⁴⁰ On the first day you are to take branches^(A) from luxuriant trees—from palms, willows and other leafy trees^(B)—and rejoice^(C) before the Lord your God for seven days. ⁴¹ Celebrate this as a festival to the Lord for seven days each year. This is to be a lasting ordinance for the generations to come; celebrate it in the seventh month. ⁴² Live in temporary shelters^(D) for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters ⁴³ so your descendants will know^(E) that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’”

¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this word and spread it throughout their towns and in Jerusalem: “Go out into the hill country and bring back branches from olive and wild olive trees, and from myrtles, palms and shade trees, to make temporary shelters”—as it is written.^[a]

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought back branches and built themselves temporary shelters on their own roofs, in their courtyards, in the courts of the house of God and in the square by the Water Gate^(A) and the one by the Gate of Ephraim.^{(B) 17} The whole company that had returned from exile built temporary shelters and lived in them.^(C) From the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated^(D) it like this. And their joy was very great.

² he said to Nathan^(A) the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house^(B) of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.”^(C)

⁹ By faith he made his home in the promised land^(A) like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents,^(B) as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise.^{(C) 10} For he was looking forward to the city^(D) with foundations,^(E) whose architect and builder is God.^{(F) 11} And by faith even Sarah, who was past childbearing age,^(G) was enabled to bear children^(H) because she^[a] considered him faithful^(I) who had made the promise. ¹² And so from this one man, and he as good as dead,^(J) came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore.^(K)

¹³ All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised;^(L) they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance,^(M) admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.^(N)

² But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles^(A) was near,

¹⁶ Then the survivors^(A) from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship^(B) the King,^(C) the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^{(D) 17} If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship^(E) the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.^{(F) 18} If the Egyptian people do not go up and take part, they will have no rain. The Lord^[a] will bring on them the plague^(G) he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^{(H) 19} This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Festival of Tabernacles.^(I)