Nehemiah 8:1-10

Ezra Reads the Law

1 And all the people gathered as one man into the square before t the Water Gate. And they told u Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel. 2 So Ezra the priest v brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, w on the first day of the seventh month. 3 x And he read from it facing the square before the Water Gate from early morning until midday, in the presence of the men and the women and those who could understand. And the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law. 4 And Ezra the scribe stood on a wooden platform that 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 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people, for he was above all the people, and as he opened it all the people stood. 6 And Ezra blessed the Lord, the great God, and all the people answered, y "Amen, Amen," z lifting up their hands. a And they bowed their heads and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground. 7 b Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, 1 c helped the people to understand the Law, d while the people remained in their places. 8 They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, 2 and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This Day Is Holy

9 And Nehemiah, who was e the governor, and Ezra f the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, g "This day is holy to the Lord your God; h do not mourn or weep." For all the people wept as they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, "Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and i send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength."

  1. Cross References
    Nehemiah 3:26
    And the temple servants living on Ophel repaired to a point opposite the Water Gate on the east and the projecting tower.
  2. Cross References
    Ezra 7:6
    This Ezra went up from Babylonia. He was a scribe skilled in the Law of Moses that the Lord, the God of Israel, had given, and the king granted him all that he asked, for the hand of the Lord his God was on him.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:11
    When all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing.
  4. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:24
    Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
  5. Cross References
    Nehemiah 13:1
    On that day they read from the Book of Moses in the hearing of the people. And in it was found written that no Ammonite or Moabite should ever enter the assembly of God.
  6. Cross References
    Nehemiah 5:13
    I also shook out the fold of my garment and said, "So may God shake out every man from his house and from his labor who does not keep this promise. So may he be shaken out and emptied." And all the assembly said "Amen" and praised the Lord. And the people did as they had promised.
  7. Cross References
    Psalms 134:2
    Lift up your hands to the holy place and bless the Lord!
    Lamentations 3:41
    Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
    1 Timothy 2:8
    I desire then that in every place the men should pray, lifting holy hands without anger or quarreling.
  8. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 20:18
    Then Jehoshaphat bowed his head with his face to the ground, and all Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem fell down before the Lord, worshiping the Lord.
  9. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:4
    On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the Lord their God.
  10. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 35:3
    And he said to the Levites who taught all Israel and who were holy to the Lord, "Put the holy ark in the house that Solomon the son of David, king of Israel, built. You need not carry it on your shoulders. Now serve the Lord your God and his people Israel.
  11. Cross References
    Nehemiah 9:3
    And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the Lord their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the Lord their God.
  12. Cross References
    Nehemiah 7:65
    The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food until a priest with Urim and Thummim should arise.
    Nehemiah 7:70
    Now some of the heads of fathers' houses gave to the work. The governor gave to the treasury 1,000 darics of gold, 50 basins, 30 priests' garments and 500 minas of silver.
    Nehemiah 10:1
    On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah, Zedekiah.
    Ezra 2:63
    The governor told them that they were not to partake of the most holy food, until there should be a priest to consult Urim and Thummim.
  13. Cross References
    Nehemiah 12:26
    These were in the days of Joiakim the son of Jeshua son of Jozadak, and in the days of Nehemiah the governor and of Ezra, the priest and scribe.
  14. Cross References
    Nehemiah 8:2
    So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly, both men and women and all who could understand what they heard, on the first day of the seventh month.
    Leviticus 23:24
    Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.
    Numbers 29:1
    On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets.
  15. Cross References
    Ecclesiastes 3:4
    A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance.
  16. Cross References
    Esther 9:19
    Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.
    Esther 9:22
    As the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.