The Feast of Tabernacles(A)

13 Now on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, with the priests and Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, in order to understand the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in (B)booths[a] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and (C)that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and (D)in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and (E)bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the (F)roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the (G)Water Gate (H)and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 So the whole assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made [b]booths and sat under the booths; for since the days of Joshua the son of Nun until that day the children of Israel had not done so. And there was very (I)great gladness. 18 Also (J)day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast (K)seven days; and on the (L)eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:14 Temporary shelters
  2. Nehemiah 8:17 Temporary shelters

Festival of Booths

13 On the second day the heads of the families[a] of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered together to Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law.[b] 14 They found written in the law,[c] which Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the Israelites[d] should live in booths during the festival of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim and give voice in all of their cities in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hill and bring olive tree branches, olive oil wood branches, myrtle shrub branches, palm tree branches, and other leafy tree branches to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of the house of God, in the public square of the Water Gate, and in the public square of the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all of the assembly of those who returned from captivity made booths and lived in the booths because the Israelites[e] had not done it from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great joy. 18 And he read from the scroll of the law[f] of God day by day from the first day up to the last day. They celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly according to the rule.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:13 Literally “fathers”
  2. Nehemiah 8:13 Hebrew torah
  3. Nehemiah 8:14 Hebrew torah
  4. Nehemiah 8:14 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  5. Nehemiah 8:17 Literally “sons/children of Israel”
  6. Nehemiah 8:18 Hebrew torah