NASB — Nehemiah 8 — KJV

Ezra Reads the Law

1 And all° the people° gathered° as one° man° at the square° which° was in front° of athe Water° Gate°, and they Iasked° bEzra° the scribe° to bring° cthe book° of the law° of Moses° which° the LORD° had IIgiven° to Israel°. 2 Then aEzra° the priest° brought° the law° before° the assembly° of men°, women° and all° who [could] listen° with understanding°, on bthe first° day° of the seventh° month°. 3 He read° from it before° the square° which° was in front° of athe Water° Gate° from Iearly° morning° until° midday°°, in the presence° of men° and women°, those who could understand°; and all° the people° were attentive° to the book° of the law°. 4 Ezra° the scribe° stood° at a wooden° podium° which° they had made° for the purpose°. And beside° him stood° Mattithiah°, Shema°, Anaiah°, Uriah°, Hilkiah°, and Maaseiah° on his right° hand°; and Pedaiah°, Mishael°, Malchijah°, Hashum°, Hashbaddanah°, Zechariah° [and] Meshullam° on his left° hand°. 5 Ezra° opened° athe book° in the sight° of all° the people° for he was standing above°° all° the people°; and when he opened° it, all° the people° bstood° up. 6 Then Ezra° blessed° the LORD° the great° God°. And all° the people° answered°, “aAmen°, Amen°!” while lifting° up their hands°; then bthey bowed° low° and worshiped° the LORD° with [their] faces° to the ground°. 7 Also Jeshua°, Bani°, Sherebiah°, Jamin°, Akkub°, Shabbethai°, Hodiah°, Maaseiah°, Kelita°, Azariah°, Jozabad°, Hanan°, Pelaiah°, the Levites°, explained° the law° to the people° while the people° [remained] in their place°. 8 They read° from the book°, from the law° of God°, Itranslating° to give° the sense° so that they understood° the reading°.

[1] ILit said to IILit commanded aNe 3:26 bEzr 7:6 c2Ch 34:15
[2] aDt 31:9-11; Ne 8:9 bLv 23:24
[3] ILit the light aNe 8:1
[5] aNe 8:3 bJg 3:20; 1K 8:12-14
[6] aNe 5:13 bEx 4:31
[8] IOr explaining

“This Day Is Holy”

9 ¶ Then Nehemiah°, who° was the Iagovernor°, and Ezra° bthe priest° [and] scribe°, and the Levites° who taught° the people° said° to all° the people°, “cThis° day° is holy° to the LORD° your God°; ddo not mourn° or weep°.” For all° the people° were weeping° when they heard° the words° of the law°. 10 Then he said° to them, “Go°, eat° of the fat°, drink° of the sweet°, and asend° portions° to him who has nothing° prepared°; for this day° is holy° to our Lord°. Do not be grieved°, for the joy° of the LORD° is your strength°.” 11 So the Levites° calmed° all° the people°, saying°, “Be still°, for the day° is holy°; do not be grieved°.” 12 All° the people° went° away to eat°, to drink°, ato send° portions° and to Icelebrate° a great° festival°, bbecause° they understood° the words° which° had been made° known° to them.

[9] IHeb Tirshatha, a Persian title aNe 7:65, 70 bNe 12:26 cNe 8:2 dDt 12:7, 12
[10] aDt 26:11-13
[12] ILit make a great rejoicing aNe 8:10 bNe 8:7, 8

Feast of Booths Restored

13 ¶ Then on the second° day° the heads° of fathers’° [households] of all° the people°, the priests° and the Levites° were gathered° to Ezra° the scribe° that they might gain° insight° into the words° of the law°. 14 They found° written° in the law° how° the LORD° had commanded° through° Moses° that the sons° of Israel° ashould live° in booths° during the feast° of the seventh° month°. 15 IaSo they proclaimed° and circulated° a proclamation° in all° their cities° and bin Jerusalem°, saying°, “cGo° out to the hills°, and bring° olive° branches° and IIwild°° olive° branches°, myrtle° branches°, palm° branches° and branches° of [other] leafy° trees°, to make° booths°, as it is written°.” 16 So the people° went° out and brought° [them] and made° booths° for themselves, each° aon his roof°, and in their courts° and in the courts° of the house° of God°, and in the square° at bthe Water° Gate° and in the square° at cthe Gate° of Ephraim°. 17 The entire° assembly° of those who had returned° from the captivity° made° booths° and lived° in Ithem. The sons° of Israel° ahad indeed° not done° so° from the days° of Joshua° the son° of Nun° to that day°. And bthere was great° rejoicing°. 18 aHe read° from the book° of the law° of God° daily°, from the first° day° to the last° day°. And they bcelebrated° the feast° seven° days°, and on cthe eighth° day° [there was] a solemn° assembly° according to the ordinance°.

