people went out and brought them, and they made booths for themselves, each on his roof and in their courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God and in the square of the Water Gate and the square of the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷And all the assembly of those returning from the captivity made booths and dwelled in the booths, for the Israelites had not done this since the days of Joshua son of Nun till that day, and there was great rejoicing. ¹⁸And he read from the Book of the Teaching of God one day after the next from the first day to the last day, and they made a festival seven days, and on the eighth day there was a convocation, according to the law.