NEHEMIAH
Nehemiah Chapter 8
1
¶ And all the people gathered themselves together as one man in the square
before the water gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the
law of Moses, which the LORD had given Israel.
2
And Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of both men and women,
and all who could understand what they were hearing, on the first day of the
seventh month.
3
And he read it facing the open area before the water gate from the morning
until
4
And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform, which they had made for that
purpose; and Mattithiah, Shema,
Anaiah, Urijah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood
beside him, on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbadana, Zechariah,
and Meshullam stood on his left.
5
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above 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, lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the
LORD with their faces to the ground.
7
Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, explained the law to the people:
as they stood in their places.
8
So they read from the book of the law of God clearly, giving the meaning, and
enabling them to understand the reading.
9
¶ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe,
and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is
holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn, or weep. For all the people wept, when
they heard the words of the law.
10
Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send
portions of food to those for whom nothing is prepared: for this
day is holy to our Lord: do not be sad; for the joy of the LORD is your
strength.
11
So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, Be
still, and do grieve; for the day is holy.
12
So all the people went their way to eat, and drink, and send portions of
food, and to make great celebration, for they had understood the words that
were explained to them.
13
¶ And on the second day the leaders of the clans of
all the people, including the priests, and the Levites, met with Ezra the
scribe, to learn the words of the law.
14
And they found written in the law that the LORD had commanded through Moses,
that the children of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the
seventh month:
15
And that they should announce it and send this message to all their towns, and
to Jerusalem, saying, Go out to the hills, and get olive branches, pine
branches, myrtle branches, and branches from other leafy trees, to make
booths, as it is written.
16
So the people went out, and got them, and they all made booths for
themselves, some on the roof of their house, others in the open areas,
in the courtyard of the house of God, in the square by the water gate, and in
the square by the gate of Ephraim.
17
And the entire assembly of those who had returned from captivity made booths,
and lived in them: for from the time of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the
children of Israel had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.
18
Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read from the book of
the law of God. And they kept the feast for seven days; and on the eighth day there
was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.