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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

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