¶ And all the people¹ gathered themselves together as one man² into the street that was before³ the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra⁴ the scribe to bring⁵ the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.

And Ezra the priest⁶ brought the law before the congregation⁷ both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding⁸, upon the first⁹ day of the seventh month.

And he read¹⁰ therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning¹¹ until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears¹² of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.

And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit¹³ of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah¹⁴, and Hashum¹⁵, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam¹⁶.

And Ezra opened¹⁷ the book in the sight¹⁸ of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

And Ezra blessed¹⁹ the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen²⁰, Amen, with lifting²¹ up their hands: and they bowed²² their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces²³ to the ground.

Also Jeshua²⁴, and Bani²⁵, and Sherebiah²⁶, Jamin, Akkub²⁷, Shabbethai, Hodijah²⁸, Maaseiah²⁹, Kelita³⁰, Azariah³¹, Jozabad³², Hanan³³, Pelaiah³⁴, and the Levites, caused³⁵ the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.

So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense³⁶, and caused them to understand the reading.

¶ And Nehemiah³⁷, which is the Tirshatha³⁸, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites³⁹ that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day⁴⁰ is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not,⁴¹ nor weep. For all the people⁴² wept, when they heard the words of the law.

¶ Then he said unto them, Go your way⁴³, eat⁴⁴ the fat, and drink the sweet, and send⁴⁵ portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy⁴⁶ of the LORD is your strength.

So the Levites stilled⁴⁷ all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.

And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send⁴⁸ portions, and to make⁴⁹ great mirth, because⁵⁰ they had understood the words that were declared unto them.

¶ And on the second⁵¹ day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law⁵².

And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by⁵³ Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths⁵⁴ in the feast⁵⁵ of the seventh month:

And that⁵⁶ they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem⁵⁷, saying, Go forth unto the mount⁵⁸, and fetch⁵⁹ olive⁶⁰ branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm⁶¹ branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.

So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof⁶² of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts⁶³ of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate⁶⁴, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim⁶⁵.

And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under⁶⁶ the booths: for since the days of Jeshua⁶⁷ the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so⁷⁰. And there was⁷¹ very great gladness.

Also day by day⁷², from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly⁷³, according unto the manner.