Dual Panel1all the people assembled with one accord in the broad space in front of the Water Gate, and requested Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had enjoined upon Israel.
2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the whole assembly, both men and women, and all who were capable of understanding what they heard.
3From early morning till noon he read aloud from it, facing the square in front of the Water Gate, in the presence of the men and the women, and those who could understand; the people all listened attentively to the book of the law.
4Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform which had been made for this purpose; beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchiah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5Then Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; and when he opened it, they all stood.
6Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and responded, “Amen, Amen”; then they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD.
7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, the Levites, expounded the law to the people while the people remained in their places.
8They read from the book of the law of God clearly, made its sense plain, and gave instruction in what was read.
9Then Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who instructed the people, said to them all, “This day is holy to the LORD your God; do not mourn or weep”; for the people had all been weeping while they listened to the words of the law.
10“Go now,” he continued, “feast yourselves on rich food and sweet drinks, and send a share to all who cannot provide for themselves, for the day is holy to our Lord. Let there be no sadness, for joy in the LORD is your strength.”
11The Levites calmed the people, saying, “Be quiet, for this day is holy; let there be no sadness.”
12So all the people went away to eat and to drink, to send shares to others, and to celebrate the day with great rejoicing, because they had understood what had been explained to them.
13On the second day the heads of families of the whole people, with the priests and the Levites, assembled before Ezra the scribe to study the law.
14They found written in the law that the LORD had given commandment through Moses that the Israelites were to live in booths during the feast of the seventh month;
15they should issue this proclamation throughout all their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out to the hills and fetch branches of olive and wild olive, myrtle and palm, and other leafy boughs, to make booths as prescribed.”
16So the people went and fetched branches and made booths for themselves, each on his own roof, and in their courtyards and in the precincts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and the square at the Ephraim Gate.
17The whole community of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them, a thing that the Israelites had not done from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day; and there was very great rejoicing.
18The book of the law of God was read day by day, from the first day to the last. They kept the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing ceremony, according to the rule.