1. Now all the people gathered as one man to the square that was before the Water Gate, and they said to Ezra the scholar to bring the scroll of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel.
א.
2. And Ezra the priest brought the Law before the congregation, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month.
ב.
3. And he read in it before the square that was before the Water Gate from the [first] light until midday in the presence of the men and the women and those who understood, and the ears of all the people were [attentive] to the Scroll of the Law.
ג.
4. And Ezra the scholar stood on a wooden tower that they had made for the purpose, and there stood beside him Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Uriah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah on his right, and on his left Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkijah, Hashum, Hashbadanah, Zechariah, [and] Meshullam.
ד.
5. And Ezra opened the scroll before the eyes of the entire people, for he was above all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood.
ה.
6. And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, "Amen, Amen," with the uplifting of their hands, and they bent their heads and prostrated themselves to the Lord on their faces to the ground.
ו.
7. And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites explained the Law to the people, and the people stood in their place.
ז.
8. And they read in the scroll, in the Law of God, distinctly, and gave sense, and they explained the reading to them.
ח.
9. Then Nehemiah-he is Hattirshatha-and Ezra the priest, the scholar, and the Levites who caused the people to understand, said to all the people, "This day is holy to the Lord your God; neither mourn nor weep," for all the people were weeping when they heard the words of the Law.
ט.
10. And he said to them, "Go, eat fat foods and drink sweet drinks and send portions to whoever has nothing prepared, for the day is holy to our Lord, and do not be sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."
י.
11. And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Hush, for the day is holy, and do not be sad."
יא.
12. Then all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to rejoice greatly, for they understood the words that they informed them of.
יב.
13. And on the second day, the heads of the fathers' houses of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, gathered to Ezra the scholar, and to understand the words of the Torah.
יג.
14. And they found written in the Torah that the Lord had commanded by the hand of Moses that the Children of Israel dwell in booths on the festival in the seventh month.
יד.
15. And that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the mountain and bring olive leaves and leaves of oil trees, myrtle leaves, date palm leaves, and leaves of plaited trees, to make booths, as it is written."
טו.
16. And the people went forth and brought [them] and made booths for themselves, each one on his roof and in their courts and in the courts of the House of God, and in the square of the Water Gate, and in the square of the Gate of Ephraim.
טז.
17. And all the congregation of the returnees from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths, for they had not done so from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun until that day, and there was exceedingly great joy.
יז.
18. And he read in the scroll of the Law of God day by day from the first day until the last day, and they made the festival seven days, and on the eighth day an assembly according to the ordinance.
יח.
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