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Nehemiah 8:1-18 — Ezra Reads the Law

Neh.8.1-18

¹Then all the people gathered together into the square before the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the Law of Moses that the LORD had commanded for Israel. ²So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month. ³He read from it before the square that was before the Water Gate, from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the book of the Law. ⁴Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the occasion. Beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left. ⁵Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above them all; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶Then Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with uplifted hands. Then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁷Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites helped the people understand the Law, while the people remained standing in their places. ⁸They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. ⁹Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were helping the people understand said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep.” For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the Law. ¹⁰Then he said to them , “Go, eat rich food and drink sweet drinks, and send portions to anyone who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.” ¹¹And the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy. Do not be grieved.” ¹²Then all the people went away to eat and drink, to send portions, and to celebrate with great joy, because they understood the words that had been made known to them. ¹³On the second day, the heads of the families of all the people, together with the priests and the Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to gain insight into the words of the Law. ¹⁴And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month. ¹⁵And that they should proclaim and spread the message in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” ¹⁶So the people went out and brought them, and they made booths for themselves, each on his rooftop, and in their courtyards, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square of the Water Gate, and in the square of the Ephraim Gate. ¹⁷And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths. For from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day the Israelites had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing. ¹⁸And he read from the book of the Law of God day by day, from the first day to the last day. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly , according to the ordinance.

Translation Notes

4/11/2026

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