Ezra Reads the Law Aloud
The people ask for our Father's Law themselves and stand while Ezra reads from dawn to midday, with Levites explaining the sense. They weep at what they hear, and are told instead to feast, share food, and rejoice, then keep the festival in leafy shelters.
8 1When the seventh month came, all the people gathered as one in the square before the Water Gate and asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses, which our Father commanded for Israel. 2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could understand what they heard. 3He read it, facing the square before the Water Gate, from dawn until midday, to the men, women, and all who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law. 4Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Beside him on his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah; and on his left, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5Ezra opened the book before all the people's eyes, since he stood above all the people; as he opened it, they all stood up. 6Ezra praised our Father, the great God, and all the people raised their hands and answered, "Amen! Amen!" Then they bowed, faces to the ground, worshiping our Father.
7The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—explained the Law to the people while the people stood in their places. 8They read the book, the Law of our Father, clearly, giving the sense so the people understood the reading.
9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites teaching the people, told them all, "This day is holy to your Father. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept on hearing the words of the Law. 10Nehemiah told them, "Go eat rich food, drink something sweet, and send portions to those with nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Sovereign Father. Don't grieve; the joy of our Father is your strength."
11The Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be still, for this day is holy. Do not grieve."
12All the people went off to eat, drink, share portions, and celebrate with great joy, because they understood the words made known to them.
Keeping the Feast of Shelters
13On the second day, heads of families of all the people, with priests and Levites, gathered to Ezra the scribe to study the Law's words. 14They found written in the Law that our Father commanded through Moses: Israelites were to live in shelters during the seventh-month festival. 15They were to proclaim and spread word of this through all their towns and in Jerusalem: "Go to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written."
16The people went out, brought branches, and built shelters—each on his own roof, in courtyards, in the courts of our Father's house, and in the squares at the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate. 17The whole assembly of returned exiles built shelters, living in them; Israelites had not done so since Joshua son of Nun's days until that day, and their joy was immense. 18Each day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read the Book of the Law of our Father. They kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day held a solemn assembly, as the Law required.
