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)