⁷³ So the priests, Levites, gatekeepers, temple singers, some of the people, temple servants, and all Israel settled in their towns.^[a](A)

Public Reading of the Law

When the seventh month^(B) came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, 8 ¹ all the people gathered together^(C) at the square in front of the Water Gate.^(D) They asked Ezra the scribe^(E) to bring the book of the law of Moses^(F) that the Lord had given Israel. ² On the first day of the seventh month,^(G) Ezra the priest^(H) brought the law^(I) before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding. ³ While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate,^(J) he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively^[b] to the book of the law.^{(K) 4} Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform^(L) made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Ezra praised the Lord, the great God, and with their hands uplifted^(M) all the people said, “Amen, Amen!”^(N) Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.^(O)

⁷ Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah,^(P) who were Levites,^[c](Q) explained the law^(R) to the people as they stood in their places. ⁸ They read out of the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read. ⁹ Nehemiah the governor,^(S) Ezra the priest and scribe,^(T) and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, “This day^(U) is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.”^(V) For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared,^(W) since today^(X) is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.”^{(Y) 11} And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still,^(Z) since today^(AA) is holy. Do not grieve.” ¹² Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration,^(AB) because they had understood the words that were explained to them.

Festival of Booths Observed

¹³ On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,^(AC) assembled before Ezra the scribe^(AD) to study the words of the law. ¹⁴ They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month.^{(AE) 15} So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written.”^{(AF) 16} The people went out, brought back branches, and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops,^(AG) and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,^(AH) and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.^{(AI) 17} The whole community that had returned from exile^(AJ) made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.^(AK) And there was tremendous joy.^{(AL) 18} Ezra^[d] read out of the book of the law of God^(AM) every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.^(AN)

National Confession of Sin

9 On the twenty-fourth day of this month^(AO) the Israelites assembled; they were fasting, wearing sackcloth, and had put dust on their heads.^{(AP) 2} Those of Israelite descent separated themselves from all foreigners,^(AQ) and they stood^(AR) and confessed their sins and the guilt of their fathers.^{(AS) 3} While they stood in their places,^(AT) they read from the book of the law of the Lord their God for a fourth of the day and spent another fourth of the day^(AU) in confession^(AV) and worship of the Lord their God. ⁴ Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani stood on the raised platform built for the Levites^(AW) and cried out loudly to the Lord their God. ⁵ Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah^(AX)—said, “Stand up. Praise Yahweh your God from everlasting to everlasting.”^(AY)

Paul’s Example as an Apostle

9 Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord? ² If I am not an apostle to others, at least I am to you, for you are the seal^(A) of my apostleship in the Lord. ³ My defense to those who examine me is this: ⁴ Don’t we have the right to eat and drink?^{(B) 5} Don’t we have the right to be accompanied by a Christian wife^[a] like the other apostles,^(C) the Lord’s brothers, and Cephas?^{(D) 6} Or do Barnabas^(E) and I alone have no right to refrain from working? ⁷ Who ever goes to war at his own expense?^(F) Who plants a vineyard and does not eat its fruit? Or who shepherds a flock and does not drink the milk from the flock? ⁸ Am I saying this from a human perspective? Doesn’t the law also say the same thing? ⁹ For it is written in the law of Moses, Do not muzzle an ox^(G) while it treads out grain.^(H)[b] Is God really concerned with oxen? ¹⁰ Or isn’t He really saying it for us? Yes, this is written for us,^(I) because he who plows ought to plow in hope,^(J) and he who threshes should do so in hope of sharing the crop.^{(K) 11} If we have sown spiritual things for you, is it too much if we reap material benefits from you? ¹² If others have this right to receive benefits from you, don’t we even more?

However, we have not made use of this right; instead we endure everything^(L) so that we will not hinder the gospel of Christ. ¹³ Don’t you know that those who perform the temple services eat the food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar^(M) share in the offerings of the altar? ¹⁴ In the same way, the Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should earn their living by the gospel.^(N)

¹⁵ But I have used none of these rights, and I have not written this to make it happen that way for me. For it would be better for me to die than for anyone to deprive me of my boast! ¹⁶ For if I preach the gospel, I have no reason to boast, because an obligation is placed on me. And woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! ¹⁷ For if I do this willingly, I have a reward, but if unwillingly, I am entrusted^(O) with a stewardship. ¹⁸ What then is my reward? To preach the gospel and offer it free of charge and not make full use of my authority in the gospel.^(P)