NE-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.

NE-8:2  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.

NE-8:3  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.

NE-8:4  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.

NE-8:5  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:

NE-8:6  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.

NE-8:7  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.

NE-8:8  So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly,

and gave the

sense, and caused [them] to understand the reading.

NE-8:9  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.

NE-8:10  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.

NE-8:11  So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold

your peace, for

the day [is] holy; neither be ye grieved.

NE-8:12  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.

NE-8:13  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.

NE-8:14  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:

NE-8:15  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.

NE-8:16  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.

NE-8:17  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.

NE-8:18  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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