Nehemiah 8

Revised Geneva Translation

8 And all the people assembled themselves together in the street that was before the Water Gate. And they asked Ezra the scribe if he would bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had Commanded, to Israel.

² And Ezra the Priest brought the Law before the Congregation, men and women and all who could hear and understand it, on the first day of the seventh month.

³ And he read from it, from morning until midday, in the street that was before the Water Gate, before men and women and those who understood it. And the ears of all the people listened to the Book of the Law.

⁴ And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood which he had made for the preaching. And beside him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Urijah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right. And on his left was Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbadana, Zechariah and Meshullam.

⁵ And Ezra opened the Book before all the people. For he was above all the people. And when he opened it, all the people stood up.

⁶ And Ezra praised the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” with lifting up of their hands. And they bowed themselves and worshipped the LORD with their faces toward the ground.

⁷ Also Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah and the Levites made the people understand the Law. And the people stood in their place.

⁸ And they read in the Book of the Law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and made them understand the reading.

⁹ Then Nehemiah (who is Tirshatha) and Ezra the Priest and scribe and the Levites who instructed the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to the LORD your God! Do not mourn or weep!” For all the people wept when they heard the Words of the Law.

¹⁰ He also said to them, “Go! Eat the fat and drink the sweet and send part to those for whom none has been prepared! For this day is holy to our LORD! Therefore, do not be sorry! For the joy of the LORD is your strength!”

¹¹ And the Levites silenced all the people, saying, “Hold your peace! For the day is holy! Therefore, do not be sad!”

¹² Then all the people went to eat and drink, and to send away part, and to make great joy, because they had understood the Words that they had taught them.

¹³ And on the second day, the chief fathers of all the people, the priests and the Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, so that he also might instruct them in the Words of the Law.

¹⁴ And they found written in the Law, which the LORD had Commanded Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the Feast of the seventh month,

¹⁵ and that they should have it declared and proclaimed in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go forth to the Mount, and bring olive branches and pine branches and branches of myrtle and palm branches and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

¹⁶ So the people went forth and brought them and made themselves booths, each one upon the roof of his house and in their courts and in the courts of the House of God and in the street by the Water Gate and in the street of the Gate of Ephraim.

¹⁷ And all the Congregation of those who had come back from the captivity made booths and sat under the booths. For since the time of Jeshua, the son of Nun, until this day, had the children of Israel not done so. And there was very great joy.

¹⁸ And he read in the Book of the Law of God every day, from the first day to the last day. And they kept the Feast for seven days, and a solemn assembly on the eighth day, according to procedure.