Nehemiah 8:1-8
New American Standard Bible
Ezra Reads the Law
8 And all the people gathered as one person at the public square which was in front of (A)the Water Gate, and they [a]asked (B)Ezra the scribe to bring (C)the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had [b]given to Israel. 2 Then (D)Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding, on (E)the first day of the seventh month. 3 And he read from it before the public square which was in front of (F)the Water Gate, from [c]early morning until midday, in the presence of men and women, those who could understand; and [d]all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 Ezra the scribe stood at a wooden podium which they had made for the purpose. And beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left. 5 Then Ezra opened (G)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 (H)stood up. 6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God. And all the people answered, “(I)Amen, Amen!” with the raising of their hands; then (J)they kneeled down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Law to the people while the people remained in their place. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, [e]translating to give the sense so that they understood the reading.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 8:1 Lit said to
- Nehemiah 8:1 Lit commanded
- Nehemiah 8:3 Lit the light
- Nehemiah 8:3 Lit the ears of all...were to
- Nehemiah 8:8 Or explaining
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