Chapter 8
1 All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate ; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses , which Yahweh had commanded to Israel .
2 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly , both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding , on the first day of the seventh month .
3 He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday , in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law .
4 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood , which they had made for the purpose ; and beside him stood Mattithiah , Shema , Anaiah , Uriah, Hilkiah , and Maaseiah , on his right hand ; and on his left hand , Pedaiah , Mishael , Malchijah , Hashum , Hashbaddanah , Zechariah , and Meshullam .
5 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 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh , the great God . All the people answered , "Amen, Amen," with the lifting up of their hands . They bowed their heads , and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground.
7 Also Jeshua , Bani , Sherebiah , Jamin , Akkub , Shabbethai , Hodiah , Maaseiah , Kelita , Azariah , Jozabad , Hanan , Pelaiah , and the Levites , caused the people to understand the law ; and the people stayed in their place .
8 They read in the book , in the law of God, distinctly ; and they gave the sense , so that they understood the reading .
9 Nehemiah , who was the governor , Ezra the priest and scribe , and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people , " Today is holy to Yahweh your God . Don’t mourn , nor weep ." For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law .
10 Then he said to them , " Go your way . Eat the fat , drink the sweet , and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared , for today is holy to our Lord . Don’t be grieved , for the joy of Yahweh is your strength ."
11 So the Levites calmed all the people , saying, "Hold your peace , for the day is holy . Don’t be grieved ."
12 All the people went their way to eat, to drink , to send portions , and to celebrate , because they had understood the words that were declared to them .
13 On the second day , the heads of fathers’ households of all the people , the priests , and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe , to study the words of the law .
14 They found written in the law how Yahweh 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 out to the mountain , and get olive branches , branches of wild olive , myrtle branches , palm branches , and branches of thick trees , to make temporary shelters , as it is written ."
16 So the people went out and brought them , and made themselves temporary shelters , everyone on the roof of his house , in their courts , in the courts of God’s house , in the wide place of the water gate , and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate .
17 All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters and lived in the temporary shelters , for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so . There was very great gladness .
18 Also day by day , from the first day to the last day , he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days ; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly , according to the ordinance .