Nehemiah 8 – Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

Ezra Reads the Book of the Law

1 And all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 gathered ^H622 as one ^H259 man ^H376 at the square ^H7339 which ^H834 was in front ^H6440 of the Water ^H4325 Gate ^H8179, and they said ^H559 to Ezra ^H5830 the scribe ^H5608 to bring ^H935 the book ^H5612 of the law ^H8451 of Moses ^H4872 which ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 to Israel ^H3478.

2 Then Ezra ^H5830 the priest ^H3548 brought ^H935 the law ^H8451 before ^H6440 the assembly ^H6951 of men ^H376, women ^H802, and all ^H3605 who could understand ^H995 when listening ^H8085, on the first ^H259 day ^H3117 of the seventh ^H7637 month ^H2320. 3 And he read ^H7121 from it before ^H6440 the square ^H7339 which ^H834 was in front ^H6440 of the Water ^H4325 Gate ^H8179 from [fn]early ^H216 morning ^H216 until ^H5704 midday ^H4276 H3117, in the presence ^H5048 of men ^H376 and women ^H802, those who could understand ^H995; and all ^H3605 the ears ^H241 of the people ^H5971 were attentive ^H241 to the book ^H5612 of the law ^H8451. 4 Ezra ^H5830 the scribe ^H5608 stood ^H5975 on a wooden ^H6086 podium ^H4026 which ^H834 they had made ^H6213 for the purpose ^H1697. And beside ^H681 him stood ^H5975 Mattithiah ^H4993, Shema ^H8087, Anaiah ^H6043, Uriah ^H223, Hilkiah ^H2518, and Maaseiah ^H4641 on his right ^H3225 hand ^H3225; and Pedaiah ^H6305, Mishael ^H4332, Malchijah ^H4441, Hashum ^H2828, Hashbaddanah ^H2806, Zechariah ^H2148, and Meshullam ^H4918 on his left ^H8040 hand ^H8040. 5 And Ezra ^H5830 opened ^H6605 the book ^H5612 in the sight ^H5869 of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 for he was above ^H4480 H5921 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971; and when he opened ^H6605 it, all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 stood ^H5975 up. 6 Then Ezra ^H5830 blessed ^H1288 Yahweh ^H3068 the great ^H1419 God ^H430. And all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 answered ^H6030, “Amen ^H543, Amen ^H543!” while lifting ^H4607 up their hands ^H3027; then they bowed ^H6915 low ^H6915 and worshiped ^H2331 Yahweh ^H3068 with their [fn]faces ^H639 to the ground ^H776. 7 Also Jeshua ^H3091, Bani ^H1137, Sherebiah ^H8274, Jamin ^H3226, Akkub ^H6126, Shabbethai ^H7678, Hodiah ^H1941, Maaseiah ^H4641, Kelita ^H7042, Azariah ^H5838, Jozabad ^H3107, Hanan ^H2605, Pelaiah ^H6411, the Levites ^H3881, were ^H995 providing ^H995 understanding ^H995 of the law ^H8451 to the people ^H5971 while the people ^H5971 stood in their place ^H5977. 8 They read ^H7121 from the book ^H5612, from the law ^H8451 of God ^H430, [fn]explaining ^H6567 and [fn]giving ^H7760 insight ^H7922, and they provided ^H995 understanding ^H995 of the reading ^H4744.

This Day Is Holy

9 Then Nehemiah ^H5166, who ^H1931 was the [fn]governor ^H8660, and Ezra ^H5830 the priest ^H3548 and scribe ^H5608, and the Levites ^H3881, who provided ^H995 the people ^H5971 with understanding ^H995, said ^H559 to all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, “This ^H1931 day ^H3117 is holy ^H6918 to Yahweh ^H3068 your God ^H430; do not mourn ^H56 or weep ^H1058.” For all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 were weeping ^H1058 when they heard ^H8085 the words ^H1697 of the law ^H8451.

10 Then he said ^H559 to them, “Go ^H1980, eat ^H398 of the fat ^H4924, drink ^H8354 of the sweet ^H4477, and send ^H7971 portions ^H4490 to him who has nothing ^H369 prepared ^H3559; for this day ^H3117 is holy ^H6918 to our Lord ^H136. Do not be grieved ^H6087, for the joy ^H2304 of Yahweh ^H3068 is your strength ^H4581.” 11 So the Levites ^H3881 quieted ^H2814 all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, saying ^H559, “Be still ^H2013, for the day ^H3117 is holy ^H6918; do not be grieved ^H6087.” 12 Then all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 went ^H1980 away to eat ^H398, to drink ^H8354, to send ^H7971 portions ^H4490, and to celebrate ^H6213 with great ^H1419 gladness ^H8057, because ^H3588 they understood ^H995 the words ^H1697 which ^H834 had been made ^H3045 known ^H3045 to them.

Feast of Booths Restored

13 Then on the second ^H8145 day ^H3117 the heads ^H7218 of fathers’ ^H1 households of all ^H3605 the people ^H5971, the priests ^H3548 and the Levites ^H3881 were gathered ^H622 to Ezra ^H5830 the scribe ^H5608 that they might gain ^H7919 insight ^H7919 into the words ^H1697 of the law ^H8451.

14 They found ^H4672 written ^H3789 in the law ^H8451 how ^H834 Yahweh ^H3068 had commanded ^H6680 by the hand ^H3027 of Moses ^H4872 that the sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 should live ^H3427 in booths ^H5521 during the feast ^H2282 of the seventh ^H7637 month ^H2320, 15 and that they should make ^H8085 the report ^H8085 heard ^H8085 and make ^H5674 a proclamation ^H6963 of it pass ^H5674 throughout all ^H3605 their cities ^H5892 and in Jerusalem ^H3389, saying ^H559, “Go ^H3318 out ^H3318 to the hills ^H2022, and bring ^H935 olive ^H2132 branches ^H5929 and [fn]wild ^H6086 H8081 olive ^H8081 branches ^H5929, myrtle ^H1918 branches ^H5929, palm ^H8558 branches ^H5929, and branches ^H5929 of other leafy ^H5687 trees ^H6086, to make ^H6213 booths ^H5521, as it is written ^H3789.” 16 So the people ^H5971 went ^H3318 out ^H3318 and brought ^H935 them and made ^H6213 booths ^H5521 for themselves, each ^H376 on his roof ^H1406, and in their courts ^H2691 and in the courts ^H2691 of the house ^H1004 of God ^H430, and in the square ^H7339 at the Water ^H4325 Gate ^H8179 and in the square ^H7339 at the Gate ^H8179 of Ephraim ^H669. 17 The entire ^H3605 assembly ^H6951 of those who had returned ^H7725 from the captivity ^H7628 made ^H6213 booths ^H5521 and lived ^H3427 in the booths ^H5521. The sons ^H1121 of Israel ^H3478 had indeed ^H3588 not done ^H6213 so ^H3651 from the days ^H3117 of Joshua ^H3091 the son ^H1121 of Nun ^H5126 to that day ^H3117. And there was exceedingly ^H3966 great ^H1419 gladness ^H8057. 18 And he read ^H7121 from the book ^H5612 of the law ^H8451 of God ^H430 daily ^H3117, from the first ^H7223 day ^H3117 to the last ^H314 day ^H3117. And they celebrated ^H6213 the feast ^H2282 seven ^H7651 days ^H3117, and on the eighth ^H8066 day ^H3117 there was a solemn ^H6116 assembly ^H6116 according to the legal judgment ^H4941.