Nehemiah 8

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." 11 So the Levites calmed all the people, saying, "Be quiet, for this day is holy; do not be grieved." 12 And all the people went their way to eat and drink and to send portions and to make great rejoicing, because j they had understood the words that were declared to them.

Feast of Booths Celebrated

13 On the second day the heads of fathers' houses of all the people, with the priests and the Levites, came together to Ezra the scribe in order to study the words of the Law. 14 And they found it written in the Law that the Lord had commanded by Moses k that the people of Israel should dwell in booths 3 during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should proclaim it and l publish it in all their towns and m in Jerusalem, "Go out to the hills and bring n branches of olive, wild olive, myrtle, palm, and 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 o on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at p the Water Gate and in the square at q the Gate of Ephraim. 17 And all the assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in the booths, for from the days of Jeshua the son of Nun to that day r the people of Israel had not done so. And there was s very great rejoicing. 18 And day by day, from the first day to the last day, t he read from the Book of the Law of God. They kept the feast seven days, and u on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly, according to the rule.

  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.
  17. Cross References
    Nehemiah 8:7 - 8
    Also Jeshua, Bani, Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodiah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, the Levites, helped the people to understand the Law, while the people remained in their places.
  18. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:34
    Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord.
    Leviticus 23:40
    And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
    Leviticus 23:42
    You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths.
  19. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:4
    These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.
  20. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 16:16
    Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.
  21. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:40
    And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.
  22. Cross References
    1 Samuel 9:25
    And when they came down from the high place into the city, a bed was spread for Saul on the roof, and he lay down to sleep.
  23. Cross References
    Nehemiah 8:1
    And all the people gathered as one man into the square before the Water Gate. And they told Ezra the scribe to bring the Book of the Law of Moses that the Lord had commanded Israel.
    Nehemiah 8:3
    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.
    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.
  24. Cross References
    Nehemiah 12:39
    And above the Gate of Ephraim, and by the Gate of Yeshanah, and by the Fish Gate and the Tower of Hananel and the Tower of the Hundred, to the Sheep Gate; and they came to a halt at the Gate of the Guard.
    2 Kings 14:13
    And Jehoash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
    2 Chronicles 25:23
    And Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and brought him to Jerusalem and broke down the wall of Jerusalem for 400 cubits, from the Ephraim Gate to the Corner Gate.
  25. Cross References
    1 Kings 8:2
    And all the men of Israel assembled to King Solomon at the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
    2 Chronicles 7:9
    And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days.
    2 Chronicles 8:13
    As the duty of each day required, offering according to the commandment of Moses for the Sabbaths, the new moons, and the three annual feasts - the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Booths.
    Ezra 3:4
    And they kept the Feast of Booths, as it is written, and offered the daily burnt offerings by number according to the rule, as each day required.
  26. Cross References
    2 Chronicles 30:21
    And the people of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness, and the Levites and the priests praised the Lord day by day, singing with all their might to the Lord.
  27. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 31:10 - 11
    And Moses commanded them, "At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths.
  28. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:36
    For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.
    Numbers 29:35
    On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly. You shall not do any ordinary work.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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