Nehemiah 8:13-18

Evangelical Heritage Version

Ezra Leads the Study of the Law of Moses

¹³ Now on the second day, the heads of the families of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered around Ezra the scribe to study the words of the Law. ¹⁴ They found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the Israelites should dwell in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, ¹⁵ and that they should proclaim this and make this announcement in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go out to the mountains and bring branches from olive trees, wild olive trees, myrtle bushes, date palms, and leafy trees to make shelters, as it is written.”

¹⁶ So the people went out and brought branches and made shelters for themselves. Each man made a shelter on his roof. They also made shelters in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the square by the Water Gate, and in the square by the Ephraim Gate. ¹⁷ The entire congregation that had returned from the captivity made shelters and stayed in the shelters. From the days of Joshua^[a] son of Nun until that day, the Israelites had not celebrated in this way, because there was very great joy. ¹⁸ Ezra also read from the Book of the Law of God every day of the festival, from the first day to the last day. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly according to the ordinance.