Nehemiah 8
1 And the seventh month arrived, and
the children of Israel were settled in their cities;
and all the people were gathered as one man to the broad place before the
water-gate, and they told Esdras the scribe to bring the book of the law of
Moses, which the Lord commanded Israel.
2 So Esdras the priest brought the law
before the congregation both of men and women, and every one who had
understanding was present to hearken, on the first
day of the seventh month. 3 And he
read in it from the time of sun-rise to the middle of the day, before the men
and the women; and they understood it, and the ears
of all the people were attentive to the book of the
law. 4 And Esdras the scribe stood on
a wooden stage, and there stood next to him Mattathias, and Samaeas, and
Ananias, and Urias, and Chelcia, and Massia, on his right hand; and on his
left Phadaeas, and Misael, and Melchias, and Asom, and Asabadma, and
Zacharias, and Mesollam. 5 And Esdras
opened the book before all the people, for he was above the people; and it
came to pass when he had opened it, that all the
people stood. 6 And Esdras blessed the
Lord, the great God: and all the people answered, and said, Amen, lifting up
their hands: and they bowed down and worshipped the Lord with their face to
the ground. 7 And Jesus and Banaias
and Sarabias instructed the people in the law, and the people
stood in their place.
8 And they read in the book of the law
of God, and Esdras taught, and instructed them distinctly in the knowledge of
the Lord, and the people understood the law in the
reading. 9 And Neemias, and Esdras the
priest and scribe, and the Levites, and they that instructed the people, spoke
and said to all the people, It is a holy day to the Lord our God; do not
mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.
10 And
the governor said to them, Go, eat the fat, and drink
the sweet, and send portions to them that have nothing; for the day is holy to
our Lord: and faint not, for the Lord is our strength.
11 And the Levites caused all the
people to be silent, saying, Be silent, for it is a
holy day, and despond not. 12 So all
the people departed to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make
great mirth, for they understood the words which he made known to them.
13 And on the second day the heads of
families assembled with all the people, also the
priests and Levites, to Esdras the scribe, to attend to all the words of the
law. 14 And they found written in the
law which the Lord commanded Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell
in booths, in the feast in the seventh month:
15 and that they should sound with
trumpets in all their cities, and in Jerusalem. And Esdras said, Go forth to
the mountain, and bring branches of olive, and branches of cypress trees, and
branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of
every thick tree, to make booths, according to that
which was written. 16 And the people
went forth, and brought them, and made booths for
themselves, each one upon his roof, and in their courts, and in the courts of
the house of God, and in the streets of the city, and as far as the gate of
Ephraim. 17 And all the congregation
who had returned from the captivity, made booths, and dwelt in booths: for the
children of Israel had not done so from the days of
Jesus the son of Naue until that day: and there was great joy.
18 And
Esdras read in the book of the law of God daily, from
the first day even to the last day: and they kept the feast seven days; and on
the eighth day a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.