| 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. |
