Nehemiah 8

8all the people assembled with a unified purpose at the square just inside the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the LORD had given for Israel to obey.H5971H622H259H376H7339H6440H4325H8179H559H5830H5608H935H5612H8451H4872H3068H6680H3478 2So on October 8

Ezra the priest brought the Book of the Law before the assembly, which included the men and women and all the children old enough to understand.H5830H3548H935H8451H6440H6951H376H802H8085H995H259H3117H7637H2320 3He faced the square just inside the Water Gate from early morning until noon and read aloud to everyone who could understand. All the people listened closely to the Book of the Law.H7121H6440H7339H6440H4325H8179H216H4276H3117H582H802H995H241H5971H5612H8451 4Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform that had been made for the occasion. To his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah. To his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.H5830H5608H5975H4026H6086H6213H1697H681H5975H4993H8087H6043H223H2518H4641H3225H8040H6305H4332H4441H2828H2806H2148H4918 5Ezra stood on the platform in full view of all the people. When they saw him open the book, they all rose to their feet.H5830H6605H5612H5869H5971H5971H6605H5971H5975 6Then Ezra praised the LORD, the great God, and all the people chanted, "Amen! Amen!" as they lifted their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.H5830H1288H3068H1419H430H5971H6030H543H543H4607H3027H6915H7812H3068H639H776 7The Levites—Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah—then instructed the people in the Law while everyone remained in their places.H3442H1137H8274H3226H6126H7678H1941H4641H7042H5838H3107H2605H6411H3881H5971H995H8451H5971H5977 8They read from the Book of the Law of God and clearly explained the meaning of what was being read, helping the people understand each passage.H7121H5612H8451H430H6567H7760H7922H995H4744 9Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were interpreting for the people said to them, "Don't mourn or weep on such a day as this! For today is a sacred day before the LORD your God." For the people had all been weeping as they listened to the words of the Law.H5166H8660H5830H3548H5608H3881H995H5971H559H5971H3117H6918H3068H430H56H1058H5971H1058H8085H1697H8451 10And Nehemiah

continued, "Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don't be dejected and sad, for the joy of the LORD is your strength!"H559H3212H398H4924H8354H4477H7971H4490H3559H3117H6918H113H6087H2304H3068H4581 11And the Levites, too, quieted the people, telling them, "Hush! Don't weep! For this is a sacred day."H3881H2814H5971H559H2013H3117H6918H6087 12So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God's words and understood them.H5971H3212H398H8354H7971H4490H6213H1419H8057H995H1697H3045

The Festival of Shelters

13On October 9

the family leaders of all the people, together with the priests and Levites, met with Ezra the scribe to go over the Law in greater detail.H8145H3117H622H7218H1H5971H3548H3881H5830H5608H7919H1697H8451 14As they studied the Law, they discovered that the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should live in shelters during the festival to be held that month

.H4672H3789H8451H3068H6680H3027H4872H1121H3478H3427H5521H2282H7637H2320 15He had said that a proclamation should be made throughout their towns and in Jerusalem, telling the people to go to the hills to get branches from olive, wild olive

, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees. They were to use these branches to make shelters in which they would live during the festival, as prescribed in the Law.H8085H5674H6963H5892H3389H559H3318H2022H935H2132H5929H8081H6086H5929H1918H5929H8558H5929H5929H5687H6086H6213H5521H3789 16So the people went out and cut branches and used them to build shelters on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, in the courtyards of God's Temple, or in the squares just inside the Water Gate and the Ephraim Gate.H5971H3318H935H6213H5521H376H1406H2691H2691H1004H430H7339H4325H8179H7339H8179H669 17So everyone who had returned from captivity lived in these shelters during the festival, and they were all filled with great joy! The Israelites had not celebrated like this since the days of Joshua

son of Nun.H6951H7725H7628H6213H5521H3427H5521H3117H3442H1121H5126H3117H1121H3478H6213H3966H1419H8057 18Ezra read from the Book of the Law of God on each of the seven days of the festival. Then on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, as was required by law.H3117H3117H7223H3117H314H3117H7121H5612H8451H430H6213H2282H7651H3117H8066H3117H6116H4941