Nehemiah 8:5 - Prayer Tents

8When the seventh month came and the Israelites had settled in their towns, all the people gathered together at the square in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses that the LORD had given Israel.H5971H622H259H376H7339H6440H4325H8179H559H5830H5608H935H5612H8451H4872H3068H6680H3478 2On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought the law before the assembly of men, women, and all who could listen with understanding.H5830H3548H935H8451H6440H6951H376H802H8085H995H259H3117H7637H2320 3While he was facing the square in front of the Water Gate, he read out of it from daybreak until noon before the men, the women, and those who could understand. All the people listened attentively to the book of the law.H7121H6440H7339H6440H4325H8179H216H4276H3117H582H802H995H241H5971H5612H8451 4Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform made for this purpose. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood beside him on his right; to his left were Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hash-baddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.H5830H5608H5975H4026H6086H6213H1697H681H5975H4993H8087H6043H223H2518H4641H3225H8040H6305H4332H4441H2828H2806H2148H4918 5Ezra opened the book in full view of all the people, since he was elevated above everyone. As he opened it, all the people stood up.H5830H6605H5612H5869H5971H5971H6605H5971H5975 6Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God, and with their hands uplifted all the people said, " Amen, Amen!" Then they bowed down and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground.H5830H1288H3068H1419H430H5971H6030H543H543H4607H3027H6915H7812H3068H639H776 7Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, and Pelaiah, who were Levites, explained the law to the people as they stood in their places.H3442H1137H8274H3226H6126H7678H1941H4641H7042H5838H3107H2605H6411H3881H5971H995H8451H5971H5977 8They read the book of the law of God, translating and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was read.H7121H5612H8451H430H6567H7760H7922H995H4744 9Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who were instructing the people said to all of them, "This day is holy to the LORD your God. Do not mourn or weep." For all the people were weeping as they heard the words of the law.H5166H8660H5830H3548H5608H3881H995H5971H559H5971H3117H6918H3068H430H56H1058H5971H1058H8085H1697H8451 10Then he said to them, "Go and eat what is rich, drink what is sweet, and send portions to those who have nothing prepared, since today is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, because your strength [comes from] rejoicing in the LORD."H559H3212H398H4924H8354H4477H7971H4490H3559H3117H6918H113H6087H2304H3068H4581 11And the Levites quieted all the people, saying, "Be still, since today is holy. Do not grieve."H3881H2814H5971H559H2013H3117H6918H6087 12Then all the people began to eat and drink, send portions, and have a great celebration, because they had understood the words that were explained to them.H5971H3212H398H8354H7971H4490H6213H1419H8057H995H1697H3045

Festival of Booths Observed

13On the second day, the family leaders of all the people, along with the priests and Levites, assembled before Ezra the scribe to study the words of the law.H8145H3117H622H7218H1H5971H3548H3881H5830H5608H7919H1697H8451 14They found written in the law how the LORD had commanded through Moses that the Israelites should dwell in booths during the festival of the seventh month.H4672H3789H8451H3068H6680H3027H4872H1121H3478H3427H5521H2282H7637H2320 15So they proclaimed and spread this news throughout all their towns and in Jerusalem, saying, "Go out to the hill country and bring back branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and [other] leafy trees to make booths, just as it is written."H8085H5674H6963H5892H3389H559H3318H2022H935H2132H5929H8081H6086H5929H1918H5929H8558H5929H5929H5687H6086H6213H5521H3789 16The people went out, brought back [branches], and made booths for themselves on each of their rooftops, and courtyards, the court of the house of God, the square by the Water Gate, and the square by the Gate of Ephraim.H5971H3318H935H6213H5521H376H1406H2691H2691H1004H430H7339H4325H8179H7339H8179H669 17The whole community that had returned from exile made booths and lived in them. They had not celebrated like this from the days of Joshua son of Nun until that day. And there was tremendous joy.H6951H7725H7628H6213H5521H3427H5521H3117H3442H1121H5126H3117H1121H3478H6213H3966H1419H8057 18Ezra read out of the book of the law of God every day, from the first day to the last. The Israelites celebrated the feast for seven days, and on the eighth day there was an assembly, according to the ordinance.H3117H3117H7223H3117H314H3117H7121H5612H8451H430H6213H2282H7651H3117H8066H3117H6116H4941