¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.^[a]

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate^(A) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.^{(B) 17} The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.^(C) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated^(D) it like this. And their joy was very great.