Ezra Reads the Law

8 Then all the people gathered together as one man at the open square in front of the Water Gate; and they asked Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses which the Lord had given to Israel. ² So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men, women and all who could listen with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ Then he read from it, in front of the open square which was in front of the Water Gate, from ^[a]early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and women, those who could understand; and ^[b]all the people listened carefully to the Book of the Law. ⁴ Ezra the scribe stood on a [large] wooden platform which they had constructed for this purpose. And beside him [on the platform] stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right; and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam on his left. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was standing above them; 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!” while lifting up their hands; and they knelt down and worshiped the Lord with their faces toward 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, and the people remained in their places. ⁸ So they read from the Book of the Law of God, translating and explaining it so that the people understood the reading.