Nehemiah 8
8All the people gathered as a united body into the plaza in front of the Water Gate. They asked Ezra the scribe to bring out the book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel.H5971H622H259H376H7339H6440H4325H8179H559H5830H5608H935H5612H8451H4872H3068H6680H34782So on the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest brought out the Law before the assembled people. Both men and women were in attendance, as well as all who could understand what they were hearing.H5830H3548H935H8451H6440H6951H376H802H8085H995H259H3117H7637H23203Ezra read from it, facing the plaza in front of the Water Gate, from early in the morning until mid-day in the presence of the men and women, as well as all who could understand. All the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.H7121H6440H7339H6440H4325H8179H216H4276H3117H582H802H995H241H5971H5612H84514Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden rostrum erected for that purpose. Beside him to his right stood Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Masseiah. Beside him to his left stood Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam.H5830H5608H5975H4026H6086H6213H1697H681H5975H4993H8087H6043H223H2518H4641H3225H8040H6305H4332H4441H2828H2806H2148H49185Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people. Because he was visible above all the people there, as he opened it, all the people stood up.H5830H6605H5612H5869H5971H5971H6605H5971H59756Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and with uplifted hands, all the people responded, "Amen! Amen!" They bowed down and worshiped the Lord prostrate on the ground.H5830H1288H3068H1419H430H5971H6030H543H543H4607H3027H6915H7812H3068H639H7767Furthermore, Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites taught the Law to the people while the people remained standing.H3442H1137H8274H3226H6126H7678H1941H4641H7042H5838H3107H2605H6411H3881H5971H995H8451H5971H59778They read from the book of the Law of God, distinctly communicating its meaning, so they could understand the reading.H7121H5612H8451H430H6567H7760H7922H995H47449Because all the people were weeping as they listened to the words of the Law, Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to everyone, "This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn or weep."H5166H8660H5830H3548H5608H3881H995H5971H559H5971H3117H6918H3068H430H56H1058H5971H1058H8085H1697H845110He also said to them, "Go eat the best food, drink the best wine, and give something to those who have nothing, since this day is holy to our Lord. Don't be sorrowful, because the joy of the Lord is your strength."9H559H3212H398H4924H8354H4477H7971H4490H3559H3117H6918H113H6087H2304H3068H458111The Levites also calmed all the people by saying, "Be still, for the day is holy. Don't be sorrowful!"H3881H2814H5971H559H2013H3117H6918H608712So all the people went to eat, to drink, to send something to those who had nothing, and to celebrate with great joy, because they understood the words that were being declared to them.H5971H3212H398H8354H7971H4490H6213H1419H8057H995H1697H304513The next day, the heads of the families of all the people were gathered together, along with the priests and the Levites, to meet with Ezra the scribe in order to understand the words of the Law.H8145H3117H622H7218H1H5971H3548H3881H5830H5608H7919H1697H845114They found written in the Law that the Lord had commanded through Moses that the Israelites were to live in tents during the feast scheduled for the seventh month.H4672H3789H8451H3068H6680H3027H4872H1121H3478H3427H5521H2282H7637H232015So they circulated a proclamation throughout their towns and in Jerusalem. It said, "Go out to the hill country and bring back olive branches, wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of mature trees, in order to set up tents, as has been written."H8085H5674H6963H5892H3389H559H3318H2022H935H2132H5929H8081H6086H5929H1918H5929H8558H5929H5929H5687H6086H6213H5521H378916Then the people went out and found branches to make tents for themselves on the roofs of their houses, in their courtyards, and in the courts of God's temple, in the plaza near the Water Gate, and in the plaza near the Gate of Ephraim.H5971H3318H935H6213H5521H376H1406H2691H2691H1004H430H7339H4325H8179H7339H8179H66917The entire assembly of those who had returned from exile erected tents and lived in them. Indeed, from the days of Nun's son Joshua until that day the Israelites had not done so. Joy was everywhere,H6951H7725H7628H6213H5521H3427H5521H3117H3442H1121H5126H3117H1121H3478H6213H3966H1419H805718and Ezra continued to read from the book of the Law of God day by day, from the first day through the last. They celebrated for seven days, and on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly according to regulation.816H3117H3117H7223H3117H314H3117H7121H5612H8451H430H6213H2282H7651H3117H8066H3117H6116H4941
Columbus, OH
