Nehemiah 8:13-18
New English Translation
13 On the second day of the month the family leaders[a] met with[b] Ezra the scribe, together with all the people, the priests, and the Levites, to consider the words of the law. 14 They discovered written in the law that the Lord had commanded through[c] Moses that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the festival of the seventh month, 15 and that they should make a proclamation and disseminate this message[d] in all their cities and in Jerusalem: “Go to the hill country and bring back olive branches and branches of wild olive trees, myrtle trees, date palms, and other leafy trees to construct temporary shelters, as it is written.”
16 So the people went out and brought these things[e] back and constructed temporary shelters for themselves, each on his roof and in his courtyard and in the courtyards of the temple[f] of God and in the plaza of the Water Gate and the plaza of the Ephraim Gate. 17 So all the assembly which had returned from the exile constructed temporary shelters and lived in them. The Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. Everyone experienced very great joy.[g] 18 Ezra[h] read in the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last.[i] They observed the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day they held an assembly[j] as was required.[k]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Nehemiah 8:13 tn Heb “the heads of the fathers.”
- Nehemiah 8:13 tn Heb “were gathered to”; NAB, NIV “gathered around”; NRSV “came together to.”
- Nehemiah 8:14 tn Heb “by the hand of.”
- Nehemiah 8:15 tn Heb “a voice.”
- Nehemiah 8:16 tn The words “these things” are not in the Hebrew text but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Nehemiah 8:16 tn Heb “the house.”
- Nehemiah 8:17 tn Heb “And there was very great joy.”
- Nehemiah 8:18 tn Heb “He”; the referent (Ezra) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Nehemiah 8:18 tn Heb “the last day.”
- Nehemiah 8:18 tn Heb “on the eighth day an assembly.” The words “they held” have been supplied in the translation for clarity.
- Nehemiah 8:18 tn Heb “according to the judgment.”
Nehemiah 8:13-18
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
The Festival of Booths Celebrated
13 On the second day the heads of ancestral 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 that the Israelites should live in booths[a] during the festival of the seventh month(A) 15 and that they should publish and proclaim in all their towns and in Jerusalem as follows, “Go out to the hills and bring branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make booths,[b] as it is written.”(B) 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths[c] for themselves, each on the roofs of their houses, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim.(C) 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths[d] and lived in them, for from the days of Jeshua son of Nun to that day the Israelites had not done so. And there was very great rejoicing.(D) 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, Ezra[e] read from the book of the law of God. They kept the festival seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.(E)
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