Nehemiah 8
World English Bible
8 All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the wide place that was in front of the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded to Israel. 2 Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. 3 He read from it before the wide place that was in front of the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand. The ears of all the people were attentive to the book of the law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam. 5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people (for he was above all the people), and when he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God.
All the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” with the lifting up of their hands. They bowed their heads, and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law; and the people stayed in their place. 8 They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.
9 Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, “Today is holy to Yahweh your God. Don’t mourn, nor weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared, for today is holy to our Lord. Don’t be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your strength.”
11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Hold your peace, for the day is holy. Don’t be grieved.”
12 All the people went their way to eat, to drink, to send portions, and to celebrate, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.
13 On the second day, the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered together to Ezra the scribe, to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how Yahweh had commanded by Moses that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; 15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and get olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make temporary shelters,[a] as it is written.”
16 So the people went out, and brought them, and made themselves temporary shelters,[b] everyone on the roof of his house, in their courts, in the courts of God’s house, in the wide place of the water gate, and in the wide place of Ephraim’s gate. 17 All the assembly of those who had come back out of the captivity made temporary shelters,[c] and lived in the temporary shelters; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Israel had not done so. There was very great gladness. 18 Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
Nehemiah 8
International Standard Version
8 1 All the people gathered as a united body[a] into the plaza in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel. 2 So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought out the Law before the assembled people. Both men and women were in attendance, as well as[b] all[c] who could understand what they were hearing.
3 Ezra[d] read from it, facing the plaza in front of the Water Gate, from early in the morning until mid-day in the presence of the men and women, as well as all who could understand. All the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden rostrum erected for that purpose. Beside him to his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maasseiah. Beside him to his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5 Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people. Because he was visible[e] above all the people there, as he opened it, all the people stood up. 6 Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with uplifted hands, all the people responded, “Amen! Amen!” They bowed down and worshipped the Lord prostrate on the ground.
7 Furthermore, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the descendants of Levi taught the Law to the people while the people remained standing. 8 They read from the Book of the Law of God, distinctly communicating its meaning, so they could understand the reading.
A Declaration to Rejoice
9 Because all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Law, Nehemiah the governor,[f] Ezra the priest and scribe, and the descendants of Levi who taught the people told everyone, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep.” 10 He also told them, “Go eat the best food, drink the best wine,[g] and give something to those who have nothing, since this day is holy to our Lord. Don’t be sorrowful, because the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
11 The descendants of Levi also calmed all the people by saying, “Be still, for the day is holy. Don’t be sorrowful!”
12 So all the people went to eat, to drink, to send something to those who had nothing,[h] and to celebrate with great joy, because they understood the words that were being declared to them.
The Festival of Tents is Reinstituted(A)
13 The next day, the heads of the families of all the people were gathered together, along with the priests and the descendants of Levi, to meet with[i] Ezra the scribe in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 They found written in the Law that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelis were to live in tents[j] during the festival scheduled for the seventh month. 15 So they circulated a proclamation throughout their towns and in Jerusalem. It said, “Go out to the hill country and bring back olive branches, wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of mature trees, in order to set up tents, as has been written.”
16 Then the people went out and found branches to make tents for themselves on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, and in the courts of God’s Temple, in the plaza near the Water Gate, and in the plaza near the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from exile erected tents and lived in them. Indeed, from the days of Nun’s son Joshua until that day the Israelis had not done so. Joy was everywhere,[k] 18 and Ezra[l] continued to read from the Book of the Law of God day by day, from the first day through the last. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly according to regulation.
Footnotes
- Nehemiah 8:1 Lit. as one man
- Nehemiah 8:2 The Heb. lacks were in attendance, as well as
- Nehemiah 8:2 Lit. women and everyone
- Nehemiah 8:3 Lit. He
- Nehemiah 8:5 The Heb. lacks visible
- Nehemiah 8:9 Lit. Tirshatha; i.e. a Persian title
- Nehemiah 8:10 Or drink sweet drinks
- Nehemiah 8:12 The Heb. lacks to those who had nothing
- Nehemiah 8:13 The Heb. lacks meet with
- Nehemiah 8:14 I.e. booth-like structures covered with branches; cf. Lev 23:34,40,42
- Nehemiah 8:17 Lit. was very abundant
- Nehemiah 8:18 Lit. he
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