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

²⁴ And ^(A)the Lord's servant^[a] must not be quarrelsome but ^(B)kind to everyone, ^(C)able to teach, patiently enduring evil, ²⁵ correcting his opponents ^(D)with gentleness. God ^(E)may perhaps grant them repentance ^(F)leading to a knowledge of the truth,

¹¹ and ^(A)you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.”

⁵ Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen ^(A)them to minister to him and to bless in the name of the Lord, and ^(B)by their word every dispute and every assault shall be settled.

⁸ Therefore ^(A)whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, ^(B)who gives his Holy Spirit to you.

²⁰ Therefore, ^(A)we are ambassadors for Christ, ^(B)God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

¹⁷ She followed Paul and us, ^(A)crying out, “These men are ^(B)servants of ^(C)the Most High God, who proclaim to you ^(D)the way of salvation.”

¹⁰ For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it ^(A)and to ^(B)teach his statutes and rules in Israel.

² So Ezra the priest ^(A)brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, ^(B)on the first day of the seventh month. ^3 (C)And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. ⁴ And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. ⁶ And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, ^(D)“Amen, Amen,” ^(E)lifting up their hands. ^(F)And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. ^7 (G)Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites,^{[a] (H)}helped the people to understand the Law, ^(I)while the people remained in their places. ⁸ They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly,^[b] and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.