[14] aLv 23:34, 40, 42
[15] ILit And that they will cause to be heard IILit oil tree, species unknown aLv 23:4 bDt 16:16 cLv 23:40
[16] aJr 32:29 bNe 8:1 c2K 14:13; Ne 12:39
[17] ILit the booths a2Ch 7:8; 8:13 b2Ch 30:21
[18] aDt 31:11 bLv 23:36 cNu 29:35


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The religious manner of reading and hearing the Law.

1 ¶ And all² the peopleº gathered themselves togetherºª as oneº manº into² the streetº that² [was] beforeº the waterº gate;º and they spakeºª unto Ezraº the scribeºª to bringºª² the bookº of the lawº of Moses,º which² the LORDº had commandedºª to² Israel.º 2 And Ezraº the priestº broughtºª² the lawº beforeº the congregationº both of menº² and women,º and all² that could hearºª with understanding,ºª upon the firstº dayº of the seventhº month.º 3 And he readºª therein beforeº the streetº that² [was] beforeº the waterº gateº from² the morningº until² midday,ºº before² the men¹² and the women,º and those that could understand;ºª and the earsº of all² the peopleº [were attentive] unto² the bookº of the law.º 4 And Ezraº the scribeºª stoodºª upon² a pulpitº of wood,º which² they had madeºª for the purpose;º and besideº him stoodºª Mattithiah,º and Shema,º and Anaiah,º and Urijah,º and Hilkiah,º and Maaseiah,º on² his right hand;º and on his left hand,º² Pedaiah,º and Mishael,º and Malchiah,º and Hashum,º and Hashbadana,º Zechariah,º [and] Meshullam.º 5 And Ezraº openedºª the bookº in the sightº of all² the people;º (for² he was² above²² all² the people;)º and when he openedºª it, all² the peopleº stood up:ºª 6 And Ezraº blessedºª² the LORD,º the greatº God.º And all² the peopleº answered,ºª Amen,º Amen,º with lifting upº their hands:º and they bowedºª their heads, and worshippedºª the LORDº with [their] facesº to the ground.º 7 Also Jeshua,º and Bani,º and Sherebiah,º Jamin,º Akkub,º Shabbethai,º Hodijah,º Maaseiah,º Kelita,º Azariah,º Jozabad,º Hanan,º Pelaiah,º and the Levites,º caused² the peopleº to understandºª the law:º and the peopleº [stood] in² their place.º 8 So they readºª in the bookº in the lawº of Godº distinctly,ºª and gaveºª the sense,º and caused [them] to understandºª the reading.º

[1] Jg 20:1, 8; 2Ch 34:15; Ezr 3:1; 7:6, 11; Ne 3:26; 8:4, 16; 12:37; Is 8:20; Jr 8:8; Mal 4:4; Mt 13:52; 23:2, 13, 34.
[2] Lv 23:24; Nu 29:1; Dt 17:18; 31:9, 11; 2Ch 17:7; Is 28:9; Mal 2:7; Ac 15:21.
[3] Mt 7:28; Mk 12:37; Lk 4:16; 8:18; 19:48; Ac 13:15, 27; 15:21; 16:14; 17:11; 20:7, 11; 28:23; 1Th 2:13; He 2:1; Rv 2:29; 3:22.
[4] Ezr 10:29, 33; Ne 10:3, 7, 18, 20, 25; 11:5, 7; 12:13.
[5] Jg 3:20; 1K 8:14; Lk 4:16.
[6] Gn 14:22; 24:26; Ex 4:31; 12:27; Lv 9:24; 1Ch 29:20; 2Ch 6:4; 20:18; 29:30; Ne 5:13; Ps 28:2; 41:13; 63:4; 72:18; 134:2; 141:2; Jr 28:6; Lm 3:41; Mt 6:13; 26:39; 1Co 14:16; Ep 1:3; 1Ti 2:8; 1P 1:3; Rv 7:11.
[7] Lv 10:11; Dt 33:10; 2Ch 17:7; 30:22; Ezr 8:18; 10:22, 23; Ne 3:17, 19, 23; 8:4; 9:4; 10:2, 9, 10, 12, 13, 18; 11:16, 19; 12:24, 25, 33, 41; Mal 2:7.
[8] Hab 2:2; Mt 5:21, 27; Lk 24:27, 32, 45; Ac 8:30; 17:2; 28:23.

They comfort the people.

