1And all the people gathered together as one man into the square that was before the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the scroll of the law of Moses, which Yahweh had commanded Israel.
2So Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.
3And he read from it before the square that was before the Water Gate, from the light of dawn until midday, in front of the men and the women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the scroll of the law.
4And Ezra the scribe stood on a platform of wood that they had made for the purpose, and beside him stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right hand; and on his left, Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.
5And Ezra opened the scroll before the eyes of all the people, for he was above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up.
6And Ezra blessed Yahweh, the great God, and all the people answered, “Amen, Amen,” lifting up their hands; and they bowed down and worshiped Yahweh with their faces to the ground.
7And Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites helped the people understand the law, while the people remained in their place.
8And they read in the scroll, in the law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense so that they understood the reading.
9Then Nehemiah — he is the governor — and Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were helping the people understand, said to all the people, “This day is holy to Yahweh your God; do not mourn and do not weep.” For all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the law.
10And he said to them, “Go, eat rich food and drink sweet drinks, and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of Yahweh is your stronghold.”
11And the Levites were quieting all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; and do not be grieved.”
12And all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because they understood the words that had been made known to them.
13And on the second day the heads of the fathers’ houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites gathered to Ezra the scribe, to gain insight into the words of the law.
14And they found it written in the law that Yahweh had commanded by the hand of Moses, that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month.
15And that they should proclaim and send out a voice through all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills and bring olive branches, branches of wild olive, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”
16So the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each on his roof and in their courtyards, and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the square of the Water Gate, and in the square of the Ephraim Gate.
17And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths; for the sons of Israel had not done so from the days of Jeshua son of Nun until that day. And there was very great rejoicing.
18And he read from the scroll of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last day. And they kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.
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