Nehemiah 8
Ezra reads God’s Law to Israel
Everyone gathered into the square by the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law that the Existing One gave to Israel through Moses. So on the first day of the 7th month, Ezra brought it and read it to everyone facing the square by the Water Gate. He started early in the morning and continued until midday. Everyone listened carefully to the Book of the Law while Ezra stood on the wooden platform they had made especially for this occasion. Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Hilkiah, and Maaseiah stood next to him on his right, and Pedaiah, Mishael, Malchijah, Hashum, Hashbaddanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam stood on his left. Everyone could see Ezra open the book because he was elevated on his platform, and everyone stood as he opened it. Ezra blessed the great God the Existing One, and everyone lifted up their hands and responded, “Amen, Amen.” They bowed their heads and worshiped the Existing One with their faces to the ground. Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites helped everyone understand the law while the people stood there. They read from God’s law clearly so that everyone could understand what it meant.
Then Nehemiah (the governor), Ezra (the priest/scribe), and the Levites who were teaching told everyone, “Today is sacred to the Existing One your God, so there’s no need to cry.” They said that because everyone wept as they heard the Law. Then he proclaimed, “Go your own ways. Eat good meat, drink sweet wine, and share with anyone who didn’t prepare anything, because today is sacred to our Master. Don’t be grieved, because the Existing One’s joy makes you strong.” So the Levites calmed everyone down, saying, “You don’t have to cry, because today is sacred. There’s no need to grieve.” So everyone went their own ways to eat, drink, share, and celebrate because they had understood God’s Law which had been read to them.
Israelites follow God’s law, making temporary shelters
On the second day, the patriarchs, priests, and Levites came to Ezra (the scribe) in order to study the Law. They found a passage where the Existing One had ordered that the Israelites should live in temporary shelters during the feast in the 7th month. It also ordered them to proclaim the following throughout their towns: “Go to the hills and bring olive branches, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and other leafy trees to make temporary shelters like it’s written.” So the people went out and made temporary shelters for themselves on their roofs, in their courtyards, in the temple courtyards, in the square near Water Gate, and in the square near Ephraim Gate. The entire assembly of everyone who had returned from captivity constructed and lived in these temporary shelters since they hadn’t done so since the days of Jeshua (Nun’s son). They celebrated with great enthusiasm, and every day, he read from the book of God’s Law. They kept the feast going for 7 days, and on the 8th day there was a solemn assembly, just like they were supposed to.