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)

²⁴ And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kindly to everyone, an apt teacher, patient,^{(A) 25} correcting opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant that they will repent and come to know the truth^(B)

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

⁵ Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, for the Lord your God has chosen them to minister to him and to pronounce blessings in the name of the Lord, and by their decision all cases of dispute and assault shall be settled.^(A)

⁸ Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

²⁰ So we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us; we entreat you on behalf of Christ: be reconciled to God.^(A)

¹⁷ While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you^[a] the way of salvation.”^(A)

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

² Accordingly, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could hear with understanding. This was on the first day of the seventh month.^{(A) 3} 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 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that had been made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left hand. ⁵ And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶ Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands. Then they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.^{(B) 7} Also the Levites Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah helped the people to understand the law, while the people remained in their places.^{(C) 8} So they read from the book, from the law of God, with interpretation. They gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

²² Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good skill in the service of the Lord. So the people ate the food of the festival for seven days, sacrificing offerings of well-being and giving thanks to the Lord the God of their ancestors.^(A)