¹And all the people gathered in unison in the square which was opposite the Water Gate, and they told Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded Israel to observe. ²And Ezra the priest presented the law to the convocation, to both men and women, and everyone who would understand on hearing it, on the first day of the seventh month. ³And he read from it facing the square which was opposite the Water Gate, from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who understood. And the ears of all the people were riveted to the book of the law. ⁴And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden tower which they had made for the occasion, and next to him stood Mattithiah and Shema and Anaiah and Uriah and Hilkiah and Maaseiah on his right, and on his left were Pedaiah and Mishael and Malchijah and Hashum and Hashbaddanah, Zechariah and Meshullam. ⁵And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was higher up than all the people, and when he opened it, all the people stood up. ⁶And Ezra blessed the great Lord God, and all the people answered, “Amen, amen”, with their arms raised, then they bowed to and worshipped the Lord face down to the ground. ⁷And Jeshua and Bani and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah and the Levites expounded the law to the people, and the people stood glued to their place. ⁸And they read from the book of the law of God distinctly, and they gave insight, and they enabled them to understand the reading. ⁹And Nehemiah, who was the governor, and Ezra the priest, the scribe, and the Levites who expounded to the people, said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God. Do not mourn and do not weep.” For all the people wept when they heard the words of the law. ¹⁰And he said to them, “Go and eat rich food, and drink sweet drinks, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared for him, for the day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your stronghold.” ¹¹And the Levites made all the people be quiet, and they said, “Be quiet, for this day is holy, and do not be grieved.” ¹²Then all the people went to eat and to drink and to send portions and to celebrate with great joy, for they understood the words which had been made known to them. ¹³And on the second day, the paternal heads of all the people, and the priests and the Levites, gathered around Ezra the scribe, and it was to gain insight into the words of the law. ¹⁴And they found written in the law which the Lord had commanded through the intermediacy of Moses, that the sons of Israel should live in tabernacles during the festival in the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they should proclaim and publish an announcement in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain and bring back olive foliage, and wild olive foliage, and myrtle foliage, and palm foliage, and foliage from bushy trees, to make tabernacles, as it is written.” ¹⁶So the people went out and brought them, and they made themselves tabernacles, each one on his roof and in their courtyards and in the courtyards of the house of God, and in the square of the Water Gate and in the square of the Gate of Ephraim. ¹⁷And the whole convocation of those who returned from captivity made tabernacles, and they lived in the tabernacles, which the sons of Israel had not done like this since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun up to this day, and there was very great joy. ¹⁸And he read from the book of the law of God day by day, from the first day to the last day, and they celebrated the festival for seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance.