The Reading of the Law

⁹ Then Moses ^(A)wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi, ^(B)who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel.

¹¹ when all Israel comes ^(A)to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, ^(B)you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. ^12 (C)Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, ¹³ and that their children, ^(D)who have not known it, ^(E)may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, ^(F)as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

² So Ezra the priest ^(A)brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, ^(B)on the first day of the seventh month. ^3 (C)And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.

^3 (A)And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God. ⁴ On the stairs of the Levites stood ^(B)Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God. ⁵ Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the Lord your God from everlasting to everlasting. ^(C)Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.