Nehemiah 8

The law read aloud at the Water Gate

1All the people gathered as one in the square in front of the Water Gate, and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had laid upon Israel. 2So on the first day of the seventh month Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly — the men, the women, and everyone old enough to understand what they heard. 3Facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read aloud from it from first light until midday, before the men and the women and all who could understand; and the ears of the whole people were turned toward the book of the law. 4Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform built for the occasion. Beside him, on his right, stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah and Maaseiah; and on his left, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the book where all the people could see it, since he stood above them all; and as he opened it, the whole people rose to their feet. 6Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen! Amen!” with their hands lifted high; then they knelt and bowed low before Yahweh, faces to the ground. 7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan and Pelaiah — the Levites — made the law plain to the people while they stood in their places. 8They read aloud from the book, from the law of God, translating it and giving the sense, so that the people understood what was read. 9Then Nehemiah, who was the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people, said to them all, “This day is holy to Yahweh your God. Do not mourn and do not weep.” For all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the law. 10And he said to them, “Go, eat the best of your food and drink what is sweet, and send portions to anyone who has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be crushed with grief, for the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.” 11The Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for this day is holy. Do not be crushed with grief.” 12So the whole people went off to eat and drink, to send portions and to celebrate with great joy, because they had understood the words that had been made known to them.

Living in shelters again

13On the second day the heads of families of all the people, along with the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe to look closely at the words of the law. 14They found it written in the law, which Yahweh had commanded through Moses, that the Israelites were to live in shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 15and that in all their towns and in Jerusalem they were to announce and proclaim: “Go out to the hills and bring back branches of olive and wild olive, of myrtle, of palm and of leafy trees, to make shelters, as it is written.” 16So the people went out and brought them back, and each of them made a shelter on his own roof, in his courtyard, in the courts of the house of God, in the square by the Water Gate and in the square by the Gate of Ephraim. 17The whole assembly of those who had come back from captivity made shelters and lived in them. From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day the Israelites had not done this, and their joy was very great. 18Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a closing assembly, as the rule required.