Nehemiah 8:7-18 ▼

7 And Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites instructed the people in the law, and the people were on their stations.

8 And they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving the meaning, and they gave understanding to the convocation.

9 And Nehemiah (he was the Tirshatha) said—and Ezra the priest and the scribe and the Levites who were instructing the people—to all the people, “This day is holy to YHWH your? God. Do not mourn and do not weep.” For all the people wept at their hearing the words of the Law.

10 And he said to them, “Go, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to those with nothing prepared for them, for the day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of YHWH is your? strength.”

11 And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy, and do not be grieved.”

12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to greatly rejoice because they understood concerning the words that were declared to them.

13 And on the second day the heads of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, were gathered to Ezra the scribe, even to act wisely concerning the words of the Law.

14 And they found written in the Law that YHWH had commanded by Moses that the sons of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month,

15 and that they should proclaim and cause to pass over a voice in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain and bring olive branches, and branches of oil tree, and branches of myrtle, and branches of palm trees, and branches of a leafy tree, to make booths, as it is written.”

16 And the people went out and brought them in and made for themselves booths, each man on his roof, and in their courtyards, and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate, and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.

17 And all the assembly who had returned from the captivity made booths, and they sat 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 gladness.

18 And he read from the Book of the Law of God day by day, from the first day until the last day, and they kept the feast seven days, and on the eighth day was a sacred assembly, according to the ordinance.