² He went up to the temple of the Lord with the people of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets—all the people from the least to the greatest. He read^(A) in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant,^(B) which had been found in the temple of the Lord.

⁸ Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law^(A) in the temple of the Lord.” He gave it to Shaphan, who read it.

¹⁰ Then Moses commanded them: “At the end of every seven years, in the year for canceling debts,^(A) during the Festival of Tabernacles,^{(B) 11} when all Israel comes to appear^(C) before the Lord your God at the place he will choose,^(D) you shall read this law^(E) before them in their hearing. ¹² Assemble the people—men, women and children, and the foreigners residing in your towns—so they can listen and learn^(F) to fear^(G) the Lord your God and follow carefully all the words of this law. ¹³ Their children,^(H) who do not know this law, must hear it and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess.”

¹² And I saw the dead, great and small,^(A) standing before the throne, and books were opened.^(B) Another book was opened, which is the book of life.^(C) The dead were judged^(D) according to what they had done^(E) as recorded in the books.

²² But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen^(A)—

⁵ When these days were over, the king gave a banquet, lasting seven days,^(A) in the enclosed garden^(B) of the king’s palace, for all the people from the least to the greatest who were in the citadel of Susa.

Nehemiah’s Final Reforms

13 On that day the Book of Moses was read aloud in the hearing of the people and there it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever be admitted into the assembly of God,^(A)