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CHAPTER 8
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 L
ORD
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 L
ORD
, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen,
with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the L
ORD
with
their
faces
to the ground.
7
Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah,
Kelita, PrAzariah, 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 L
ORD
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 L
ORD
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 L
ORD
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
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