³ For a long time Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law,^(A)

⁸ With them were the Levites Shemaiah, Nethaniah, Zebadiah, Asahel, Shemiramoth, Jehonathan, Adonijah, Tobijah, and Tob-adonijah; and with these Levites the priests Elishama and Jehoram.^{(A) 9} They taught in Judah, having the book of the law of the Lord with them; they went around through all the cities of Judah and taught among the people.^(B)

¹¹ and you are to teach the Israelites all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through Moses.”^(A)

⁴ and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah^[a] was to be born. ⁵ They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet:^(A)

⁷ For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.^(A)

⁴ For the Israelites shall remain many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or pillar, without ephod or teraphim.^(A)

²¹ No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court.^{(A) 22} They shall not marry a widow or a divorced woman but only a virgin of the stock of the house of Israel or a widow who is the widow of a priest.^{(B) 23} They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.^(C)

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn or weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law.^(A)