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¹ All the people gathered themselves together as one man into the broad place that was before the water gate; and they spoke to Ezra the Sofer to bring the book of the law of Moshe, which the LORD had commanded to Yisra'el. ² Ezra the Kohen brought the law before the assembly, both men and women, and all who could hear with understanding, on the first day of the seventh month. ³ He read therein before the broad place that was before the water gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women, and of those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were [attentive] to the book of the law. ⁴ Ezra the Sofer stood on a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattityah, and Shema, and `Anayah, and Uriyah, and Hilkiyah, and Ma`aseyah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedayahu, and Misha'el, and Malkiyah, and Hashum, and Hashbaddanah, Zekharyah, [and] Meshullam. ⁵ Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: ⁶ and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. All the people answered, Amein, Amein, with the lifting up of their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. ⁷ Also Yeshua, and Bani, and Sherevyah, Yamin, `Akkuv, Shabbetai, Hodiyah, Ma`aseyah, Kelita, `Azaryah, Yozavad, Hanan, Pelayah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people [stood] in their place. ⁸ They read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading.

⁹ Nechemyah, who was the governor, and Ezra the Kohen the Sofer, and the Levites who taught the people, said to all the people, This day is holy to the LORD your God; don't mourn, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰ Then he said to them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions to him for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord: neither be you grieved; for the joy of the LORD is your strength. ¹¹ So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your shalom, for the day is holy; neither be you grieved. ¹² All the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared to them.

¹³ On the second day were gathered together the heads of fathers' [houses] of all the people, the Kohanim, and the Levites, to Ezra the Sofer, even to give attention to the words of the law. ¹⁴ They found written in the law, how that the LORD had commanded by Moshe, that the children of Yisra'el should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month; ¹⁵ and that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Yerushalayim, saying, Go forth to the mountain, and get olive branches, and branches of wild olive, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written. ¹⁶ So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, everyone on the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the broad place of the water gate, and in the broad place of the gate of Efrayim. ¹⁷ All the assembly of those who were come again out of the captivity made booths, and lived in the booths; for since the days of Yeshua the son of Nun to that day the children of Yisra'el had not done so. There was very great gladness. ¹⁸ Also day by day, from the first day to the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. They kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according to the ordinance.