³ Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the Lord, and he proclaimed a fast^(A) for all Judah. ⁴ The people of Judah^(B) came together to seek help from the Lord; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

¹³ All the men of Judah, with their wives and children and little ones, stood there before the Lord.

¹⁰ All of you are standing today in the presence of the Lord your God—your leaders and chief men, your elders and officials, and all the other men of Israel, ¹¹ together with your children and your wives, and the foreigners living in your camps who chop your wood and carry your water.^(A)

³⁶ For seven days present food offerings to the Lord, and on the eighth day hold a sacred assembly^(A) and present a food offering to the Lord.^(B) It is the closing special assembly; do no regular work.

² Those of Israelite descent had separated themselves from all foreigners.^(A) They stood in their places and confessed their sins and the sins of their ancestors.^{(B) 3} They stood where they were and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day, and spent another quarter in confession and in worshiping the Lord their God.

¹⁸ Day after day, from the first day to the last, Ezra read^(A) from the Book of the Law^(B) of God. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day, in accordance with the regulation,^(C) there was an assembly.^(D)