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Chapter 8 |
| 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 Mattithiah, and
Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand;
and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and
Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam. |
| 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 Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub,
Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, 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
Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, 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. |
| 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
Ephraim. |
| 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
Jeshua 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. |