9 ¶ And Nehemiah,º which² [is] the Tirshatha,º and Ezraº the priestº the scribe,ºª and the Levitesº that taughtºª² the people,º saidºª unto all² the people,º This² dayº [is] holyº unto the LORDº your God;º mournºª not,² nor² weep.ºª For² all² the peopleº wept,ºª when they heardºª² the wordsº of the law.º 10 Then he saidºª unto them, Go² your way,¹ª eatºª the fat,º and drinkºª the sweet,º and sendºª portionsº unto them for whom nothing² is prepared:ºª for² [this] dayº [is] holyº unto our Lord:º neither² be ye sorry;ºª for² the joyº of the LORDº is your strength.º 11 So the Levitesº stilledºª all² the people,º saying,ºª Hold your peace,ºª for² the dayº [is] holy;º neither² be ye grieved.ºª 12 And all² the peopleº went² their way¹ª to eat,ºª and to drink,ºª and to sendºª portions,º and to makeºª greatº mirth,º because² they had understoodºª the wordsº that² were declaredºª unto them.

[9] Lv 23:24; Nu 29:1; Dt 12:7, 12; 16:11, 14; 26:14; 2K 22:11, 19; 2Ch 15:3; 30:22; 34:19, 21; 35:3; Ezr 2:63; 7:11; Ne 7:65, 70; 8:2, 7; 10:1; Ec 3:4; Is 61:3; Ho 4:6; Mal 2:13; Ro 3:20; 7:9; 2Co 7:9.
[10] Dt 26:11; Es 9:19, 22; Jb 31:16; Ps 28:7; 149:2; Pv 17:22; Ec 2:24; 3:13; 5:18; 9:7; 11:2; So 5:1; Is 6:7; 12:1; 35:1; 61:10; Jol 2:23; Lk 11:41; 2Co 8:2; 12:8; Php 3:4; 1Ti 6:17; Rv 11:10.
[11] Nu 13:30.
[12] Ne 8:7, 10; Jb 23:12; Ps 19:8; 119:14, 16, 72, 97, 103, 111, 127, 130, 171, 174; 126:1; Pv 2:10; 24:13; Jr 15:16; Lk 24:32; Ro 7:18.

The forwardness of them to hear and be instructed.

13 ¶ And on the secondº dayº were gathered togetherºª the chiefº of the fathersº of all² the people,º the priests,º and the Levites,º unto² Ezraº the scribe,ºª even to understandºª² the wordsº of the law.º 14 And they foundºª writtenºª in the lawº which² the LORDº had commandedºª byº Moses,º that² the childrenº of Israelº should dwellºª in boothsº in the feastº of the seventhº month:º 15 And that² they should publishºª and proclaimººª in all² their cities,º and in Jerusalem,º saying,ºª Go forthºª unto the mount,º and fetchºª oliveº branches,º and pineº² branches,º¹ and myrtleº branches,º and palmº branches,º and branchesº of thickº trees,º to makeºª booths,º as [it is] written.ºª

[13] 2Ch 30:23; Ne 8:7; Pv 2:1; 8:33; 12:1; Mk 6:33; Lk 19:47; 24:32; Ac 4:1; 13:42; 2Ti 2:24.
[14] Gn 33:17; Lv 23:34, 40; Dt 16:13; Zc 14:16; Jn 7:2.
[15] Gn 8:11; Lv 23:4, 40; Dt 16:16; Jg 9:48; Mt 21:1; Jn 12:13; Rv 7:9.

They keep the feast of the Tabernacles.

16 ¶ So the peopleº went forth,ºª and broughtºª [them], and madeºª themselves booths,º every oneº upon² the roof of his house,º and in their courts,º and in the courtsº of the houseº of God,º and in the streetº of the waterº gate,º and in the streetº of the gateº of Ephraim.º 17 And all² the congregationº of them that were come againºª out of² the captivityº madeºª booths,º and satºª under the booths:º for² since the daysº² of Jeshuaº the sonº of Nunº unto² that² dayº had not² the childrenº of Israelº done² so.¹ª² And there was² veryº greatº gladness.º 18 Also dayº by day,º from² the firstº dayº unto² the lastº day,º he readºª in the bookº of the lawº of God.º And they keptºª the feastº sevenº days;º and on the eighthº dayº [was] a solemn assembly,º according unto the manner.º

[16] Dt 22:8; 2S 11:2; 2K 14:13; 2Ch 20:5; 33:5; Ne 3:26; 8:3; 12:37, 39; Jr 19:13; 32:29.
[17] Jsh 1:1; 1Ch 29:22; 2Ch 7:8, 10; 8:13; 30:21, 26; 35:18; Ezr 3:4; Jn 1:14; He 4:8; 11:9, 13.
[18] Lv 23:36; Nu 29:35; Dt 31:10; Jn 7:37.


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