Feast of Booths Celebrated

13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses (A)that the people of Israel should dwell in booths[a] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and (B)publish it in all their towns and (C)in Jerusalem, “Go out to the hills and bring (D)branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each (E)on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at (F)the Water Gate and in the square at (G)the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day (H)the people of Israel had not done so. And there was (I)very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, (J)he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and (K)on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:14 Or temporary shelters

Festival of Shelters Observed

13 On the second day, the family heads of all the people, along with the priests and Levites,(A) assembled before the scribe Ezra(B) to study the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in shelters during the festival of the seventh month.(C) 15 So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make shelters, just as it is written.”(D) 16 The people went out, brought back branches, and made shelters for themselves on each of their rooftops(E) and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate,(F) and the square by the Ephraim Gate.(G) 17 The whole community that had returned from exile(H) made shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day.(I) And there was tremendous joy.(J) 18 Ezra[a] read out of the book of the law of God(K) every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.(L)

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Footnotes

  1. 8:18 Some Hb mss, Syr read They