Nehemiah 8
Ezra Reads the Law to
the People |
1 |
And all the people gathered themselves
together as one man into the street that was before the water
gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to 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 both of men and women, and all that could
hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh
month.
|
3 |
And he read therein before the street
that was before the water gate from the morning until midday,
before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and
the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of
the law.
|
4 |
And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit
of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood
Mattithi'ah, and Shema, and Anai'ah, and Uri'jah, and Hilki'ah, and
Ma-asei'ah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedai'ah, and
Mish'a-el, and Malchi'ah, and Hashum, and Hashbada'na, Zechari'ah, and Meshul'lam.
|
5 |
And Ezra opened the book in the sight of
all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he
opened it, all the people stood up:
|
6 |
and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered,
Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads,
and worshipped the LORD with their faces
to the ground.
|
7 |
Also Jesh'u-a, and Bani, and Sherebi'ah,
Jamin, Akkub, Shab'bethai, Hodi'jah, Ma-asei'ah, Keli'ta, Azari'ah,
Joz'abad, Hanan, Pelai'ah, and the Levites, caused the people to
understand the law: and the people stood in their
place.
|
8 |
So they read in the book in the law of
God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to
understand the reading.
|
9 |
And Nehemi'ah, which is the
Tirsha'tha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that
taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy
unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep.
For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the
law.
|
10 |
Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat
the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom
nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our
Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
|
11 |
So the Levites stilled all the people,
saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye
grieved.
|
12 |
And all the people went their way to eat,
and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because
they had understood the words that were declared unto
them.
|
13 |
And on the second day were gathered
together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests,
and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words
of the law.
|
14 |
And they found written in the law which
the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the
children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the
seventh month:
|
15 |
and that they should publish and proclaim
in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the
mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle
branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make
booths, as it is written. Lev. 23.33--0.39 · Deut. 16.13-15
|
16 |
So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of
his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of
God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the
gate of E'phra-im.
|
17 |
And all the congregation of them that
were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the
booths: for since the days of Jesh'u-a the son of Nun unto that day
had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great
gladness.
|
18 |
Also day by day, from the first day unto
the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept
the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn
assembly, according unto the manner.
|
|