Feast of Booths Restored

13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests, and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe so that they might gain insight into the words of the Law. 14 And they found written in the Law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel (A)were to live in [a]booths during the feast of the seventh month. 15 (B)And that they were to proclaim and circulate a proclamation in all their cities and (C)in Jerusalem, saying, “(D)Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and [b]wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of other trees with thick branches, 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 courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the public square at (F)the Water Gate, and in the square at (G)the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths. Indeed, the sons of Israel (H)had not done so since the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And (I)there was very great rejoicing. 18 (J)He read from the Book of the Law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they (K)celebrated the feast seven days, and on (L)the eighth day there was a festive assembly in accordance with the ordinance.

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Footnotes

  1. Nehemiah 8:14 I.e., huts, also called tabernacles
  2. Nehemiah 8:15 Lit oil tree, species unknown

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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Footnotes

  1. 8.14 Or tabernacles
  2. 8.15 Or tabernacles
  3. 8.16 Or tabernacles
  4. 8.17 Or tabernacles
  5. 8.18 Heb he